.
"It
aims to promote stronger ties within the North American Society
through reviving the Islamic tradition of education, tolerance and
introspection, and across cultural lines through points of commonality
and respect."
The
event, to run from December 23 through December 25, will be held in
the prestigious National Trade Centre, the largest tradeshow facility
in Canada and the sixth largest in North America.
It
will be the first Islamic convention hosted at the historic CNE
grounds.
Efforts
exerted by youth leaders in organizing the largest convention of
Canadian Muslims over the past three years have won the praise and
acclaim from Muslims across the continent.
Last
year’s convention drew a crowd of 10,000 participants and a larger
gathering is expected this year as the event falls during Christmas
holiday break in Canada.
Key
Figures
A
number of high-profile Muslim personalities from around the world will
address the convention.
They
include Dr. Jamal Badawi (Canada), Hamza Yusuf (USA), Ms. Atalla
Shabazz (USA), Imam Zaid Shakir (USA), Dr. Tareq Suwaidan (Kuwait),
Dr. Zakir Naik (India), Dr. Omar Abdel Kafi (Egypt), Riyadh Ul Haq
(UK) and Sulaiman Mulla (South Africa).
The
program includes lectures from a wide array of speakers who will
engage in dialogue around the issues of Canadian Muslim identity and
the meaning of active citizenship.
The
organizers are also adding a four-day knowledge retreat which will
follow the convention.
It
will discuss an Islamic vision for Muslims living in the West.
Instructors
include Shakir, Suwaidan, Abdallah Bin Bayyah (Bahrain) and Abdal
Hakim Jackson.
Benefit
Concert
 |
|
Yusuf will be performing in the convention for the second time.
|
A
benefit concert for victims of the South Asian earthquake will be held
on Monday, December 26, featuring some of the Muslim world’s most
well-known singers.
British
Muslim singer Sami Yusuf, whose album, Al-Muallim, took the
Muslim world by storm, will be performing along with the Malaysian
group, Raihan.
Also
featured are the American group Native Deen, British singer
Mesut Kurtis and Pakistani singer Najam Sheraz.
The
7.6 quake, which stuck on October 8, flattened swathes of northeast
Pakistan, leaving some 2.5 million people homeless and destroying
entire towns across an area of 20,000 square kilometers.
This
year the convention will also showcase a Grand Souk (market)
with vendors from all across North America showcasing their products
and services.
Toronto,
the capital of Ontario, the province that one in three Canadians call
home, has the largest concentration of Muslims in Canada.
The
number of Canadian Muslims has increased dramatically over the last
decade, according to a national census.
Islam
is Canada's fastest-growing religion with more than 600,000 adherents
and making it the number one
