CCMW has initiated a unique forum, leaving it to Muslim youth from across Canada to organize. It is an opportunity for them to explore what it means to be a Canadian Muslim and the many paths they can travel on the road to citizenship, without taking dangerous detours.

The title of the event is “My Canada: A Forum on Identity, Faith and Civic Engagement”.

It will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at the Hotel Novotel in Toronto (3 Park Home Ave. 8 am-6 pm). Muslim youth from as far away as Inuvik, Vancouver, Halifax and Charlottetown will gather to discuss the following topics:

• In My Own Skin: Exploring Canadian Muslim Identities
• For the Common Good: Broadening the Definition of Civic Engagement
• Honesty for a Change: Artistic Expression as Civic Engagement
• Multi-media Resources: Web 2.0 Technologies and More

“With the proliferation of new media and technologies, young people are inundated with information about Islam and Muslims – most of it negative and confusing,” said Razia Jaffer, CCMW president. “As a Muslim women’s organization concerned about our children, we needed to act.”

Participants at the forum will hear from youth activists and performers and share their own stories about being Canadian and Muslim in an age of terror and advanced security measures.

“Getting the word out, be it through poetry, drama, music or civic action, that we are here, we are Canadian and Muslim and we want a better world for all, is vital for me,” said Toronto poet and one of the key speakers at the forum, Boonaa Mohammed.

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For further information please visit www.ccmw.com. Contacts: Nuzhat Jafri at 416-487-8037 or 416-999-6059 or by email at nuzhat.jafri@rogers.com or Rizwan Mohammad, rmohammad@ccmw.com, 416-908-4758.

The Awards, to be presented by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) at the Noor Cultural Centre on Sunday, May 24, recognize Canadian Muslim women who have made a difference in the lives of others in Canada and around the world.

“We established these awards in 2008 to promote a positive image of Canadian Muslim women and to provide a positive role model for girls and women in Muslim communities and the community at large,” Razia Jaffer, president of the Council, said.

“We think it’s important to address some of the negative stereotypes that exist about Muslim women. These awards are intended to do that. This year’s award winners demonstrate an untiring zeal for service to the community and inspire us through their selfless commitment to improving the lives of others,” Jaffer said.

This year’s award winners include:

• Yasmin Ratansi, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East and the first Muslim woman to be elected to the House of Commons;
• Monia Mazigh, academic and human rights activist who played a pivotal role in the release of her husband Maher Arar from captivity in Syria;
• Sabra Desai, an educator and social justice advocate who works with individuals with HIV/AIDs in Toronto;
• Soraya Hafez, an educator with a long history of community outreach who helped preserve North America’s first mosque in Edmonton; and
• Nazira Tareen, a YWCA of Ottawa’s Women of Distinction Award winner who has a passion for interfaith dialogue and bringing people together.

“In my heart of hearts I know that a woman can do anything she aspires to. Education, perseverance and courage are key ingredients for inspiring us to achieve great things,” said Monia Mazigh, author of Hope and Despair and one of the winners of this year’s Women Who Inspire Awards.

All five women will receive the Women Who Inspire Awards on Sunday, May 24, at a fundraising brunch to be held at the Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive, Toronto, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go towards the CCMW family of scholarships, awarded to Muslim women pursuing post-secondary education in diverse disciplines.

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Full stories about the winners and information about the Women Who Inspire Awards and fundraising brunch are available at www.ccmw.com.

For more information, contact Nuzhat Jafri at 416-487-8037 or 416-999-6059 or by email at nuzhat.jafri@rogers.com