Islam in Canada - Organisations

Organisations

The Muslim community in Canada is represented by several organizations:

• the Chinese Muslim Association of Canada
• the Canadian Islamic Congress
• the Ahlul Bayt Assembly of Canada
• the DawaNet which runs MuslimFest, Understanding Islam Academy, TorontoMuslims.com, and coordinates Imams list in Toronto as well as Muslim youth activism.
• the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) which has its foundation rooted in traditional Islamic ideology with a focus on dynamic application within the current Canadian socio-political context.
• the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN), a Muslim civil rights organization, which has become one of the leading advocacy voices for the Muslim community,
• the Muslim Canadian Congress, a secular group founded by Tarek Fatah,
• the Canadian Muslim Union another liberal group which split from the MCC,
• as well as other large organisations such as
  • Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
  • and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).
  • Muslims for Progressive Values - Canada

However, the major aspect of the Muslim community in Canada is the widespread of cities associations such as the Muslim Council of Montreal for example, Toronto's Council, that deals mainly with issues pertaining to the community in that city and they support the national associations.

Most of these organisations are not grass root organizations, except MAC, but are umbrellas and coordination bodies between local associations.

These are only some of the key organisations within the Muslim Canadian community. As the community is large and diverse with well over 60 ethno-cultural groups various organisations are continually emerging as they seek to meet the needs of community members.

Student-led initiatives are generally well supported and successful, including annual events such as MuslimFest and the Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference, the largest Islamic event in Canada.