All praise is due to Allaah and we beg him to continue showering His choicest blessings on our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). 

 Since Family Day was instituted in the Province of Ontario, the TARIC Islamic Centre has observed this holiday with various family activities, including, our famous family day brunch. 

Pre-pandemic, an in-person family summit weekend became the format for observing Family Day. In 2021 due to the pandemic, the summit was held virtually under the theme, “Resilience of Muslim families in the pandemic era”. This year, the summit is once again virtual and the theme is, “Countering Islamophobia – Effective Strategies and Resources”.

 Islamophobia is anti-Muslim sentiment and prejudice. It manifests itself in public and private spaces whereby Muslims are viewed with suspicion and unwelcome. In the workplace, it often takes the form of discrimination where Muslim practices and identity is discouraged and at times prohibited. In traditional and social media and political discourse, we see Muslims portrayed as violent and untrustworthy. 

 Personally, I have watched with concern the unprecedented rise of anti-Muslim hate crimes and hate speech, but with

fewer procedural safeguards and legislation addressing Islamophobia. Muslims have been subjected to discriminatory and unconstitutional practices. Such actions not only infringe on the freedom of Muslims to practice their faith but also marginalize them as engaged citizens. 

Islamophobia is more than harsh talk. It is a systemic and institutional form of racism. Islamophobia is the silencing of Muslim voices.  

 The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable to do so, then with his tongue. If he is unable to do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest level of faith.” [Sahih Muslim]

The main aim of tackling this daunting theme during the three days of the upcoming family summit is to openly talk about Islamophobia, deconstruct its narratives, and then reconstruct new positive and realistic narratives around Muslims. Responding to Islamophobia is vital and a moral responsibility. As such, the summit has an exciting program with an array of prominent speakers and presenters that includes policymakers, advocates across religious, racial, and ethnic lines, along with meaningful engagements in interfaith, youth, and the media. 

 Frankly, organizing a virtual summit of this magnitude has not been a small task. On behalf of the TARIC Islamic Centre, special thanks are extended to many dedicated and outstanding volunteers for their diligent planning, tireless efforts to organize all the sessions, careful scheduling of events, and meticulous work in support of numerous behind the scenes summit activities. 

 Special thanks are extended to all our generous sponsors and community partners, all the summit’s speakers, and presenters for their contributions, which serve as the foundation of this summit. Lastly, special thanks in advance to all our attendees for making our family summit a part of your Family Day weekend observance. 

 In conclusion, I pray that the family summit will offer effective strategies and resources, best practices, and relevant toolkits to fight the spread of Islamophobia, in shaa Allaah. 

On behalf of the TARIC Islamic Centre

Imam Shaykh Imran Ally