May Allah (SWT) accept our Ramadan and guide us to carry the benefits from Ramadan forward throughout the year.

Don’t forget: as we enjoy the company of our fellow Muslims and fill our bellies after a month of fasting, remember our brothers and sisters suffering from Famine in Somalia and Africa. Make dua for them and contribute to elleviate their suffering any way you can!

Until then, enjoy some of these pictures from One Ummah, One Love!

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A FREE summer event!

Come to an evening program and lecture to inspire HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS and UNITY in the COMMUNITY.

Listen and converse with inspiring speakers. Ask your long awaited questions or pose ideas about how the Muslim community can regenerate and progress…

DATE: Friday, July 16, 2010 (Juma evening)
TIME: 6:30 PM (ASR) to 11:30 PM (ISHA)
COST: FREE! Refreshments too!
VENUE: SW Masjid – 5615 14 Ave. SW, Calgary, Alberta

Scholar Biographies

Sh. Islam Ali | Guyana, Caribbean Islands, South America

Sheikh Islam Ali has been active in Islamic work for approximately 30 years. During the course of his dawah work, he has placed great emphasis on educating Muslim youth and is keen on their achievements in the field of dawah. Prior to coming to Canada, Sheikh Islam was a part of the Islamic revival movement in the Caribbean and South America. With much of his work in Guyana, he held the position of ameer in the county of Berbice for seven years and served as an Imam for two mosques for seven years in addition. During his educational ventures, he has studied under various scholars from the Islamic University of Madina, in addition to scholars from the Alimiya Institute in Pakistan. He has studied the science of tajweed with Sheikh Saeed Gharsuddeen of Egypt.

Dr. Iqbal Nadvi | Toronto, ON

Dr. Iqbal Nadvi is one of the few Muslim scholars in Canada authorized to deliver an Islamic legal ruling (fatwa). He’s currently the Imam of Al-Falah Islamic Centre in Oakville, Ontario and is among the leadership of ICNA Canada. Previously, he was an Imam in Calgary, Alberta. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Shariah (law), with specialization in jurisprudence (Fiqh) and taught in King Saud University for 6 years, dealing with subjects such as principles of jurisprudence (Usool Al-Fiqh), Islamic Culture, Islamic Political Thought, Islamic movements and Fiqh of Organization. He has memorized the Qur’an and was the recipient of a recommendation letter signed by the well-known scholar, Sheikh Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz (rahimullah).

Sh. Mohammed Yaffa | Halifax / Sierra Leone, Africa

Sheikh Mohammad Khalil Yaffa is the Imam and Khatib at the Centre for Islamic Development, a Dawah and educational centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also acts as the Arabic and Islamic Studies curricullum developer at the Ihasan Educational Centre in Halifax. Some of his duties include organizing communty events, retreats and workshops, as well as providing leadership training and education for youths and organizations.

Sh. Yaffa has an M.A. in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies and currently works as the Coordinator of Diversity and Social Equity Initiative for the Capital District Health Authority in Nova Scotia.

This year, NYM Calgary teamed up with NYM Saskatoon to present to over one thousand youth its annual activities with a special focus on Camp Sunnah. These excited youth were gathering to meet Br. Mutah, a former member of 2pac’s OUTLAWZ. The organizer decided to host numerous local Muslim organizations in a resource fair for Muslim youth to encourage youth involvement and awareness of what the various Islamic organizations had to offer.

Both the event and NYM booth were a success, in that many new Muslim youth and Camp Sunnah candidates were enthusiastic about the upcoming 2010 Camp Sunnah.

The NYM ink booth left a positive first impression with many at this year’s MCC Youth Conference, but it was the conversations had by the brothers of NYM iNK Calgary with the youth that were the real gems and jewels of this May long weekend event. The discussions at the booth seemed to inspire eagerness and excitement in the hearts and minds of the attendees as they poured through gym doors of the Akraam Jomaa Islamic Centre. The NYM Volunteers witnessed many teens, young adults, and even parents who were curious to find out more about who NYM iNK is, what they are all about, and what they have to offer. The message at the booth was simple: NYM iNK aims to empower the youth firstly with confidence and sense of pride in their Islamic identity in order for them to build and benefit both our Muslim communities as well as the greater North American community.

All attendees, through dialogue and display, were able to catch a glimpse of the different NYM initiatives, such as Marriage workshops, professional dawah workshops and Camp Sunnah – all of which are part of the NYM iNK holistic approach. The youth were beginning to see the multi-faceted nature of NYM organization including the sisters. NYM iNK has made a point to ensure that our sisters are not forgotten, a phenomenon that unfortunately happens far too often, leaving our sisters ill equipped with proper Islamic knowledge to be the best Muslimahs they can be. One of the brothers put it best when he said, “How can we not remember our sisters, can a bird fly with only one wing?”.

The most popular section of the booth amongst the attendees was Camp Sunnah. As the enticing trailer rumbled in the back ground the brothers were engaging the people telling them of their personal stories and experiences from Camp Sunnah. Camp Sunnah is now in its fifth year of operation and continues to strive in leadership development and improve the experience every year as it receives hundreds of applicants for the 50 available seats.

So if you are thinking about attending this year’s Camp Sunnah check out the trailer below and be advised to submit your strong application as early as possible!

As-salaamu alaikum wr wb
Abu Dhar
NYM iNK Journalist

So when over 400 young Muslims gathered on a Saturday afternoon, you knew something special was happening.

Youth of all ages descended upon the University of Alberta for Generation Muslim, Edmonton’s largest Islamic conference this year. The two-day conference explored a variety of topics, all centered on themes young Muslims face today such as identity and pop culture.

As diverse as the topics were, the speakers invited to talk at the conference were equally as diverse. William “Abdullah” Chappelle (brother of comedian Dave Chappelle) gave a unique perspective of becoming Muslim under the backdrop of the entertainment industry and Hollywood culture. Dr. Reda Bedeir gave inspiring talks on youth leadership in Canadian society, as well as society’s fixation with chasing materialism at the expense of the afterlife. And Sheikh Islam Ali brought over 30 years of dawah experience to bear as he expounded on unity in the face of contradictory cultural identities.

The mood was energetic and lively throughout the two-days, as the Conference also played host to a bazaar with clothing stalls, food booths and informational displays. NYM Clothing made an appearance with their unique brand of Islam-inspired, modern clothing, and other stalls featured a plethora of hijabs, perfumes and miscellaneous Islamic Gifts. Some of the most popular stalls were the NYM iNK informational booths, as attendees flocked to find out more information on upcoming events (such as Camp Sunnah) and check out some of the dawah material NYM iNK produces and supplies to many dawah organizations and student groups across Western Canada.

One of the highlights of the conference was the Adam’s (AS) Family Poetry Contest, an event designed to encourage the creativity of Muslim children. Boys and girls aged 7 to 12 competed for over $450 in cash prizes, with Mahmoud Ammar (1st) and Timiro Mohamed (2nd) winning the age 10-12 category and Nadia Ammar (1st), Ayan Said (2nd) and Aminah Kadry (3rd) winning the ages 7-9 category. Thanks go to the Sara Folard Gift store, the El-Jabel Food and Gift store, Edmonton Islamic School and various other donors for donating the prizes.

Other highlights included spoken-word poetry by Abdullah Chappelle, highlight videos from the previous Camp Sunnah, sneak previews to upcoming workshops, an interview with Mutah Beale (formerly Napoleon of Tupac Shakur’s Outlawz) and the Chappelle Show, a Late Show style interview with Abdullah Chappelle.

Generation Muslim Highlight Reel

The volunteers, youth from across Western Canada, worked hard to put on this unique event for Edmonton, and through their efforts Edmonton saw one of its most successful Islamic events of the year – good job volunteers!

Be sure to check out the gallery pictures and highlight reel if you missed the Conference. You’ll definitely agree that it was the experience of a life time!

“Life as a Stranger” featured various exhibits by different youth groups, including the dynamic NYM iNK clothing and informational booth, situated next to the BCYO exhibit. Both exhibits saw an immense amount of interest and traffic unparalleled by the other participants. NYM clothing aims to provide an alternative style to mainstream pop culture which is engrossed in obscenity, morbid violence, lack of morality, and the degradation of women. What is the solution? A need to establish a Muslim Alternative to pop culture; something that will attract our youth to the deen, providing an alternative sense of uniqueness, and pride in the deen. With styles such as “Islam, By Popular Demand” and “NYM Top Team” the styles are prolific and creative.

The event began with a panel discussion by local scholars discussing the pitfalls faced by local youth in Vancouver. This was followed by video lectures by Sheikh Yusuf Estes and Br. Yusha Evans. After a break for Asr prayer, Br. Abu Muslimah enlightened the crowd in a lectured entitled “The Amazing Race to Paradise”. After breaks for dinner and a skit/nasheed contest, Dr. Syed ibn Iqbal spoke as the final lecturer of the night. With an emotionally charged lecture, “Canada’s Next Top Role Model,” Dr. Syed elucidated the title of the conference, “Life as a stranger” and how Muslim youth can succeed in this duniya and in the akhira. Judging by the comments from many conference attendees they felt a large amount of inspiration from Dr. Syed’s poignant lecture. The event was finally closed out by the comedy styling of Br. Waseem Mo Money from Ottawa, who uplifted the crowd with his jokes.

All things considered, the BTTYC Muslim Youth Conference was a colossal success with upwards of 750 attendees making it the largest youth conference in British Columbia to date. NYM iNK was pleased to be able to provide support by exhibiting and providing speakers to the Muslim Youth organizations in British Columbia. In conclusion, we would like to repeat that NYM iNK is committed to Daw’ah efforts across Western Canada, whether it is through putting on conferences ourselves or assisting any other Brothers and Sisters on the path of Allah (SWT). NYM iNK is the one stop shop for all your Da’wah because for the youth….Islam is yearned for By Popular Demand.

When:

• Monday, June 22nd from 7:00PM to 10:30PM
• Tuesday, June 23rd from 7:00PM to 10:30PM
• Wednesday, June 24th from 7:00PM to 10:30PM

Where:

• ETLC Room 1-017, University of Alberta, Edmonton

Cost:

• $60/person or $75 at the door. Click here to register online!

Instructors:

• Sh. Kamal El Mekki – Baku, Azerbaijan

When: Saturday, June 20th, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Where:   ETLC Room 2-002, University of Alberta, Edmonton

Cost: $20/person or $30 at the door. Click here to register online! Remember, Volunteers to the Generation Muslim Conference get in free!

Instructors:

• Dr. Reda Bedeir – Burnaby, B.C.
• Sh. Islam Ali - Toronto, ON