#200 - 72 Princess Street, Winnipeg, R3B 1K2 Phone 204-944-1560

ISSA Annual Report 2015 Friends of ISSA: Asalaamalykum (peace be with you)

As 2015 comes to an end we are grateful for an amazing year of events, activities, projects and collaborations with interfaith, multi-cultural and indigenous communities. From local, national to international forums ISSA’s expertise has been sought out, to educate and inform people from a wide range of sectors and civil society.

ISSA continues to engage with the media in print and broadcast on international and local issues impacting Canadian Muslims. ISSA has mediated, counseled and assisted many families and individuals to gain favourable results and find resolutions to their issues.

We have assisted many refugees and new immigrants from our emergency (zakat) funds to meet their urgent needs. ISSA has also reached out to the Indigenous community through many events organized during Islamic History Month.

Our speakers have been busy presenting on Islam and Muslims and enhancing cultural competency within various sectors to help them better assist their Muslim clients. ISSA was privileged to train 750 police officers in Winnipeg in understanding Islam and Muslims - the training received excellent reviews. ISSA also does regular bi-annual trainings in Islam and Muslims and cultural competency for City of Winnipeg employees from various departments. ISSA is regularly asked to host students from schools and universities at the Winnipeg Central Mosque and to be guest speaker at various university departments. ISSA’s publications continue to be in demand. ISSA has offered training to community members and others on combating violent extremism, the basics of counseling and we are planning trauma counseling training in the new year.

This year we received limited funding from the provincial government to offer a pilot project in Preventative Family Support Services. We hope the program will continue to be funded so we can consistently help our families and offer Muslim parenting classes as well as organize youth support groups. The inner-city Muslim boys sports night continues every Friday and we are planning to start a newcomer youth multicultural programming to enhance healthy integration through sports, and other activities. ISSA currently has on staff a full time social worker, family support worker, Office Coordinator, Chief Operations Officer and a volunteer coordinator.

ISSA has been in the forefront of addressing Islamophobia and organizing collaborations on events that bring Canadians to stand together against xenophobia.

With your continued support I am confident that ISSA will

continue to grow and increase its services in establishing a healthy, strong and confident Canadian Muslim community.

Feel free to contact us at ISSA with any concerns, suggestions and feedback.

Sincerely Shahina Siddiqui, President ISSA

Above – Shahina Siddiqui presented at an international “United Against Terrorism” conference in Vienna, Austria this year. Below – Abdo Eltassi (left) at ‘Meet me at the Bell Tower’ with Leonard Monkman (centre) & Michael Champaign (right) of AYO.

#200 - 72 Princess Street, Winnipeg, R3B 1K2 Phone 204-944-1560

ISSA Programs and Projects Preventative Family Support Services This year we established the Preventative Family Support Service (PFSS), a partnership between ISSA and the General Authority of Child and Family Services. PFSS provides supports for Muslim families as well as service providers within the Child Welfare System. Since August, the PFSS has conducted a Foster Parent recruitment drive, developed healthy parenting training, and is setting up support groups for youth and parents. The PFSS also offers counseling and mediation supports. Our goal is to reduce the need for contact with child welfare agencies and to allow families to resolve their issues with professional support that is culturally and spiritually compatible.

Above – In the last week of December, ISSA assisted in the settlement of 18 Syrian families, who have come to Winnipeg as refugees. A collaborative effort of government agencies, non-government organizations, business people and a multitude of volunteers was able to get them into temporary housing. They are now getting organized for schooling, language training and moving into more permanent housing. After School Program The ISSA After School Program (ASP) runs through July and August. Funding comes from the Manitoba government, Department of Children and Youth Opportunities. This program offers two Muslim youth a work opportunity and mentors them in developing their management and communication skills. ASP includes Muslim youth ages 7 to 13 in recreational opportunities, survival skills training, education on developing drug and gang resistance and the experience of nature camping. ASP assists participants to develop socially, spiritually and physically.

Above: ISSA received continued support from organizations like the Winnipeg Foundation – CEO Rick Frost (left), and individuals like former MP and Lieutenant Government of Manitoba, John Harvard. Below: ISSA Vice-President Abdo Eltassi, President Shahina Siddiqui and Premier Greg Selinger at the ISSA Dinner 2015. Building Bridges ISSA has been actively building bridges between faith communities, cultural groups, Canadian citizens and organizations, and the Muslim community, locally , nationally and internationally. We have been invited to numerous conferences, seminars and workshops to present on Islam and Muslims, Islamophobia, racism, extremism, geopolitical issues, gender and family issues. ISSA hosts mosque tours for schools, universities and various faith groups. Regularly ISSA conducts professional development workshops for organizations and raises awareness on human rights issues. ISSA is reaching out to the Indigenous community in Manitoba and to develop relationships based on mutual respect and compassion. Other important events we have

supported include the Sister to Sister luncheon, Meet Me at the Bell Tower, Multicultural Tea Fest, through "Our Stories" workshops (with Community Works - available at: http://www.community-works.ca/#!digital-stories/cnk ) and speaking on panels (for example, at the SPUR Festival with Cornel West).

#200 - 72 Princess Street, Winnipeg, R3B 1K2 Phone 204-944-1560

Shahina was invited to Vienna and Kosovo to present the ISSA handbook United Against Terrorism. She also had roundtable discussions with representatives from government, diplomatic and a cross-section of agencies on preventing radicalization to violence. The ISSA Biannual Fundraising Dinner this year presented the Ihsan Award to Saul Simmonds and Frank Lavitt, two prominent Winnipeg lawyers who have given their support to ISSA and the Muslim community. The dinner was very well attended. Premier Selinger brought greetings from the government and Justice Richard Scott was the keynote speaker. Individual Counseling Counseling from a spiritual and multicultural paradigm continues to be ISSA’s strength and we have seen a steady growth in cliental. ISSA assisted 47 new clients and their families this year as well as continued support for existing clients. Currently ISSA offers services that range from marital, family, and individual counseling, free of charge. ISSA also helps clients navigate justice, family services and court systems and offers mediation and crisis supports.

ISSA Events and Activities One Canada Rally About five hundred people turned out on the steps of the Legislature on October 9, 2015 to promote unity and diversity in Canada. The rally gave Winnipeggers an opportunity to express their concern with how the politics of hate and division was fueling racism and intolerance and how the religious garb of Muslim women was being used to foster islamophobia as part of an election campaign. Speakers addressed issues of discrimination, islamophobia, homelessness and poverty. They included Indigenous, Christian, labour, Jewish and Muslim representatives. Premier Selinger read a proclamation promoting social diversity and inclusion.

ISSA Capacity Building ISSA regularly offers training opportunities to community organizations to build their support capacity in various areas. Recently ISSA offered a workshop in the basics of counseling. In February, Hyatt Germany was invited by ISSA to conduct a four-day training in counseling families of youth being recruited by extremists. In June, Extreme Dialogue from England were invited to conduct a two-day workshop on preventing radicalization to violence. And in February 2016, ISSA will offer a two day workshop in war trauma counseling, with assistance from The Winnipeg Foundation. Multicultural Tea Fest

In October ISSA hosted a “Multiculturalism Tea Fest” at the Franco-Manitoban Centre for Islamic History Month Canada (IHMC) which is celebrated nationally.

Our theme was Get To Know Each Other. This event was open to the public and about 600 participants attended. It brought together 16 different cultural groups who demonstrated their traditional tea ceremonies along with snacks. While participants were enjoying their tea they played traditional board games.

There was welcome and introduction to IHMC and ISSA. Honorable Minister Flor Marcelino read an IHMC Proclamation. There were stage performances by an Indigenous Dancer, Children’s Cultural Fashion Show and Tea Ceremonies by Chinese and Japanese Communities and all was hosted by Ismaila Alfa (from CBC Radio).

Countries represented, plus a whimsical Star Wars kiosk, were Ethiopia, Indigenous, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Japan, Philippines, Nigeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, China, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

Funding for the event came from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Multicultural Secretariat of the Province.

#200 - 72 Princess Street, Winnipeg, R3B 1K2 Phone 204-944-1560

Across the Board Event About 200 people took part in a novel way for people to get to know Islam and Muslims and vice versa. Across the Board on Albert Street at Bannatyne sponsored the event where anyone could play a board game for free, with others they had never met, particularly from the Muslim community. Obby Khan (Shwarma Khan in the Exchange) provided sandwich wraps for those who donated to the Red Cross. The evening was a tremendous success with people of different ages, backgrounds and interests meeting in a cordial environment.

ISSA Behind the Scene Board of Directors Currently, the Board members are:

Shahina Siddiqui - President ISSA Abdo Eltassi - CM. OM. Peerless Garments Sid Frankel - UofM Social Work Professor Idris Knapp - Central Mosque Harun Kibirige - CPA at Great West Life Abdikhar Ahmed - Immigration Partnership Wpg. Terumi Kuwada - ISSA Board secretary, past president

National Assoc. Japanese Canadians Joining the Board in January will be:

Niigaan Sinclair - Professor at the UofManitoba Kobra Rahimi - Law Student, UofManitoba Shiraz Musaddiq - Senior Designer, New Flyer Industries

New Web Site and Logo ISSA has created a new and more dynamic web site - issacanada.com, that will provide a lot more information and will be more accessible to viewers. We had the support of The Winnipeg Foundation and the design and construction was done by KCKSRT and Hello Websites Limited. We encourage you to visit the site, bookmark it on your computer (tablet or smart phone) and please send us your comments. Volunteers So much of what ISSA is able to do is because of our dedicated team of volunteers. There are many who are helping with activity logistics, being event ambassadors, translating or helping in a dozen different ways. To volunteer for any ISSA activities, contact Lubna Hussain at ISSA. Staff and Volunteers

Shahina Siddiqui - President ISSA Irene McConachy - Office Coordinator William Barr - PFSS Coordinator Farhiya Barkedle - Parenting Coordinator Lubna Hussain - Volunteer Coordinator Rubina Atif - General Volunteer Liibaan Ali - Refugee Support Volunteer Aaron Goodchild - Booth College Student Intern

Above – Shahina Siddiqui, Irene McConachy, William Barr.

Funding Currently ISSA operates on project grants received from The Winnipeg Foundation, other charities, Manitoba government programs, community donations and individual donors. A number of individuals are strong supporters of ISSA and contribute regularly. However, to sustain consistent programs and services we know are needed in the community, we need to raise operational funding. In the new year we will appeal to the Muslim community for a substantial increase in contributions plus we will approach other Foundations for their support. Please help with monthly donations through various options on our website. Charitable tax receipts will be issued.