Monthly Archives: November 2010

Interview- MuslimFest Exceeds Expectations of Founders, Critics (Muslim Link Story- Jun. 2010)

As MuslimFest, Canada’s largest Muslim summer festival, gets ready to kick off on July 31st at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre, the Muslim Link sat down with Taha Ghayyur, one of the founders and organizers of the two-day art and cultural festival, to get his thoughts on the need for such event and his hopes for the future of Muslim artistes in North America.

What prompted the creation of MuslimFest?

It was in the summer of 2003 that a group of concerned people, including Muslim artists like Dawud Wharnsby Ali, community leaders like Abdul Malik Mujahid the President of Sound Vision, teachers, and other creative individuals from DawaNet gathered to discuss the most effective ways of connecting with our neighbours, communicating the message of Islam in creative fashion, and engaging Muslim youth.

Moreover, a strong need was felt to offer an alternative to the mainstream entertainment industry so Muslim youth and families could enjoy artistic performances and shows that are safe and grounded in Islamic ethics. Continue reading

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Filed under Canadian Muslims, Dawa & Outreach, Islamic Arts, Media, Muslim Youth

Digital Dilemmas What Wireless Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

By Taha Ghayyur
High-speed communication, personal security, accessibility, and information management are the main reasons users cite for owning cell phones, PDAs, and wireless Internet. We experience our share of the “wireless situation” on a daily basis. These wireless waves have engulfed our social landscape by a storm, revolutionizing our communication in the past decade in ways that baffle a social scientist’s imagination.iPhones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as Blackberry and HTC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi hotspots are some of the latest wireless technologies that have gripped the young and old by the throat in the developed and developing countries alike.
Digital devices are our devoted companions: They accompany us at work, travel with us on commuter trains, ride with us on country roads, and attend our meetings, prayers, and even our washroom trips. Continue reading

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Filed under Environment, Media

10 Ways to Boost Your Islamic Knowledge

By Taha Ghayyur

Whether you are a young Muslim, a new Muslim, or a student of Islam, these tips will help you enhance your Islamic learning and understanding in a wholesome and balanced way.

It will not only help you learn beneficial and practical knowledge, but will also develop a caring and contributing citizen of this world.

1. PRIORITIZE

What are the priorities of the Muslim community today? What is required of me? Is it essential for me to spend 4 years isolated in a desert or some foreign country to study Islam or is it more beneficial for me to use my skills to benefit the community, while learning Islam in Canada? Continue reading

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Filed under Muslim Youth, Personal Development

Islamic Knowledge: Unlearn Before You Learn

By Taha Ghayyur

“I want to be a scholar when I grow up! I will go to Syria to study Islam for five years.”

“You can’t learn Islam from books! You have to learn under a traditional Shaykh.”

“You should be careful about who you learn your Deen (religion) from! Don’t listen to this deviant scholar.”

“Make sure you never study the Quran on your own.”

“Just stick to Quran and Hadith and that’s enough! Scholars just pollute Islam with their personal interpretations.”

“You can’t learn or teach Islam without mastering Arabic first!”

“I don’t trust the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions). We should follow the Quran only.” Continue reading

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Filed under Muslim Youth, Personal Development