Shahina Siddiqui
Encyclopedia
Shahina Siddiqui is Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA) Canada, which according to its brochure is "a charitable organization which works in collaboration with and integrated into mainstream human services to provide family, health and social welfare services, inclusive of the many cultural and ethnic groups that comprise the Muslim communities in Manitoba and Canada. ISSA helps facilitate, bridge, navigate, advocate, collaborate, educate and build awareness, and provide direct service and support to individuals and communities by collaborating and integrating into mainstream health and social services of the Muslim community."
Siddiqui sits on the Board of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-CAN) and is the principal author of "Women Friendly Mosques and Community Centers: Working Together to Reclaim Our Heritage," "Dispelling Myths About Islam," "Islam & Muslims: What Police Officers Need to Know," "Muslim Culture and Faith: A Guide for Social Services Providers," "Helping Victims of Domestic Abuse," as well as many other widely-distributed handbooks. Siddiqui is a free-lance writer for various media outlets and a frequent commentator on Canadian television regarding Islamic and gender issues and Middle East politics.
Champion of Diversity and Interfaith Dialogue
Shahina Siddiqui is a paraprofessional in the field of social work and counseling. She has a Bachelor of Arts from St Josephs College University of Karachi with a major in English honours and philosophy. She immigrated to Canada in 1976 with her family.
She is the founding member and has served as the Executive Director for ISSA (Islamic Social Services Association) in the USA and Canada from 1999 to 2003. She is currently serving as the president/executive director of ISSA in Canada. She has been helping Muslims in North America for over 18 years. She is a speaker, spiritual counselor, educator and social activist.
Shahina is a senior national Board member of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations. Additionally, she serves on the National RCMP Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on diversity as well as on the RCMP Commanding Officers’ Advisory committee on Diversity Division, Manitoba.
She is one of the founding members of AlHijra Islamic School in Winnipeg and has served on the board of directors from 1996 to 2005. She founded the Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute and is the founding member of Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute.
She also sits on the National Advisory Board for the Canadian Association for Muslims with disabilities.
Shahina has served many years on the board of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, the Manitoba Federation for the not-for-profit Organizations, City of Winnipeg anti racism committee, Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba and the Manitoba Coalition for Human Equality She has also served in a voluntary position as Community Relations Coordinator and Media Outreach for the Manitoba Islamic Association from 1998 to 2003.She has served as member of the Agreement Advisory Committee of The Manitoba Voluntary Sector Initiative and as member of the Advisory Committee on United Against Racism.
She is often invited to present at national conferences on racism, policing, civil Liberties and ethno-cultural issues, gender, Islam and human rights issues. She is a regular guest and commentator on radio, TV, locally and nationally. She frequently conducts cultural and spiritual literacy trainings on Islam and Muslim culture. Shahina has published a multitude of articles on Islam and social issues locally, nationally and internationally.
Shahina is often called up to organize national and international conferences, conventions and training programs. She has organized and administered training programs in North America for Muslim volunteers, Imams, community service providers, Social Workers and Counselors. She organized and administered the first month-long educational retreat for Muslim youth in North America in 1995. She has compiled a marriage preparation course for Muslims that is in use across North America and Europe. She has published booklets on how to address domestic violence and sexual abuse in Muslim communities.
Shahina has done pioneer work in Islamic spiritual counseling, developing training programs and manuals for Muslim professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of social services, health care and counseling.
Her brochures on the needs of Muslim students, patients and families have been in demand. Shahina presented her unique Spiritual Counseling in Islam program at the International Conference on ‘Spirituality and Mental Health’ in Ottawa. Her work is sought after from around the world.
She has completed a public education project funded partly by the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This project produced handbooks on Muslim culture and faith, a booklet dispelling myths about Islam and a brochure on Canadian Muslims. These resources were distributed among journalists, educators, police officers, health care providers and social service providers and are in great demand. Shahina’s expertise and her work is frequently profiled and recognized.
In 2002, Shahina was awarded the YMCA-YWCA Peace Medal, "for her work since September 11th in fostering understanding between Muslims and other religious and cultural groups in Winnipeg. Ms. Siddiqui organized and hosted numerous community events and articulated the importance of harmony in our diverse society.”
. She claimed that she spoke with several people who attended a conference on terrorism for emergency responders that was hosted by B'nai Brith Canada in Winnipeg in October 2003, she wrote that "the presentation was biased against Muslims, I conclude that the content of the seminar presented a negative prejudice about Muslims in terms of being probable terrorists" and that "This prejudiced picture would encourage and support racial profiling by first responders and law enforcement agencies dealing with possible terrorist incidents." Although Siddiqui did not attend the conference herself and was based entirely on anonymous sources, the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) accepted the complaint and began an investigation that would last five years. Five years later, in 2009, the MHRC issued a report that dismissed the complaint due to a lack of evidence.
The case was sharply criticized by the National Post
and B'nai Brith Canada
who argued that the MHRC accepted the complaint based entirely on hearsay
evidence since Siddiqui did not actually attend the conference. David Matas, B'nai Brith's senior counsel and a prominent international human rights lawyer, stated that he didn't believe that Siddiqui "acted in bad faith" but criticized the MHRC, stating that "the people who run these procedures have to have a more objective viewpoint than the people who make the complaint." Siddiqui declined to comment on the case.
. Siddiqui stated that "I want the police to identify this as hate propaganda. I want them to be aware who the sponsors are and what they are doing." Police launched an investigation but subsequently reported that the film does not constitute hate speech under Canadian Law. The sponsors of the film noted that it had been reviewed in advance by the Manitoba Film Classification Board
which classified it as 14A — requiring adult accompaniment for children under age 14 — with warnings for violence and disturbing content. The sponsors argued that the Board would not have approved the film for viewing by the public if it felt that it violated Canada's anti-hate laws.
Jeremy Feuer of the Winnipeg Zionist Initiative, one of the film's sponsors, stated that the screening of the film would go forward, and that "The only thing that's been changed is there's just going to be a police presence, which wasn't initially planned but that was brought on by the suggestion that there's the possibility of a protest." Siddiqui replied that no one in the Muslim community was planning to protest. She stated that her complaint was based on a concern that the film could cause a backlash of anti-Islamic acts. She subsequently asked for the police to provide security at local mosques and Muslim schools after the film's screening.
Siddiqui sits on the Board of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations
Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations is a national Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in Canada. CAIR-CAN is an Ottawa-based, nonprofit organization with a grassroots membership...
(CAIR-CAN) and is the principal author of "Women Friendly Mosques and Community Centers: Working Together to Reclaim Our Heritage," "Dispelling Myths About Islam," "Islam & Muslims: What Police Officers Need to Know," "Muslim Culture and Faith: A Guide for Social Services Providers," "Helping Victims of Domestic Abuse," as well as many other widely-distributed handbooks. Siddiqui is a free-lance writer for various media outlets and a frequent commentator on Canadian television regarding Islamic and gender issues and Middle East politics.
Champion of Diversity and Interfaith Dialogue
Shahina Siddiqui is a paraprofessional in the field of social work and counseling. She has a Bachelor of Arts from St Josephs College University of Karachi with a major in English honours and philosophy. She immigrated to Canada in 1976 with her family.
She is the founding member and has served as the Executive Director for ISSA (Islamic Social Services Association) in the USA and Canada from 1999 to 2003. She is currently serving as the president/executive director of ISSA in Canada. She has been helping Muslims in North America for over 18 years. She is a speaker, spiritual counselor, educator and social activist.
Shahina is a senior national Board member of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations. Additionally, she serves on the National RCMP Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on diversity as well as on the RCMP Commanding Officers’ Advisory committee on Diversity Division, Manitoba.
She is one of the founding members of AlHijra Islamic School in Winnipeg and has served on the board of directors from 1996 to 2005. She founded the Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute and is the founding member of Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute.
She also sits on the National Advisory Board for the Canadian Association for Muslims with disabilities.
Shahina has served many years on the board of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, the Manitoba Federation for the not-for-profit Organizations, City of Winnipeg anti racism committee, Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba and the Manitoba Coalition for Human Equality She has also served in a voluntary position as Community Relations Coordinator and Media Outreach for the Manitoba Islamic Association from 1998 to 2003.She has served as member of the Agreement Advisory Committee of The Manitoba Voluntary Sector Initiative and as member of the Advisory Committee on United Against Racism.
She is often invited to present at national conferences on racism, policing, civil Liberties and ethno-cultural issues, gender, Islam and human rights issues. She is a regular guest and commentator on radio, TV, locally and nationally. She frequently conducts cultural and spiritual literacy trainings on Islam and Muslim culture. Shahina has published a multitude of articles on Islam and social issues locally, nationally and internationally.
Shahina is often called up to organize national and international conferences, conventions and training programs. She has organized and administered training programs in North America for Muslim volunteers, Imams, community service providers, Social Workers and Counselors. She organized and administered the first month-long educational retreat for Muslim youth in North America in 1995. She has compiled a marriage preparation course for Muslims that is in use across North America and Europe. She has published booklets on how to address domestic violence and sexual abuse in Muslim communities.
Shahina has done pioneer work in Islamic spiritual counseling, developing training programs and manuals for Muslim professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of social services, health care and counseling.
Her brochures on the needs of Muslim students, patients and families have been in demand. Shahina presented her unique Spiritual Counseling in Islam program at the International Conference on ‘Spirituality and Mental Health’ in Ottawa. Her work is sought after from around the world.
She has completed a public education project funded partly by the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This project produced handbooks on Muslim culture and faith, a booklet dispelling myths about Islam and a brochure on Canadian Muslims. These resources were distributed among journalists, educators, police officers, health care providers and social service providers and are in great demand. Shahina’s expertise and her work is frequently profiled and recognized.
In 2002, Shahina was awarded the YMCA-YWCA Peace Medal, "for her work since September 11th in fostering understanding between Muslims and other religious and cultural groups in Winnipeg. Ms. Siddiqui organized and hosted numerous community events and articulated the importance of harmony in our diverse society.”
Human Right Complaint against B'nai Brith Canada
In February 2004, Siddiqui filed a formal complaint under the "discriminatory signs and statements" section of the Manitoba Human Rights Code against B'nai Brith CanadaB'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
. She claimed that she spoke with several people who attended a conference on terrorism for emergency responders that was hosted by B'nai Brith Canada in Winnipeg in October 2003, she wrote that "the presentation was biased against Muslims, I conclude that the content of the seminar presented a negative prejudice about Muslims in terms of being probable terrorists" and that "This prejudiced picture would encourage and support racial profiling by first responders and law enforcement agencies dealing with possible terrorist incidents." Although Siddiqui did not attend the conference herself and was based entirely on anonymous sources, the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) accepted the complaint and began an investigation that would last five years. Five years later, in 2009, the MHRC issued a report that dismissed the complaint due to a lack of evidence.
The case was sharply criticized by the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
and B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
who argued that the MHRC accepted the complaint based entirely on hearsay
Hearsay
Hearsay is information gathered by one person from another person concerning some event, condition, or thing of which the first person had no direct experience. When submitted as evidence, such statements are called hearsay evidence. As a legal term, "hearsay" can also have the narrower meaning of...
evidence since Siddiqui did not actually attend the conference. David Matas, B'nai Brith's senior counsel and a prominent international human rights lawyer, stated that he didn't believe that Siddiqui "acted in bad faith" but criticized the MHRC, stating that "the people who run these procedures have to have a more objective viewpoint than the people who make the complaint." Siddiqui declined to comment on the case.
Police Complaint against the screening of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West
In May 2006, Siddiqui filed another formal complaint of racism against several Winnipeg Jewish community groups who cosponsored the movie Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the WestObsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, also called Obsession, is a 2005 documentary film about the perceived threat of radical Islam to Western civilization. Using extensive Arab television footage it claims to give an 'insider's view' of the hatred preached by radicals to incite global...
. Siddiqui stated that "I want the police to identify this as hate propaganda. I want them to be aware who the sponsors are and what they are doing." Police launched an investigation but subsequently reported that the film does not constitute hate speech under Canadian Law. The sponsors of the film noted that it had been reviewed in advance by the Manitoba Film Classification Board
Manitoba Film Classification Board
The Manitoba Film Classification Board is part of the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of the government of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The organization provides ratings information about film, videos, DVDs, computer and video games rented, sold or shown in Manitoba...
which classified it as 14A — requiring adult accompaniment for children under age 14 — with warnings for violence and disturbing content. The sponsors argued that the Board would not have approved the film for viewing by the public if it felt that it violated Canada's anti-hate laws.
Jeremy Feuer of the Winnipeg Zionist Initiative, one of the film's sponsors, stated that the screening of the film would go forward, and that "The only thing that's been changed is there's just going to be a police presence, which wasn't initially planned but that was brought on by the suggestion that there's the possibility of a protest." Siddiqui replied that no one in the Muslim community was planning to protest. She stated that her complaint was based on a concern that the film could cause a backlash of anti-Islamic acts. She subsequently asked for the police to provide security at local mosques and Muslim schools after the film's screening.
External links
- Islamic Social Services Association
- "Women Friends Mosques & Community Centers" (pdf report)
- Interview with Shahina Siddiqui by Amber Rehman on SoundVision
- Marriage in Islam by Shahina Siddiqui. Posted on SoundVision.
- Winnipeg Sun columns by Siddiqui
- "No Peace in Islam Without Justice" (Calgary Sun)