The Interrupters 2011 (Documentary)

Not too long ago, I came across a very moving documentary called 'The Interrupters'. It tackles the subject of urban violence with a focus on an innovative strategy being employed on the front-lines in hard hit communities in Chicago.

Innovative, because the Interrupters themselves comprise individuals who have been on the other side of the law and who for this reason can prove to be a huge credible asset in the battle against urban/gang violence.

The stories are sad, the interrupters heroic, but most of all in our damaged world to see people doing such important work is deeply inspiring. I say take uplifting where you can find it. A must-see.

RECIPE: Jalapeño Cheese Stuffers

This has fast become mine (and my guests!) favourite recipe. I mean who doesn't love oozing cheese, bread and jalapeños...together!! Pretzelmaker has a version of these, which inspired the recipe and an expansion in my waistline some years ago... I found a blog that contained elements of this recipe below. With a few modifications, I present to  you one of the most delicious appetizers on the planet earth.  

Dough, after an hour of rise.

• 1 tbsp Yeast
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp softened Butter
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 and 1/4 cup Flour (more if needed)
• 5-7 Jalapeño Peppers, sliced
• Cheddar Cheese, cut into 1 cm cubes
• Bit of oil 
• Bit of vinegar

Yields: 30-45 (depending on size) 

Now what?

1- If you are using the instant yeast, you will want to mix it in with salt, sugar, softened butter, two cups of flour, and about 3/4 of the water. Begin mixing!

2- You will want to slowly add the remaining dough and water, until the dough is neither sticky, nor too dry. Add more flour or water as necessary.

3- Knead until the dough is soft to the touch. 

4- Once your dough is soft, make it ball-shaped, cover with oil, along with the containing bowl. Seal the bowl with saran wrap, cover with towel, and put it in a warm place to allow rise- for 1-2 hours.

5- In the meantime, you will want to cut up your cheese cubes, and slice your jalapeño peppers. Pour some vinegar onto your peppers and allow them to soak for a bit for that extra kick!

6- Once the dough has doubled in size, you will want to make 1 inch balls and place 2-3 slices of jalapeño and 1 cheese cube inside of each of them. 

7- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, in a preheated oven of 350 degrees. 

8- You can drizzle melted butter over the cheese stuffers if you wish. 

On women & Islam

I came across this video on twitter and was just floored watching it. I had watched a bunch of videos of Habib Ali Al-Jifri, a very knowledgeable Islamic scholar speaking at various engagements in GB last week, but missed this one- the gem of them all. 

I don’t think I have shared too many of these types of videos on this blog, lord knows I watch many of them, ah. This one I thought should be viewed, widely. I very much appreciate the universality of positive, inclusive and uplifting messages, wherever they may be found and I hope my readers or anyone who comes across this can do so as well. Specifically as this video can offer some clarity about Islam’s position on women, to Muslims and others alike, I do hope you’ll have a look. If I can offer some cultural/religious context for this video and the wider discussion about women's rights, etc, I am more than happy to do so, on request :-)

The profoundness of Habib Ali’s words are simple.

It is unfortunately not as common a phenomenon  to hear learned members of the Muslim community speaking as clearly, inclusively, and decisively against the oppression, abuses, & relegation of women in the community. There are still an incredible number of scholars that are raising the prominence of this issue, to be clear.

Habib Ali lays it out very clearly for anyone who may be confused about justifying the treatment of women as second-class citizens/worshippers.

• No matter how many acts of worship you perform- you may fast all of Ramadan, pray/meditate into the night, but at the end of the day if you do not treat women as full and equal members of your communities/societies, the worship you participate in is in a word, meaningless.

• We have a communal obligation to prevent and take action to eliminate the mistreatment of women. Not doing so is tantamount to sinning. Tantamount to sinning.

• You may judge a health of a community by how it treats its female members. Read this again slowly...

• Muslims need to stop hiding behind the claim (however true it may have been), that historically when Islam came, it had liberated women, because saying this is meaningless in a world where women are so vastly oppressed- often while Islam is falsely used to justify this oppression in Muslim-majority countries. Think bans on women working, driving, leaving the house without 'permission', participating in sports, viewing sports, etc!

It is kind of ridiculous that such a simple clarification even has to occur. It is a sign of how bad things really are that what should be common-sense is widely UN-common.

#enoughsaid

RECIPE: Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Count me obsessed with sweet potato fries and chipotle sauce. It’s one of my fav restaurant appetizers. Not having had the chance to eat it in a few months, I thought I should try my hand at replicating the sauce at home. And mission accomplished. I was not able to find the Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, so I used canned Chipotles. They worked just fine.

3/4 - 1cup of Mayonnaise

2 Chipotle peppers

A dash of black pepper

A squirt of lemon juice

All you need to do to prepare this sauce is to add all of the above ingredients into a blender and blend until the chipotles are fully broken up as you do not want any chunks of skin remaining.

Simple and delicious.

Enjoy.

Prepare to have your mind blown...

I'll admit, the title might be a bit of an overstatement, but this one you cannot miss. Harvard University offered a free online lecture series/course on justice and philosophy. They also set up a website where viewers could participate in discussions, etc. Interestingly, the very first lecture received about a million views! I say interestingly because on youtube, stupid videos are much more likely to reach this target than educational ones, easy.

Watching this video brings back fond memories from my time in university. The thoughts this first lecture provokes is precisely what I see to be the value of university, especially today. My degree wasn't my ticket to full-time employment, or a clearly delineated career for that matter. But what I do credit it with doing- was helping me to develop a critical eye. Question, question, question became one of many mottos deeply embedded into my subconcious! haha

In a culture where conformity is the norm, we need more people questioning the way things are; the systems, structures, constructs, belief systems, institutions, policies, etc. We need to awaken from our zombie slumber! To be clear, I'm not saying that a post-secondary education is the sole pathway to becoming a critical thinking individual. Indeed it would be preposterous to suggest so! I only speak to my specific experience and what I felt was one of the biggest takeaways from my degree. Some of the most analytical people I know are wondrous readers and thinkers with no 'formal' higher education. Everyone gains and gleans differently.

#readwritequestion

The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement, being in unceasing antagonism to that disposition to aim at something better than the customary, which is called, according to circumstances, the spirit of liberty, or that of progress or improvement. - John Stuart Mill

Salvadora Persica: Nature's Toothbrush

Salvadora Persica, also known as the toothbrush tree, is native to the Middle Eastern/South Asian and African regions.

For centuries, people have used its branches or its roots as basically a toothbrush to promote good oral hygiene. The plant itself is known for its antibacterial and anti-septic properties, and high fluoride content. It also boasts a number of other properties which has influenced the World Health Organization recommending its use to promote oral hygiene, where other means are not available!

In the Islamic tradition, branches/roots of this tree when used as an oral cleaning instrument is called a miswak or siwak. The miswak has been encouraged as a means to clean ones teeth and purify one's mouth (a conventional toothbrush can accomplish the same, but the former is described as better. In fact, some studies have proven as much). When chewed, the head of the miswak with its bristles becomes a pretty snazzy toothbrush alternative!

Growing up, we have tried preparing the twig for use, but it always seemed a little tedious...

Having searched for alternatives to chemical-based cleaning products such as toothpaste (which the miswak does not require!) I am surprised that this didn’t come to mind sooner. Needless to say, I will be picking up a miswak from my nearest ethnic grocer as soon as I can.

Here's to liberating ourselves and ending our chemical dependency!

WTF???: My dream garden!

The Headline:

Illegal Front Yard Garden: Canadian Couple's Kitchen Garden Targeted by Authorities

The Lowlights:

Josée Landry and Michel Beauchamp, homeowners in Quebec have a front-yard veggie garden, but will be forced to remove 70% of it in order to comply with city by-laws. CBC is reporting that if they do not comply, they may face fines up to $300 per day! Yikes!

An extraordinary sight! I would be honoured to have such a garden in my neighbourhood

.

My Thoughts:

Holy hell, this can't be real! I can't think of a single way this garden could be seen to be offensive or problematic for neighbours or the city. Maybe I am missing something, but I don't understand the logic behind discouraging such innovative and sustainable practices among residents. If there are practical concerns, I'm sure these homeowners would be willing to work around reasonable limitations. But could there even be any?

This outdated bylaw illustrates that while we recklessly push our environment to its edge, those in power  have especially failed to grasp the seriousness of the impending environmental disaster we face as humans.

If you have been contemplating starting your own garden, I say go for it! There is nothing quite like eating food that you have participated in producing naturally and organically...in sharp and evident contrast to chemical laden produce you're used to purchasing at your local grocers. You will notice the difference, in  taste and size!

#enoughsaid #selfsufficiency

The Small Things, IX

I hope I do not receive any flak for posting this shocking video under this recurring post, but I really felt that this would be the most appropriate location for its sharing- particularly as it relates to nature.

Assuming your reaction was similar to mine upon viewing this video, I feel I should perhaps make extra clear why I find some beauty in this...

It may sound scary, but snake venom can be very useful to humans. In a study published last year in the Journal Of Biological Chemistry researchers noted important medical uses of the sinister stuff.

"Snake venom contains a vast number of toxins that target proteins in platelets," Yonchol Shin, an associate professor at Kogakuin University who specializes in snake toxins told ScienceDaily. "Some of those toxins prevent platelets from clotting, which can lead to profuse bleeding in snake bite victims. Others, like the one we've focused this research on, potently activate platelets, which results in blood clots. Identification of the molecular targets of many of these toxins has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of platelet activation and related diseases."

There is something to learn, everywhere.

Calculation or Moonsighting? How about both!

Each year, we seem to have the same discussion as a family and community over which method to accept/choose in determining when to start the holy month of Ramadan.

To be clear, it is not my intention to argue the merits of one method over the other. In fact, I’m here to do the opposite.

I often hear, in discussions a perspective that there is a ‘crisis of authority’ in the pan-Muslim community, owing to the lack of central figure or leader to guide and assist people in interpreting matters of faith. I’m not entirely sure this is something to be concerned about…but that is a conversation for another day.

On a smaller scale, people look at issues such as moonsighting and the disagreement that stems from the various methodologies, and describe the array of choices in a negative light. They consider the multiple start dates as a form of disunity in local communities.

What ends up creating more disunity, is the finger-pointing, and arguments that stem from one or both parties putting each other's perspectives down. This is especially problematic considering both the Fiqh Council and ‘naked-eye’ moonsighting methods both appear to have sound bases and are all accepted by many learned figures in every community.

The truth is, people are always going to be inclined towards different interpretations about anything and everything. And this variation in interpretation is something that not only is a healthy and acceptable part of our tradition, but it is something that makes human societies interesting and dynamic! So long as we do not differ on some of the fundamentals (five pillars, oneness of God, etc), and heck, even if we do, I think it behooves us to accept the interpretive differences between people.

It seems unnatural almost to assume that billions, millions, hundreds of thousands of people or more than two people really would just be able to see eye to eye on anything! There can be consensus, without doubt, but people should always be free to align with their conscience and in doing so, should not think invalid alternative ways of doing things.

Just want to end with an insanely relevant verse from the Quran...
To you be your Way, and to me mine 109: 6

Bottom line, a little acceptance and respect for our differences can go a long way. Let’s all do our part and embrace the true Islamic spirit. 

Benefits of fasting

Last year, in my 'Ramadan 1432' blogpost, I shared my perspective on the personal spiritual benefits of fasting. This year, I thought I would try something a bit different to usher in this special month, and have been busy reading up on the physiological/health benefits of fasting!

While I don't fast specifically for health reasons, as I realize some people do, I do get a sense of becoming physiologically recentred after the month. Certainly if there are any health benefits that result as a by-product of fasting, its an absolute bonus!

To quickly synthesize the articles I recently read, it looks as though intermittent fasting has been credited with:

• encouraging weight loss
• allowing the body to access fat deposits in the body, which results in embedded toxins (ex. bad cholesterol, etc) and waste being broken down and flushed out of the system (at a higher incidence)
• giving your digestive track a bit of a break since it is used to functioning all day, everyday, and redirecting energy towards your immune system
• protecting your brain from degenerative illnesses

Whether any of the above actually occurs or not, I think most people that practice intermittent fasting would testify to its seeming health benefits!

Just want to close off with a saying from the blessed Prophet (pbuh)... "The children of Adam fill no vessel worse than their stomach. Sufficient for him is a few morsels to keep his back straight. If he must eat more, then a third should be for his food, a third for his drink, and a third left for air." (Sunan al-Tirmidhî).

The Small Things, VIII

Heavens, been out of the blogosphere for too long...I had begun composing this more than a month ago.

Tragedy struck this past spring...in our backyard after the year's heaviest rainfall :-( The victim: one of our apple trees.

This tree has never yielded healthy apples. We kind of saw this coming as there were major drainage issues around the tree, but I was in complete disbelief when my eyes confirmed what my siblings had shared with me about its fate.

I really feel that nature and our environment greatly parallels the human experience and so this loss had aroused some thought about the fragility of the human spirit. I mean no matter how seemingly secure, we can surely be dislodged without much...notice. The best protection from dislodgement: building deep, sustainable roots. #freelove

#somethingtothinkabout #theonlycertaintyinlifeisdeath

The Small Things, VII

This post is a bit of a deviation from what you have come to see in this recurring blogpost...but this video brought me a great deal of joy yesterday morning. I could not stop laughing! My brother thought this might be a little low-brow compared to what you have come to expect from Noor...on life! But, I'm not sure I agree. Wherever you can get your kicks, right? #noshame

SWATCHED: New drugstore lippies

After recently replacing an MLBB MAC lipstick in Hug Me, I realized I wanted a pinky-nudey go-to lipstick that would go with all of my makeup looks! Thankfully I did not have to look further than my sister's makeup collection to find just what I was searching for! We had a quick lipstick testing session which involved me trying on each of her lipsticks and getting photographed in them :-)

We visited our local drugstore and picked up a few new shades and I think I am in love. This seems to happen often...

The three products I picked up: Marcelle Rouge Xpression Delight & Sincerity and Revlon Super Lustrous Coralberry. Sincerity is my new fav! The texture, colour and longevity all combine to make a great lipstick! 

 

The Small Things, VI

"Like crowded megacities, busy ant colonies face a high risk of disease outbreaks. New research indicates such "urban ants" also know how to prevent epidemics — when an infected ant enters the colony, its nest mates carefully lick off the infecting fungus.

In nature, ants would pick up a fungal or other infection likely during foraging when they scamper across a cadaver of an infected ant or grasshopper, for instance, Cremer said.

To figure out how Lasius neglectus ants would react to such a diseased nest mate, the researchers infected one individual ant with fluorescent-labeled spores of fungus and let them interact with other members of their colony, tracking where the fluorescent spores ended up.

The researchers found that when this infected ant returned to the colony, its nest mates don't avoid it. Instead of running from the infected and contagious insect, the ants approached their colony mate and licked it, seeming to remove pathogens from the sick ant's body, a social grooming behavior."

#Teamwork

WTF???: The beginning

I have been mulling over this recurring blogpost for a while but haven't been able to fully commit to it until today, as I have not been feeling my usually inspired self!

I present this new feature that will explore shit that just doesn't make sense, shit that shocks and just weird shit in general. I can't guarantee I will be offering much more than some simple commentary, though I do hope it'll be an enjoyable read either way.

This feature will appear in contrast to my Small Things posts, because lets face it no matter how much beauty there is in our world, there is equally as much of the opposite! And there's definite value in exploring and learning about both, I think.

In its first installment, I present a Toronto Star article entitled,

A child is born every hour in the U.S. hooked on opiates, study finds

Lowlights: 

• University of Michigan researchers have made the startling discovery that a baby is born about every hour in the U.S. addicted to opiate drugs.

•  In the research published April 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, physicians found that drug withdrawal syndrome among newborns, almost tripled between 2000 and 2009

•  By 2009, there was an estimated 13,539 newborns with the syndrome, or one born every 40 minutes, according to the study assessing national trends in neonatal abstinence syndrome and mothers using opiate drugs.

• The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported in 2009-10 that there were 1,057 newborns with neonatal withdrawal syndrome, with Ontario recording 491.

Thoughts:

This is just a sad story, isn't it? Drug addiction and withdrawal are one thing in adults, right, but for these phenomenon to be touching newborns...My mind immediately goes to what the medical/psychosocial consequences that may occur be as a result. Good thing these children and their mothers are receiving treatment :-)

Accessible history

For history buffs like myself, this youtube channel find is a real treasure. Charismatically running through thousands of years of world history in short, objective and fun videos...this is not something you should overlook! It almost seems novel- to be able to watch something and not have you IQ lowered as a result! Enjoy!

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquity -Cicero

The Small Things, V

In keeping with the theme of previous posts, I bring you yet another nature-inspired post! Nothing really profound to share about this one.

His name is Ruediger, he's about 72 grams, was found in a dung pile :-( and makes his home in a German zoo.

Cue the coo-ing...

On the moral imperative to donate blood

About 2 months ago, I made the decision to visit the blood donor clinic with my sister, who has been donating blood for a number of years.

I had tried in vain a year ago, to donate blood- but my iron levels were not high enough to do so. I was quite disappointed. However, I was determined to avoid a similar fate the next time around. I hit the red meat, spinach & OJ hard for a few days in a row, and it paid off! My iron levels were really high/at a safe level to donate. Needless to say, I felt quite accomplished upon learning I would be eligible to donate blood for the very first time...in my life.

I thought I'd dedicate a post on my blog to the importance of blood donation as I feel quite strongly about the need for us to do so on a regular basis (if we can).

Speaking as someone who considers themselves to be religious/spiritual, who practices a form of meditation daily, I can say that donating blood felt like a deeply spiritual activity. Nothing has quite made me feel as alive. And this is probably an understatement.

According to Canadian Blood Services,

Approximately every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood.

According to a recent poll, 52 per cent of Canadians say they, or a family member, have needed blood or blood products for surgery or for medical treatment.

According to the American Red Cross, 

One donation can save up to three lives.

If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!

Silly for us all to have the expectation that should we be unfortunate enough to find ourselves in a situation where we require blood, that it will just be available, no questions asked. Shockingly, this is not enough to propel more of us to contribute something that our body can easily replace. bloody hell.

This is sure to bring a smile to your face :-)

...unless you're not human.

The Small Things, IV

"Japanese Macaques have found a clever way of beating the winter chill; they bathe in Japan's hot springs. Here a macaque relaxes in Jigokudani."

I am only now realizing my fascination with nature. 

I'm not too sure how anyone can look at some of these creatures and draw the conclusion that we are so very different from them. We have so many limitations and yet we have notions of grandeur relating to our superiority as a species.

Tragedy in Toulouse

By this point, many of you may already have heard about the murders in France. With everything going on in the world, its almost as if we have become accustomed to sick tragedies like this one...or maybe we haven't, when it happens in our own backyards. I don't really know. There just doesn't seem to be anything shocking about people losing their lives in very sad sad ways, nowadays. This certainly can't be a good sign :-(

Before getting up to speed on the specifics of this heinous occurrence, I read an excellent piece by Professor Tariq Ramadan as he attempted to offer some perspective on some of the relevant issues at play.

I wanted to add a few simple thoughts to the discussion, if I may...

My heartfelt condolences go out to all the French families affected by this man's vicious actions. Whether we have become accustomed to senseless violence or not, the loss of any human life is something that should always be considered tragic regardless of who the victims are and reflected upon thoroughly.

France's 'integration' issues are well-known around the world, I think. From my own personal experience, I have met a few young French people who have felt let down in their own society, the lack of opportunity and racism they experience for being ethnically, racially or religiously 'different'. The trend towards conformity and uniformity, in the name of secularism may have isolated people even further I'm afraid. The fiery rhetoric around this faux 'integration' debate (not just in France, but elsewhere) seems to be driving people further apart.

Not just in France alone, but elsewhere, the true promise of equality has failed to materialize. And there are unfortunate consequences to this reality, which makes it all the more important that we all engage civilly with one another and do our part to make our communities more inclusive.

We can sidestep the real issues at play here (exclusionary policies, disenfranchised youth, racism, etc) and focus on hot-button issues that really just serve to distract us from what is seriously wrong in our communities. Opportunistic politicians can blame 'high' immigration, a supposed failure of immigrants and coloured folk to integrate properly, etc etc, but that ends up leaving us nowhere. We don't end up having the right conversations about how to fix some of these problems.

Prof. Ramadan provides some useful insight in this regard.

"Mohamed—how typical the name is!—was a French citizen of immigrant background before becoming a terrorist of immigrant origin. Early on his destiny became tied to the surrounding perceptions of that origin. Now, in a final act of provocation, he has come full circle, has vanished into this constructed and distorted image to become the definitive “other.” For the French of France, there is no longer anything French about Mohamed the Muslim Arab."

"The overwhelming majority of the Mohameds, the Fatimas or the Ahmeds of the suburbs and the banlieues are French; what they seek is equality, dignity, security, a decent job and a place to live. They are culturally and religiously integrated; their problem is overwhelmingly a socio-economic one. The story of Mohamed Merah today holds up to France a mirror in which it sees its face: he ends up a Jihadi without real conviction, after having been a citizen deprived of true dignity."

And then appropriately follows with,

"Once more, this excuses nothing. But therein lies a crucial lesson for us all."

The Small Things, III

This recurring blogpost is adopting a theme as I present the third installment...The common thread between the posts being that they all relate to nature and creation!  Thinking back to my university days, as a social science and humanities student, one of the most fascinating courses I had the pleasure of taking was a course on plant life. So the direction these postings has taken isn't all that surprising I suppose.

I think the photos below speak for them self. I showed these pictures to my brother, and he didn't find them all that fascinating...

What I find so extraordinary is that yes, there exist insects, beatles and marine life that are tiny, but a reptile- which to me seems to be a more complicated creature anatomically (just an impression, not based in fact!!)- that it exists in a miniature version...I just can't get over it!

So, enjoy and marvel at the beauty of the Brokesia Micra chameleon from Madagascar!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/tiniest-chameleon-madagascar-brookesia-micra_n_1280151.html?ref=canada&ir=Canada

The Small Things, II

Just a few posts ago, I shared the very first installment of what I hoped would be a recurring blog post! I am happy to be making an addition to The Small Things with this post!

I came across the photograph below in a local daily, I was struck by the juxtaposition of the living and vibrant flowers against the dearth of the desert. I wondered, can life spring in an environment as uninviting as a dry desert?

Scorpian weed in the Mojave desert.

 There is definitely a lesson to be learned from these purple Scorpian weed: Two seeming opposites, coexisting unexpectedly when the conditions are just right...

#Peaceonearth

RECIPE: Baklava

I've always wanted to try my hand at homemade baklava and I finally made it happen this past weekend. Much like the Scottish Shortbread cookies, this recipe is pretty foolproof. There isn't much room to go wrong, even for the novice baker! So don't be afraid if this is your first or second foray into baking.

I basically followed DedeMed's recipe, with a few minor alterations. Her recipes and videos can be found here and here. There are only a few items that you will need to pick up from your local Middle Eastern/South Asian/etc grocery store: Rose water, Orange Blossom Water, Phyllo pastry & nuts of your choice.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 1 package phyllo dough
• 1 1/4 cup of butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped nuts of your choice
• 6 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp cloves 
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup of Simple Syrup (recipe found below)
• Ground pistachio to decorate

Simple Syrup/Atyr

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water 

 So now that you have all of the ingredients...you're probably wondering what to do with them!

Reviving my Spirit, 2011

Christmas weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention in downtown Toronto. For the first time in ten years, the conference sold out with an estimated 20 000 participants. Last year, it seems they were somewhere between 17 and 20 000. Attracting scholars from near and far, one great addition this year was Professor Seyyid Hossein Nasr, whom I'll discuss a little later.

The subject of this year's conference was "Control, Chaos or Community: Three Ways, One World, Our Choice." A very fitting title, considering the socio-political/economic/popular worldwide turmoil. I think in all this 'chaos', it was beneficial to get some religious/spiritual perspective on what role/responsibility we have as human beings and western Muslims.

As with previous years, a number of scholars attended, including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson (U.S), Professor Tariq Ramadan (Switzerland), Professor Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (U.S), Imam Zaid Shakir (U.S.), Shaykh Abdalla Idris Ali (CAN), Dr. Jamal Badawi (CAN), Attallah Shabazz (U.S.), Habib Ali Al-Jifri (Yemen), Dr. Abdal Hakim Jackson (U.S.), Imam Yassir Fazaga (U.S.), with other guests including Shaykh Mishary Alafasy, Dr. Seyyid Hossein Nasr, Shaykh Sulaiman Mulla, Dr. Tawfique Chowdhury and Toronto's own- Sister Tayyibah Taylor.

I thought I would run through a few highlights from a few speakers. My words won't do justice to the emotion and passion behind some of their words, but I will try my best.