Community Outreach: Our first project was a “Storytelling & Bake Sale Event” held on March 24, 2007 at Brampton’s Terry Miller Recreation Centre.  The feature storyteller was Rukhsana Khan, author of several published children’s books.  The event was a great success. Attendance was excellent, thanks to our marketing team. The bake sale brought much needed funds to our meager savings account.  Most importantly, the event enabled us to present CCMW’s mission and goals to the local community.

Networking: Our members participated in several community events in Toronto this year (2007). In March, we attended a Gala Dinner at the Valhalla Inn, honoring recipients of various scholarships, including the Lila Fahlman Scholarship. On June 5, we joined a “Protest Rally” at Queens Park, organized by the Community Social Services. Various community service groups spoke up against ‘budget cuts’ for essential community services, by the Ontario Government. And, on June 9, 2007, we participated in the “Train the Trainer Workshop” at the Renaissance Hotel, arranged by Equal Voices. Speakers from three levels of government offered invaluable tips on how to conduct training sessions for members who aspire to enter the political arena.

Education: Two of our members conducted a “Public Speaking Workshop” on eight consecutive Sundays, June through July 2007. The workshop was jointly sponsored by Noor Cultural Centre and Brampton Toastmasters Club. Several CCMW members were amongst the sixteen participants.  Participants learned the rudiments of public speaking and leadership skills and had ample practice in speaking ‘off the cuffs’. We are proud to announce that a Brampton member was the Second Place Winner at a speech contest held during the final session. Congratulations to Adeela Qureshi!

CCMW 2007 Conference: Brampton Chapter is one of the “host chapters” for the upcoming CCMW Conference to be held at the Noor Cultural Centre, Toronto, on October 27-28, 2007. Presently, our members are working closely with Toronto, Peel and the National Board in preparation for this event.

Future Plans: Our team has focused on two on-going projects for 2008. First, we plan to set up a special ‘service’ for seniors through a ‘buddy system’ between our seniors and our youths. This project is designed to help improve our seniors’ quality of life. Second, we intend to organize several “Educational Sessions” for young parents and new immigrants. Discussion topics would include: Coping with a new school system, parenting skills, health issues and oral communication skills.

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Over the last year CCMW continues to be represented by our members and their valuable contributions. Due to the exceptionally busy schedules of our key members meetings have been difficult to orchestrate. However, individual members were able to contribute their services to largely meet the objectives of the CCMW. This way we were able to accomplish much more.

• The President of the Peel Halton Chapter Nuzhat Haider is with the Associated Youth Services of Peel. Nuzhat has CCMW as a member of the Multicultural Inter Agency Group, where she serves as a Member of the Board. Volunteering with the Victim Services of Peel, Nuzhat has spearheaded an ongoing project Mentoring for Change. The goal is to help Muslim women deal with violent relationships or circumstances. Nuzhat also volunteers at the Muslim Cancer Support Group. In one case they were able to arrange interim custody of a cancer patient’s 4 year old by making it possible for the patient’s mother and brother to come from Pakistan and also secured housing for the family. Nuzhat represented our Chapter as a Speaker when the Federation of Muslim Women collaborated with the Heart and Stroke Foundation in a seminar that looked at Cardiovascular Disease and its impact on families.

• Atiya Ahsan as Vice-President, represents CCMW as a member of the Spiritual and Religious Care Advisory Committee of the University Health Network that includes three hospitals in downtown Toronto. Atiya also does a lot of inter faith work as a public speaker including radio and television. Atiya organized a Fine Arts and Crafts Exhibition sponsored by our Chapter, which featured the talents of 20 Muslim Women. The exhibition garnered much media coverage. It was featured in the Mississauga News, The Booster (distributed in Mississauga and East Oakville) and in the Sheridan College publication Sheridan Sun. The show was covered for 6 minutes on Yeh Karavan and for 2 minutes in South Asian News on Prime Time, both on OMNI 2. The highlight of the exhibition was the visit from the Mayor of Mississauga Hazel McCallion. Atiya apprised the Mayor about CCMW and its objectives.

• The mother daughter team of Naz and Sayeeda Husain over the last year led a project to contribute food to the Muslim Welfare Food Bank. Many other families participated. Another project was donating toys to The Credit Valley Hospital to be placed under the Angel Tree at Christmas. Sayeeda Husain volunteers regularly at the Credit Valley Hospital on a weekly basis. She also visits Muslims patients when necessary. She assists Muslim families to cope with Cancer.

• Naz continues in her "mission" to assist individuals with vision loss, in particular to help other Muslim families to deal with this challenge. As organizer and facilitator at the medical and social issues conference, Vision Quest 2002, hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Naz continued to represent CCMW. At the Peel, York and Toronto School Boards and Itinerant teachers for the blind Naz continued to act as a resource person to assist both students and their families with education and bridging cultural issues.

Our challenge so far has been recruiting newer members in the Chapter and organizing quarterly group meetings. This is where our focus will remain in the coming year.

THE LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF B’NAI BRITH CANADA
AND WOMEN’S INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

INVITE YOU TO AN EVENING OF LEARNING With

RAHEEL RAZA
Muslim
Feminist
Journalist
Interfaith Advocate
Canadian

 who will discuss:

 ISLAM THROUGH THE EYES OF A FEMINIST

 It is often said that, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.  Who are the new generation of Muslim women?  What do they want? What influence do they have on the future of Islam?   What does the Koran say about women and how can the Holy Scripture be interpreted in the 21st century or through the eyes of a feminist? Come and Learn.

 Wednesday, December 3, 2003
7:00 P.M.
B’nai Brith Building
15 Hove Street, Downsview, Ontario

 RSVP (416) 633-6224 ext. 112

 Refreshments will be served

The Peel Halton Chapter of
The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW)

Invites you to an art exhibition and sale
Featuring original paintings, sculptures and mosaics

of 19 Muslim Women Artists

Misbah Ahmed, Rehana Ansari, Maha Beyhum,
 Siddiqua Bilgrami, Sabiha Imran, Farrukh Imtiaz, Homaira Kabir,
Aleya Kazim, Fatima Kazmi, Saniya Khan, Nabahat Lotia,
Asma Arshad Mahmood, Tazeen Qayyum, Ismet Qidwai,
Saba Rizvi, Shamsi Shahrokhi, Uzma Irfan Sheikh
Leili Sherkat and Shabana Waheed

The exhibition will be held from Sep. 6 –28, 2003
At
The Learning Club and Fine Art Gallery
354 Queen St. South , Streetsville

The purpose of this event is threefold:

- To highlight Muslim women and their artwork
- To provide networking opportunities for those attending
- To bring greater awareness of the CCMW

For further information, call:
Atiya Ahsan (Vice-President, CCMW): 905-568-1274
The Learning Club: 905-593-0111
http://www.learningclub.ca

Gallery hours for this event: Tues.- Sat. 12 – 6 p.m.
 Sun. 12-5pm, closed Monday

Directions: Queen St. is the name of Mississauga Road, in Streetsville. Take 401 or 403 to Erin Mills Parkway and Thomas St. Go east on Thomas to Queen St. S. Drive south to 354. Parking at rear, on Queen St. or in Church St. parking lot.

Bristol Road  (westbound ) will also bring you to Queen St. South.

Nuzhat Haider provided training and group counselling to the Pakistani Womens' Support Group headed by Zakia Khan. Nuzhat is the President of our Chapter. She is a clinical psychologist working in social services and has a private practice.

Mrs. Sayeeda Husain continued to visit the sick at the Credit Valley Hospital.

Media relations efforts: Mrs. Anwari Alikhan writes and actively communicates with The Toronto Star to comment on coverage of Islam and Muslims.

Interfaith dialogue. Atiya Ahsan has had the opportunity to do a lot of inter­faith dialogue and education, especially after Sep. 11, 2001. She spoke to three church groups, three groups of high school students in the Catholic school boards. She also made presentations at an inter-faith education day held at the Holy Blossom Temple.

Very recently, we have started contacting the constituency offices of local members of Parliament.