By: Ismael Mukhtar
​​Many of us make crucial choices in our life which we, in retrospect, regret or feel proud of. Personally, I have made many choices; among the choices that I feel proud of is migrating to Canada years ago. Canada offered me opportunities, rights and privileges that were denied to me elsewhere. Canada is certainly a beautiful and comfortable country to live. It has been ranked consistently year after year among the top 10 best nations in the world. It has a landscape that is spacious, full of variety, magnificence, and beauty.​

By: Ismael Mukhtar
The October 2014 tragic attacks in Ottawa by Michael Zehaf-Bibeauand and in Montreal by Martin Rouleau were shocking to all Canadians. The fact that both were converts to Islam was unsettling to Canadian Muslims. As discussions intensified on their motives, their earlier conversion to Islam became a focal point, raising concerns of potential dangers posed by new converts to Islam. Converts to Islam are many and they have visible presence in Muslim communities in the West.

​By: Ismael Mukhtar
The Friday congregation is one of the most important assemblies for Muslims. As stated by Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qaym, it is the next most important gathering after the annual Arafa day gathering in Hajj. Jurists have devoted a significant amount of their juristic deliberations on examining the different rules, etiquettes and pronouncements pertaining to Friday congregation. Al-Imam Ashawkani, for example, devoted about sixty pages of his book Nael Alawtar on the topic of Friday congregation. Similarly, Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayim devoted more than one chapter of his book Zad Al-Maad to Friday congregation, providing details on the prophet’s (peace be upon him) style of sermon, its content, length, and manners of delivery.

By: Ismael Mukhtar
The first ever mosque in Manitoba was established in Winnipeg in 1976 on 247 Hazelwood. The mosque served as the only mosque for Muslims of Winnipeg for two decades. The location of the Hazelwood mosque was on the southern end of the city and was somewhat far away from downtown. Commuting to the Hazelwood mosque for Friday (jumma) prayer and other was challenging for downtowners. The Muslim Student Association at  the University of Winnipeg had a temporary prayer room that provided an alternative. 

By: Ismael Mukhtar
As Muslim communities in North America grow and become more established, they are bound to deal with a variety of issues that are peculiar to them and reflect their unique local circumstances. Among many of these issues, the role of women and their relations to men will be the most prominent. The “North American born” second generation Muslims who are now gradually taking leadership roles have no allegiance to the traditions and practices of their parents’ generation. 

By: Ismael Mukhtar
​Recently I gave a short talk during the Taraweeh prayers in the month of Ramadan. The topic of my talk was “Muslim youth”. My talk was nothing out of the ordinary, according to my judgment; however, the response I received from the youth who were present was overwhelming. Not only did they welcome the talk, but they expressed a sense of relief that an exclusive talk was dedicated to their issues and concerns. One of the youths commented: “we are always told to respect elders, but rarely do we hear similar talk of the need to respect the youth”. 

By: Ismael Mukhtar
In December 2011, I accepted a task I ruled out as a possibility for a long time; I became President of the oldest local Muslim organization, Manitoba Islamic Association (MIA)! Ironically, this time I accepted what I had consistently declined in the past when I was much younger, healthier and conditions in MIA were more favorable. Two things compelled me to accept the task. 

By: Ismael Mukhtar.
Note: this article was written in 2019 and much has changed since that time.
​On the 27th of November 1969, the small Muslim community in Manitoba took a bold step of formally incorporating the first Muslim organization in the history of Manitoba[i]. The new organization was named Manitoba Islamic Association (MIA). 

By: Ismael Mukhtar.
The term Imam is becoming increasingly familiar and common within the Western media at large. Over the last couple of years, recurring controversies and some highly publicized events kept the term flashing in media outlets in greater frequency. Included in these recent events are the controversies surrounding Amina Wadud’s leading of a Friday (Jumma) prayer, controversial comments made by an Australian Imam, Sheikh Taj Al-Din Al-Hilali: the ongoing discussions in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands on the roles of Imams, plus the CBC’s airing of  the “Little Mosque on the Prairie” whose main character was an Imam. 

By: Ismael Mukhtar​
​The son of the elegant city
I was born in a well-to-do family in the city of Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. Asmara was a city of half a million people and was known for its temperate weather, elegant Italian style streets and cafes. It was a multi-cultural and multi-faith city. When I was young the city was relatively quiet, despite the growing and looming political tension. As kids, we went to school, we enjoyed outdoor activities and we had a normal life. We used to hear of the ongoing battles in rural areas between government forces and rebels, stories of imprisonments and displacement, but our city was overall peaceful. As the political tension escalated, things were gradually changing.

By: Ismael Mukhtar
I met Dr. Mirghani Sheikelddin for the first time in the Pioneer mosque, on a Sunday evening, where he used to regularly attend a weekly Quranic study circle conducted by Dr. Waleed Ezzat, a PhD student at University of Manitoba. When I first met him and introduced my self to him, he received me with a friendly smile and with his typical warm welcome. We became friends from day one and our brotherly and friendly relationship continued to grow through out the years. ​Dr. Mirghani -as he was commonly referred to- was a very active member of our community. He was always available to serve, to help and assist in the work of the community. His involvement was widespread and far-reaching. He volunteered in the weekend school, in the library committee, the camps, the Muslim Student Association; he was elected as MIA trustee, MIA Vice President, MIA president and many others. He rarely missed any community gathering or event.

BY: ISMAEL MUKHTAR
As I listened to the speeches, reports, and presentations made at the New Center fundraising dinner held on February 24, 2001, my memory went back to the initial days of the New Center project and the formation of the Land Committee by the MIA General Body. The mandate of the committee was to purchase a piece of land as the site for the future New Islamic Center. I was fortunate to be a member of this committee, along with others like Br. Pervez Siddiqui, Br. Gulam Kibrea, Dr. Mujeeb Al-Rahman, Br. Irshad Farooqi, Dr. Abdulnaser Batuoq, and the late Dr. Riaz Usmani, who was the most senior member of our community among all of us.

By: Ismael Mukhtar
​When I first visited the Pioneer Mosque on 247 Hazelwood Avenue, following my arrival in Winnipeg, I found a a study group that meets every Sunday for Quranic exegisis “tafseer” sessions. The instructor was Dr. Waleed Izzat -from Iraq-, then a PhD student at the University of Manitoba. Most of the attendees were also PhD students. Among this group, there was a man who looked different. He was well groomed, older in age, calm in demeanor and gentle in manners. He listened attentively, asked questions and sometimes made insightful comments. He caught my attention from the moment I saw him and he left on me a positive impression. After few encounters, I came to know that he was a family doctor and his name was Dr. Mujibur Rahman! From that moment on, I had the honor of befriending this great man and working with him on many community projects.