TORONTO – Islamic Relief Canada, the leading Canadian Muslim NGO, will be hosting Trevor Noah in an event to mark ten years achievement as an international NGO in Canada.
“We’re reflecting on ten years in Canada and we wanted to spend an evening reflecting on what a community that inspired by hope tolerance and solidarity can do to tackle local and global poverty and injustice,” Reyhana Patel from Islamic Relief said in a statement.
Themed Hope, Faith and Solidarity, the charity hopes to send a message of togetherness and diversity in the wake of the Quebec mosque shootings and recent hate attacks across the country.
The event is taking place on Saturday May 20th 2017 at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto.
Hosting The Daily Show’s Noah was significant to Muslims who have been facing increasing attacks over the past months.
“Over the last few weeks we’ve seen a worrying increase of intolerance towards minority communities Canada and around the world. We want to bring communities together,” Patel said.
“Trevor Noah has been a champion of pluralism and his experience growing up towards the end of apartheid in South Africa means he can share his experience and speak to the importance of solidarity and tolerance.”
The event also includes speakers such as American activist Dalia Mogahed and theologian Nouman Ali Khan. Members of Parliament will also be in attendance.
Over the last ten years, Islamic Relief Canada has helped thousands of people around the world.
Founded in 1984, the organization has grown impressively in Canada from a staff of three persons in 2007 to thirty in 2017 – raising over $25 million from Canadian Muslims in 2016.
Islamic Relief focuses on a number of projects in over forty countries aimed at eradicating global poverty.
The organization is also very active in Canada. It raised over $100, 000 n for the victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire, supported Syrian refugee resettlement programs and launched an appeal for the Quebec mosque shooting victims.
In January 2017, the organization also received a $3million government grant for a gender-based violence project in Iraq.