2025
An Introduction to the History of Arabic Calligraphy
In honor of Canadian Islamic History Month, McGill's Student Affairs Liaison for Muslim Students, in collaboration with the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, hosted an event titled "An Introduction to the History of Arabic Calligraphy," presented by Yaser Watad, calligraphy artist, graphic designer, and Damascus University alumnus.
Muslim Awareness Week 2025 at McGill
Muslim Awareness Week is a yearly week of solidarity and exchange where people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs are invited to learn about the achievements, contributions, aspirations, and concerns of Quebecers of Muslim faith.
This bridge-building week was created to celebrate Muslim identities and educate the public to help prevent hate crimes against this minority and create a better “vivre-ensemble” within Quebec society.
Join us for the seventh edition of MAW, January 24 through January 31.
Screening of the short movie Pluri'Elles
Date: January 28, 5:30PM to 7:30PM
Location: McCall MacBain Building, 853 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 150
Celebrating Muslim Women - La parole aux Québécoises Musulmanes
The film Pluri'Elles follows the careers of six young Quebecer Muslim women working in different professional fields. Through their testimonies, they share their challenges and successes, as well as their relationship with their faith.
Watch the trailer of the film here.
Commemorative Lecture - 2025 National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia
Date: January 29, from 3:30PM
Location: Robert Vogel Council Room, Leacock 232
In 2022, the Federal government designated January 29 as a National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City mosque attack and action against Islamophobia. On January 29, 2025, McGill will commemorate the 8th sad anniversary of this tragedy.
Commemorative Lecture: "Trajectories of Hate: Remembering Quebec City in a time of Rising Islamophobia,"
given by Professor Nadia Hasan, Assistant Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and Director of the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University.
This commemorative lecture marks eight years since unspeakable hate and violence was visited upon the CCIQ mosque in Quebec. Eight years later, the survivors of this vicious attack courageously continue their journey to heal - even in the face of rising Islamophobia, legal and bureaucratic challenges that resurrect traumas, and novel methods of targeting and dehumanizing Muslim communities around the world. Through an analysis of recent incidents of hate, discrimination and the curtailment of civil liberties, this lecture reflects on trends in evolving forms of Islamophobia, Muslim community responses to these trends, and the trajectory of this social and political climate in Canada.
Derived from this tragedy is the Green Square Campaign. The colour green represents the green carpet inside the mosque where the shooting took place. It also symbolizes the hope that each of the six victims will have found themselves in a better place – a green garden – in the afterlife. Come and pick your Green Square during the commemoration.
The event is open to all members of the McGill community and welcomes the participation of the general public.
The Era of Law 21: Impacts on Muslim Women and the Making of a New Normal panel discussion
Date and time: Friday, January 31, 4:30PM to 7:00PM
Location: McGill University, Faculty of Law, 3644 Peel Street
Join us in welcoming Prof. Nadia Hasan, Me Frédéric Bérard, and Idil Issa for a bilingual interdisciplinary panel discussion moderated by Me Cee Strauss on the material impacts of Law 21 and the making of a new normal.
2024
National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia
On January 29, 2024, McGill hosted a virtual ceremony to commemorate the victims of the shooting at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (CCIQ), which took place exactly seven years earlier. The date is officially designated as Canada’s National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia.
The event is also a time to recognize and honour students for their ongoing efforts to foster Muslim inclusion within Quebec and Canada. The 2024 co-winner of the CCIQ Memorial Award were Mashaal Oturkar and Arij Soufi.
McGill University presents Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia
A conversation with Amira Elghawaby on Unpacking the Dynamics of Islamophobia in Canada, Challenges and Opportunities.
Amira Elghawaby, an award-winning journalist and human rights advocate, was appointed by the Prime Minister as Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia on January 2023. During this public lecture, Ms. Elghawaby will address her efforts to tackle Islamophobia in Canada, and opportunities to create more inclusive environments on university campuses. This event is part of a series of several events on campus marking Muslim Awareness Week.
2023
National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia
On January 30, McGill hosted a ceremony to commemorate the victims of the January 29, 2017, shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, when a lone gunman killed six Muslim worshippers: Azzeddine Soufiane, 57; Khaled Belkacemi, 60; Ibrahima Barry, 39; Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42; Abdelkrim Hassane, 41; and Aboubaker Thabti, 44. Nineteen others were injured. The ceremony was marked by solemn tributes to victims, thoughtful discourse, and impassioned pleas for people to do their part to combat Islamophobia.
Law student Weeam Ben-Rejeb was also recognized as the recipient of the 2022-2023 Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec Memorial Award for her work fostering inclusion.
