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Muslim Women Celebrating International Women’s Day –April 2,2016 with Premier Christy Clark.
4-04-2016
On Saturday, April 2 2016, history was made in BC with the arrival of the first BC Muslim /Diverse women’s event and community awards ceremony, which was organized by a dedicated group of Muslim women and sponsored by Riverside Signature Banquet Hall in Surrey. The event, attended by over 300 female representatives in BC, was the brainchild of award winning community activist and retired psychiatric nurse Farida Bano Ali. Ali saw the need for Muslim women to claim a bigger presence in the community, in an effort to promote tolerance and care between faiths and cultural groups, and to celebrate the achievements of Muslim and non-Muslim women alike. Sadrul Buksh a Dedicated , Champion in Fundraising and Hamida Hassan,Long Term Volunteer, Business Specialist both longtime volunteers in the Muslim community, also gave leadership to the event.
Themes discussed throughout the night included bullying, sexual violence and domestic abuse, mental health, workforce equality, and women’s diversity. The organizing committee also gave guests a presentation on the hijab, as well as Women’s Rights from Islamic Prospective and empowerment in Islam, which highlighted the differences between religious and regional cultural values that inform stereotypes of Muslim women.
Notable speakers and attendees included: Queenie Choo, CEO of SUCCESS; Shushma Dutt, SpiceRadio Executive Director; Simmie Smith, RCMP Diversity Advisory Committee; Nassima Nastosh, National Executive Director for Anti-Bullying; Irshad Fawcett, Genesis Women’s Counseling Services and Zein Ali- Women’s Rights from Islamic Prospective . Many organizations were also represented, including Muslim Food Bank, Muslim Youth Centre, ISSBC, Safe House operators, and Al-NISA-911 (a domestic violence helpline). Multiple faith groups held a prominent presence at the event.
The BC Premier Christy Clark, who opened the night with a speech, was treated to Trudeau-style mania and spent nearly an hour posing for photos and selfies with guests after an excited mob formed around her.
It was a memorable event for Muslim Community A Night with Christy Clark.
 Special Thanks to Riverside Signature Banquet Hall for their Sponsorship of this Event and Zarah Rachel.
Footnotes: Footnotes: Photographer/Media By Zarah Tinhot.
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