Islamic Relief to host Trevor Noah in event on hope and solidarity

Trevor Noah (CNW Group/Islamic Relief Canada)

TORONTO, April 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Islamic Relief Canada, the leading Canadian Muslim NGO, will be hosting Trevor Noah in an event to mark ten years as an international NGO in Canada.

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 20^th 2017 at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto. 

Reyhana Patel from Islamic Relief says:
"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.  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. "

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 ."

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 programmes 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.

Notes to Editors

1. Case studies and stories directly from Myanmar, Pakistan and Bosnia available

SOURCE Islamic Relief Canada

For all interview requests, please contact Reyhana at [email protected]