Everyday Muslim Heroes | Muslim Media Hub

Celebrating Everyday Heroes

Everyday Muslim Heroes is an upcoming documentary film series that shines a spotlight on ordinary Muslims in and around Toronto, whose everyday actions make a profound impact on their communities. These individuals dedicate their energies to fulfilling people's needs and improving the quality of life for all, without any expectation of recognition or compensation.

Purpose of Our Series

Through a series of captivating videos, "Everyday Muslim Heroes" celebrates nine remarkable individuals who exemplify selflessness and compassion. Their contributions address some of the most urgent challenges of our time, including food insecurity, equity for people with disabilities, support for the homeless, Indigenous rights, police reform, and environmental protection. Our series aims to showcase these heroes on screen, doing positive things, thereby building greater awareness and appreciation for underrepresented Muslim minorities in Canada.

Meet the Heroes

The heroes featured in our series come from diverse backgrounds and are united by their commitment to making a difference. They are advocates, founders, and leaders who have initiated and driven significant social change across various sectors. From enhancing accessibility and rights for disabled individuals to advocating for environmental sustainability and police reform, their stories are as varied as their causes. Through their tireless efforts, they not only contribute to their communities but also inspire others to engage and make a difference.

Rabia Shahid

Rabia Shahid is the founder and president of SacredHand
Canada, a registered charity established ten years ago in
Mississauga, Ontario. As a newcomer to Canada, she noticed Canadians around her struggling with basic needs. She started SacredHand Canada as a volunteer-run organization to assist seniors, refugees and immigrants, people living with
disabilities, and individuals with limited mobility, enabling
them to access food, shelter, and improve their quality of life.
Today, SacredHand Canada operates out of a large facility in
Mississauga and serves over ten thousand people.

Maryam Dadabhoy

After watching her husband play softball for years, Maryam
Dadabhoy longed for Muslim women to have the same
opportunity. She decided to form a softball league to introduce the game to women with little to no experience with softball. While it was a struggle at first, since there was no guidebook to follow, today, the Sisterhood Softball League is thriving with more than a thousand members and many games operating weekly. It’s more than a league; the women have developed close friendships and strong bonds that stay with them off the field.

Founder, SacredHand Canada

Co-founder, Sisterhood Softball League

Imam Irshad Osman

Founder, Muslim-Indigeous Connection

Irshad Osman is an advocate for truth and reconciliation for
the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Struck by the stories of
Indigenous children buried at the sites of former residential
schools, he established Muslim-Indigenous Connection, a
project to help young Muslims learn more about the history
and ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples and develop
friendships and allyships with Indigenous communities. His
story was filmed at Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford,
where some of his work took place.

Dr. Yusra Ahmad

Psychiatrist

Dr. Yusra Ahmad is a psychiatrist who devotes much of her
time to supporting individuals at the margins of society.
Through her front-line work, she encounters issues of
substance abuse, hunger, mental illness, homelessness,
refugees, gender-based violence, and suicide. Additionally, she is active in addressing the systemic causes of vulnerability across various political sectors.

Omaya Rakieh

Disability Advocate

Omaya Rakieh contracted polio as a child, resulting in the loss
of her ability to walk. Upon her arrival in Canada, she realized
that there weren't any organizations specifically catering to the needs of Muslims with disabilities. Determined to make a
difference, Omaya endeavored to bring the accessibility needs of this community to the forefront. She is a founding member of both the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities (CAMD) and the Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO).

Fahad Tariq

Founder, Shift

Fahad Tariq is the founder of Shift, a nonprofit company that
ingeniously converts animal waste into reliable and
inexpensive energy for developing countries. His innovative
solution not only helps to alleviate poverty but also addresses
the global energy crisis and combats climate change. Despite having a day job, Fahad devotes his spare time to Shift. His projects are currently in operation in Pakistan and Uganda, and he has plans to expand into other countries in the Global South.

Zahra Hassan

Teacher, Inspiration to Black Muslim Youth

Zahra Hassan is an eighth-grade teacher at a school in Toronto, Canada. Known both in the classroom and online for her unique sense of style and fashion, Zahra aims to represent and inspire Black and Muslim youth. Her charitable activities include work with the Fikia Dada Rescue Center, a Canada-based organization that supports Kenyan women who became mothers while still in school. She is also involved with Smile for Sache, a community service that supports Somali mothers who have lost their sons to gun violence. Additionally, Zahra contributes to Feed the Fasting, a community group that prepares thousands of meals each Ramadan.

Mohamed Shuriye

Advocate, Police Reform

Mohamed Shuriye, a Somali-Canadian who arrived in Canada in 1989, is a long-time community activist. In his professional capacity, Mohamed works as a manager for Police Reform in the City of Toronto, where he assists in reimagining public safety interventions and developing community-led response to crisis calls involving mental health issues, homelessness, and addiction. Prior to this, Mohamed worked with United Way as a campaign manager, fundraising for community agencies. He also devotes his volunteer time to transit advocacy, having helped establish TTCRiders, a group lobbying for improved transit. Mohamed previously served on the board of Positive Change, a Somali-Canadian advocacy group focused on eliminating youth violence.

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for the release of the "Everyday Muslim Heroes" series. We are excited to bring these inspiring stories to you, showcasing the impact that one individual can have on the lives of many.

For more insights into the lives and contributions of these heroes, visit our blog. Here, you can read about the behind-the-scenes efforts and personal journeys that make each story unique and impactful.

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