since some women implement an equally strategic
and active position by assuming a behind-the-
scenes role.
As an increasing number of MSA members grad-
uated to become professionals in their communities,
it became apparent that a different type of organi-
zation was required. Thus the Islamic Society of
North America (ISNA) was formed in 1983. From
the onset, the organizational structure included
a women’s committee to oversee women-related
issues through which female members participated
in initiatives similar to those they were involved
in within the MSA sphere. Haffajee became the
first ISNA Canadian Zonal Representative of the
women’s committee from the beginning of ISNA’s
existence. In 1997, 13 years after ISNA’s inception,
Haffajee was elected as the first and only woman
on the Majlis al-Shura, ISNA’s highest decision-
making body. Currently another woman, Dr. Ingrid
Mattson, who is also a Canadian but resides in the
United States, holds the position of ISNA Vice-
President (USA).
The next stepping stone after the establishment
of ISNA was the Muslim Youth of North America
(MYNA), founded for the children of those in
ISNA. This group, dedicated to youth in junior and
senior high school, originated in 1985, partially as
an initiative by the youth themselves. Females and
males hold the positions of continental president or
zonal representatives and thus travel to annual
meetings and mobilize their respective regions,
maintain executive positions, give lectures, and
chair meetings. MYNA, similar to the MSA, falls
under the umbrella of ISNA.
As a result of MSA’s continued success and forti-
tude, numerous organizations evolved throughout
the United States and Canada. In 1971, a handful
of MSA members developed a study circle in order
to intensify their Islamic education. Eventually, this
study circle labeled itself the Islamic Circle of
North America (ICNA). The founding members
were both men and women with separate yet par-
allel executive bodies. The ICNA Ladies’ Wing
organizes activities for Muslim women across
North America, such as Qur±àn and ™adìth-based
study circles, training camps, and programs to
teach non-Muslims about Islam.
In 1997, an organization was founded with ob-
jectives and an organizational structure similar
to that of ICNA, but dedicated solely to Canada:
the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC).
Currently women host separate executives but
liaise at certain junctures with corresponding male
members. However, women participate at almost
every level of the association, such as maintaining618 islamist movements and discourses and religious associations
positions in the National Convention and on the
Board of Trustees, which are the association’s high-
est bodies, as well as spearheading youth commit-
tees in which they are responsible for coordinating
youth activities for both men and women.
As the Muslim community in Canada continued to
grow, several Islamic organizations formed in order
to present a more accurate portrayal of Islam and
Muslims in Canada. The Council of American
Islamic Relations (CAIR) was founded in the United
States in 1994, with the launching of the CAIR-
Canada chapter in 2000. Some of CAIR-Canada’s
tasks are to monitor local and national media in
order to challenge stereotypes, work for human
rights causes, host information seminars and work-
shops, distribute action alerts, and advance inter-
community relations. Dr. Sheema Khan, a woman
activist, is the founder and current chairperson of
CAIR-Canada and is thus responsible for oversee-
ing all endeavors. The Canadian Islamic Congress
(CIC) was formed in 1998 with constructive objec-
tives such as to educate Canadians about Islam
and Muslims, and to network with all levels of gov-
ernment, academia, and non-governmental organi-
zations (NGOs). Wahida Chishti Valiante, a family
counselor, is one of the founding members and
vice president of CIC. While overseeing the various
CIC initiatives, she lectures regularly at both
national and international conferences, and is a pub-
lished author of major research papers related to
media and social work. CAIR and CIC executive
members and members-at-large consist of men and
women who may fulfill parallel roles within media-
related organizations.
The contribution of Muslim women in the devel-
opment of the masjid – a place for worship, educa-
tion, community functions, and recreation – has
varied across Canada since the establishment of the
first mosque in Canada on 12 December 1938,
founded and for which funds were raised by pio-
neer Canadian Muslim women, until the present
day. This is primarily due to the diversity of people,
cultures, races, and ethnicities within Islam and
the Muslim community. In some mosques women
maintain executive positions, chair meetings, or-
ganize events, and deliver lectures, whereas in other
mosques these roles are uncommon. The imam, the
governing council of the mosque, and/or cultural
differences play a major factor in determining how
a woman may contribute within the mosque.
Canadian-based Muslim women’s organizations
such as the Canadian Council of Muslim Women
(CCMW 1982) and the Federation of Muslim
Women (FMW 1997) serve as catalysts for Muslim
women to attain a voice within the larger Islamic