Home
World Islamic Mission (Canada)
Introduction / Mission

Brief Description

World Islamic Mission (Canada) known as WIM Canada was formed in 1989 as a Sunni Muslim organization. Membership is open to all Muslims regardless of nationality or race. It activities are based mostly in the city of Toronto but we work with other Islamic organizations across Canada, specifically West Island Islamic Centre in Montreal, Quebec and Muslim Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia.

WIM Canada currently has a membership of 60 muslim families of all nationalities. It is also in contact with a network of Islamic scholars from around the world for guidance and direction in religious matters.

Aims and Objectives

The main objective of WIM Canada is to establish Islam as a religion of peace. This involves both the continuing education of our muslim population about our din (Islam) through organizing lectures, seminars, courses and conferences. World Islamic Mission (Canada) is also involved in delivering the message of Islam to the general public by working with key personalities within the media.

Our aim is also to establish places of worship (masajid) and schools for the growing and diverse muslim population of Ontario, Canada. Please refer to Appendix I for a brief overview of Islam in Canada.

Main Activities

• World Islamic Mission currently rents a community centre owned by non-muslims to perform the Juma prayers every Friday. Large facilities (Ontario Science Centre and Etobicoke Sports Arena) are also being rented to perform Id prayers twice a year.

• Publish a quarterly magazine called the Message International.

• A small school (madressa) is being run in Mississauga, Ontario at the house of one of our members from 4:00pm to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Children between the ages of 7 to 13 are taught to how to read Arabic and the Holy Qur’an, and also the basics of Islam.

• Collection and distribution of Zakat and sadaqa to needy muslims of Canada.

• Since 1993 World Islamic Mission (Canada) has organized 6 major Islamic Conferences since at Seneca College in Don Mills, Ontario. Islamic scholars from all over the world have delivered lectures at these events.

• Visiting Muslims in prisons and providing Islamic literature to prisons in Canada

• On 2^nd. September 1998, World Islamic Mission (Canada) purchased an 11 acres property to build a masjid and the As-Suffah Islamic school. This property is currently owned by people of the Sikh religion and is used as a temple.

Status

Recognized by the Government of Canada as a registered charitable organization. Revenue Canada Charitable No: 88667-9950-RR0001

Bank

Toronto Dominion Bank of Canada
Transit #: 1544
Account #: 301238

Auditors

Hashmi & Associates (Certified Auditors)
4 Cedar Point Dr., Unit K1
Barrie, Ontario
Canada L4N 5R7
Tel: (705) 734-2240

Appendix I

Islam in Canada

Islam is growing about 2.9% per year which is faster than the total world population which increases about 2.3% annually. It is thus attracting a progressively larger percentage of the world's population. The number of Muslims in North America is in dispute: estimates range from under 3 million to over 6 million. Statistics Canada reports that 253,260 Canadians identified themselves as Muslims (0.9% of the total population) during the 1991 census. Those figures are believed to be an under-estimate.

84% of adults identify themselves as Christians. 12% are Atheists, Agnostics , persons who claim no religion, etc. while 4% follow non-Christian religions

Canada's largest faith groups (in order of numbers of adherents) are:

1. Roman Catholic (over 12 million)
2. Persons of no religious affiliation
3. United Church Anglican
4. Baptist
5. Presbyterian
6. Lutheran
7. Pentecostal
8. Eastern Orthodox churches (taken as a group)
9. Jewish
10. Islam
11. Mennonite
12. Jehovah's Witnesses
13. Buddhist
14. Hindu
15. Sikh
16. Reform bodies
17. Salvation Army
18. Latter Day Saints
19. Mormons (just over 140,000).

The above information was derived from Statistics Canada's report "Religion in Canada - The Nation" (Cat. # 93-319). They are based on 1991 census data, and thus represent the responses of individual Canadians.

Surveys by the Angus Reid group, a widely respected Canadian public polling organization, show that about 21% of Canadian adults attend churches, synagogues etc. weekly. The number appears to be dropping gradually, about 1 percentage point per year.