There’s no doubt that Social Media have transformed our lives positively, but more so negatively. Family relationships are impacted hard. People talk to each other less and dependence on smartphones and other gadgets is beyond imagination. We definitely need to reclaim control of our lives before our social fabric will irreversibly change.
Quite often we talk about Youth challenges from our own perspective and we end up missing the target. Today we look at those perspectives by listening to the Youth themselves.
Education is the tool to combat Islamophobia. People who are misinformed become Islamophobes out of fear, not necessarily out of hate. We need to educate ourselves first before we go out to the world and share our Islam with the public.
Islam and culture are separate yet interactive. The rule to judge one’s actions is that they need to be Islamically acceptable and culturally comfortable.
“People are of two types, they are either your brothers in faith or your equals in humanity."
"My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me and that what misses me was never meant for me.”
“People are of two types, they are either your brothers in faith or your equals in humanity."
Dr. Munir El-Kassem was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1955. He was educated at Al-Maqasid Islamic Institute where the Foundation of his Islamic knowledge was established. He was the top student to be admitted to the Pre-medicine program at the American University of Beirut. He is married and blessed with five daughters and one son.
Following his migration to Canada, he continued his studies at Western University earning a Masters Degree in Medical Genetics thereafter joining the University of Toronto to graduate as a dental surgeon in 1986. After spending 15 years in general practice, he joined Western University as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.
Since his arrival in Canada in 1976, Dr. El-Kassem has been very actively involved in Islamic Da’wah. He has visited a large number of Muslim communities across Canada, the Caribbean and the United States. He has also participated in interfaith dialogue and appeared on numerous radio and T.V. programs. Dr. El-Kassem has helped numerous Muslim communities fundraise for mosques, Islamic schools, and humanitarian projects all over the world. He is recognized as a passionate speaker, youth leadership trainer, and family counselor, and marriage officer. There is hardly a weekend where Dr. El-Kassem is not on the road visiting a community or speaking at a conference.
His audio and videotapes on various Islamic issues have been widely distributed. One series, in particular, (A Matter of Life and Death) has been quite popular worldwide and portions of it were shown on local T.V in many countries. He is the author of many Islamic books, namely: Mothers of Believers, Preparation for Eternity, and Fasting: Principles and Practices. Dr. El-Kassem is currently working on a few manuscripts: How to Become an Effective Khateeb in the West; 200 FAQ; Hajj and Umrah Made Easy. He was also a regular contributor to the London Free Press, writing on a variety of issues from an Islamic perspective. He also hosted a weekly radio show, Islamic Perspectives, on 1290 CJBK. Over the years, Dr. El-Kassem has written scores of articles that were published in reputable Islamic journals. Dr. El-Kassem is currently a visiting Imam at a number of Islamic Centers across Ontario, Canada. During his tenure at W.U, Dr. El-Kassem was a volunteer chaplain at the University, he was also appointed as a chaplain with the London Police Force.
Dr. El-Kassem is the recipient of many medals and awards. Recognized among them are the Diamond and Golden Jubilee awards and the outstanding volunteerism award in the Province of Ontario.
Future Plans: For the past 32 years I was doing my Da’wa while busily engaged in my dental career. In April 2018 I decided to retire from Dentistry and focus Only on Da’wa. My Dream is to reach out as much as I can to the global community and take my Da’wa beyond Canadian borders. I hope to gain access to more platforms at reputable Islamic conferences, conventions, summarize my life experience by writing books, and recording programs on social media.
