MuslimFest is an annual three-day festival that celebrates the best in Muslim Art, Culture, and Entertainment. The event showcases

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

artists, musicians, and comedians, and takes place every summer in

Mississauga Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

, Ontario. MuslimFest is a signature event in Canada that won various awards including Top 100 by FEO and also Greenest Festival in Canada award. The 2023 event will take place at the Mississauga Celebration Square from July 7 to 9. General features of the event include several educational

workshops Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...

, a variety show,

puppet show Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performan ...

, programs geared towards women, and an international

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

. Programs held during the day have typically consisted of an international

art exhibit An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is occasionally true, it is stated to be a "permanen ...

, film competition, and

fashion show A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons. This is wh ...

. A performance finale at the end of the final day typically includes

spoken word artists Spoken is the past participle form of the verb "to speak". Spoken may also refer to: *Spoken (app), an augmentative and alternative communication tool *Spoken (band) Spoken is an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They h ...

, Muslim musicians and

nasheed A ''nasheed'' (, ) is a work of vocal music, partially coincident with hymns, that is either sung ''a cappella'' or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within Sunni Islam. Nasheeds are popular throughout the Islamic ...

artists, and a comedy show. MuslimFest organizers claim that the event has attracted over 70,000 visitors over the course of three days.

About

Launched in 2004, MuslimFest is an annual cultural festival that brings together Muslims from all over Canada and even the US. MuslimFest has played a large role in encouraging arts and entertainment as well as showcasing the diversity of Islamic culture and identity. MuslimFest is a celebration of the intersection of religion and culture. MuslimFest is organized by a team of young dedicated volunteers that come from various backgrounds and experiences, high-school students are encouraged to volunteer to get their community hours and also learn skills that will help them with their careers.

Opening Ceremony

The festival will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday with

Friday Prayer Friday prayer, or congregational prayer (), is the meeting together of Muslims for communal prayer and service at midday every Friday. In Islam, the day itself is called ''Yawm al-Jum'ah'' (shortened to ''Jum'ah''), which translated from Arabic me ...

with the annual Canada National Flag Unveiling Ceremony and a children’s choir singing the national anthem.

Entertainment

The festival stages will be busy with a full line-up of entertainers scheduled for the event. Amal Kassir and Labibah will present their poetry and spoken word pieces. Boonaa Mohamed, Illyas Mao, & Abdullah Bustami will entertain festival guests with their musical performances. Comedians Nadira from NYC and Spoken word by Ammar Al Shukry will keep guests laughing on Saturday night.

The Fortunate Slave – Play

A prominent Fulani Muslim prince from West Africa was kidnapped to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade. He was released due to an English humanitarian’s intervention and lived in England along with the nobility before returning home to Senegal.

Art Battle

The ‘Battle of the Brushes' is a painting competition between artists who will create works of art LIVE in a bid to win and wow the audience with their talents.

International Bazaar

Those attending the event will have the chance to browse and shop at many unique vendors over the weekend. There will be a Fragrant Oils Boutique and vendors selling Turkish clothing, Middle Eastern ornaments, Turkish lanterns, and more.

Workshops

On Saturday and Sunday, festival attendees can learn how to create Phulkari Embroidery, Calligraphy, Water Marble, and Hacer Ozcan Style Water Marble. Registration for workshops is based on a first-come-first-served basis. In addition to the workshops, there will be an arts and crafts tent and carnival games where children and families can drop by throughout the day.

Flavors of World Food Festival

Taste buds will be delighted by the food offerings at MuslimFest with food from various parts of the world.

Art Exhibit

The Art Exhibit at Muslimfest to immerse yourself in talented artwork from all backgrounds, with three different age groups – explore some of our local artists!

A Night of Nasheeds

MuslimFest invites you to come out for a night surrounded by creative cultural and spiritual music.

Poetry Night – Park Bench Chroncicles

MuslimFest brings you an exciting play, Park Bench Chronicles, filled with poetry and comedy featuring talented artists Ammar Alshukary, Bonna Muhammad, Bustami, Essam, Ilyaas Mao, and Yousef Kroma.

Performers and Artists

Maher Zain Maher Zain (; born 16 July 1981) is a Lebanon, Lebanese-Sweden, Swedish Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter and music producer. He released his debut album ''Thank You Allah'', an internationally successful album produced by Awakening Reco ...

* Humood AlKhudher *

Amal Kassir Amal Kassir (; born 6 June 1995) is an American international award winning spoken word poet. Early life and education Amal Kassir was born on 6 June 1995 in Denver. She is the fourth of five children. Her name means "hope" in Arabic. She was bo ...

* Waseem Badami *Faisal Salah *Khaled Siddiq *Mustaqeem * Yahya Hawwa * Boonaa Mohamed *

Junaid Jamshed Junaid Jamshed Khan (3 September 1964 – 7 December 2016) was a Pakistani Islamic preacher, singer-songwriter and television personality. Jamshed first gained nationwide and international recognition as the vocalist of Vital Signs. Their ...

Dawud Wharnsby Dawud Wharnsby (born David Howard Wharnsby; June 27, 1972) is a Canadian Universalist Muslim singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television personality. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his work in the musical/poetic g ...

* Saleem Hameed * Idris Phillips *

Zain Bhikha Zain Bhikha is a South African singer-songwriter, vocalist, and drummer who performs Islamic nasheeds. Associated with other Muslim singers, including Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby, Bhikha has collaborated on albums and also released several ...

* Khaleel Muhammad * The Fletcher Valve Drummers *

Irfan Makki Irfan Makki (; born 30 October 1975) is a Pakistani-born Canadian Muslim singer-songwriter. Career After signing with Awakening Records, he released the album ''I Believe'', with 13 tracks. The title track "I Believe", featuring the Swedish-Leb ...

*Ilyas Mao * Preacher Moss, of Allah Made Me Funny fame *

Amir Sulaiman Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

* Native Deen * seven8six (786 Boyz) * Baba Ali * Aman Ali *The Sound of Reason *Sofia Baig *

Azhar Usman Azhar Muhammad Usman (born December 23, 1975) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer of Indian descent. He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and has been referred to as the "Ayatollah of Comedy" and "Bin Lau ...

of Allah Made Me Funny fame *Rasul Somji * Mo Amer, of Allah Made Me Funny fame *Azeem Muhammad, formerly of Allah Made Me Funny fame *Mezba Mahtab * Brother Dash * Adam Saleh

External links

MuslimFest official websiteMuslimFest profile, Festivals & Events OntarioMuslimFest 2005 overviewOmni news report about MuslimFestMuslimFest 2005 Concert overviewMuslimFest 2005 GalleryMuslimFest 2007 GalleryMuslimFest artist Mezba Mahtab
{{Islam in Canada Festivals in Ontario Islam in Canada