Mission Statement.
-We, at KIH, want to unite the Ummah with our content.
- We want to help youth who, like us, are born of two cultures.
We want to provide a safe area for them to build upon the cultural foundations they have inherited from their ancestors, without pressuring them to cling to it blindly.
- We want to empower youth to make decisions about their future that they can be proud of.
- We want to provide a comfortable environment where everyone is an equal and has the right to express an opinion.
- We want to bridge the gap between University and High School.
- We want to be a Halal means of entertainment for the Ummah by the Ummah.
- We want to showcase and endorse youth talent.
- We want to be a vivid part of the Muslim social scene.
And most importantly...
- We want to shatter stereotypes.
Anas Ingar.
President - University of Toronto Campus Group
Founder, Editor, & Writer
Avidly Athletic and Academic
anas@keepingithalal.com
Assalamulikum all!
My name is Anas Ingar and I get called everything from Anas to Ingar to any other butchered annunciation of my name. Born and raised in Toronto since February 1990. I've lived in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park ever since, which is no less than living in India or Pakistan. I'm an Indian Gujarati, but, like my name, I am often confused for a variety of different nationalities. So, as a future occupation I could be a secret service agent. As a graduate from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute, I am currently in my second year at University of Toronto (St. George Campus) studying Physical Health and Education (Kinesiology).
After having been a part of various Islamic events ranging from the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) to Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) to being the president of the Muslim Students' Association, it became clear to me that Muslim youth have a lot to offer the world. This was the idea behind this site.
This site is just a stepping stone and we are currently working on greater initiatives, that depend on the success and outcome of this site. InshAllah, I hope to have a publication dedicated to Muslim Youth Art!
JazakAllah for your time, love and support.
Aisha Chaudhry.
General Secretary - University of Toronto Campus Group
Writer
She just might know too much
aisha@keepingithalal.com
My name is Aisha Chaudhry and I am in my final year at the University of Toronto. Born in Scarborough, raised in Toronto, currently residing in Mississauga…I think I can say I’m a true GTA-er. I’m doing a double major in Criminology and Religion and hoping to go onto my Masters in Ethnic Minorities and the Law…and possibly law school.
My personal interests are tied quite strongly to my academic ones—which is why I love what I do. Living in a time of not only international conflict and war, but also in a climate of Islamophobia and ignorance, I believe it is important to have our youth vocalize their views and stand up for what is right, even if the majority seems passive about certain issues.
My passion for social justice and my love for Islam have both motivated me to become more active in the community, and I feel that writing on related issues will help get my views out to others, and also help me learn how others feel about my perspective. The KIH team has given me the opportunity to do this and I hope I can contribute positively.
Apart from being a student and an activist, I love being around kids and I love cooking. My family and friends also say that I’m everyone’s personal counselor, so that makes me feel useful at times when I feel useless.
I hope that you benefit from my blogging, and I will inshAllah do my best to keep bringing issues in our local community, and the greater community, forth.
Ma’assalama :)
Sara Butt
Artistic Scout - University of Toronto Campus Group
Writer
Our Language Expert
sara@keepingithalal.com
My full name is Sara Butt. I'm 20 years old, living in Toronto, ON with my parents, older brother, two cats and two turtles.
I also have an older sister who is married. I should mention that my parents are pretty much the coolest people I know. I first came to Canada at the age of 4, before which I was in Saudi Arabia. Now, I'm a full-time student at University of Toronto, where I study Russian, Italian and Linguistics. My background is Kashmiri but because I've never been there, don't speak the language and most of my family migrated to Pakistan, I think I'm more Pakistani than anything else.
I love to read, travel the city by foot and of course, I enjoy writing.
Moorgs (Sajid Malgi).
Founder & Graphics Editor
Comical genius and graphic design master
moorgs@keepingithalal.com
'Sup. Nice keffiyeh.
My exercise bike keeps this particular blog powered, a special deal set with Weebly. I'm currently being held captive in an unfinished basement somewhere in Toronto, Canada by the bloggers of this site.
As an act of mercy, my captors let me have a say in this "About Us" section. You see, as luck would have it, they are completely illiterate and rely on their deeply-conditioned-barely-capable-but-well-behaving hybrid house pets (composed of only the most intelligent components of the iguana, ferret, and turtle) to compose their literary pieces on here (via elaborate psychokinetic command transmitting headpieces).
Thusly, I am able to relay all of this to you right under their very nescient noses.
Incredible? Yes, you can say that. A fantastic fabrication? Unfortunately not.
I was severely lacking in the brawn department (not hard to see from the picture provided, I imagine); a drawback of dedicating too much time to creating the very same ground breaking devices my kidnappers are utilizing to run this blog now. I was trumped one late night after the completion of one such project: the littlest one of the bloggers was the most ruthless in the process of my capture.
I have been caged for some time now, and in that time have undergone some changes.
Soon my muscle laden body and I shall be out again.
But I'm not exacting revenge or anything like that.
I kinda needed time away from the computer.
And the exercise too.
Peace be with you.
Abdi Aidid
Writer
The Journalist
abdi@keepingithalal.com
If I'm not somewhere muckraking, you can probably catch me somewhere else muckraking. Salaam!
