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Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Weekend Muslim conference attracts young adults from across Canada
Muslim youth from across Canada gathered in Winnipeg on the weekend for a conference, the first of its kind in the country. About 60 young adults travelled here for the event, which was sponsored by the Islamic Social Services Association of Winnipeg, to discuss a variety of issues, including legal and civil rights when dealing with the police, gender diversity, finding allies in the fight against Islamophobia and dealing with trauma and mental-health concerns. Association board member and conference moderator Jamie Carnegie said there was a discussion about understanding how the media reports about Islam, and how to find reliable sources of information online. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Lila Mansour, who travelled from Ontario to attend the conference, says mental health is 'a very serious issue for Muslim youth now.' 'Muslim youth, like other youth, have many sources of information today,' Carnegie said. 'Our goal was to help them find trusted sources and to understand what is being reported.' One issue that came up was how the media covers Muslim women in sports, especially when it comes to female athletes who wear hijabs. 'Gendered Islamophobia is another layer for Muslim youth to have to navigate,' Carnegie said. The conference also offered stories of spiritual and emotional hope and resilience. 'It's a great way to connect with others from across Canada and learn from them and share ideas,' said Winnipegger Ayesha Sultan, 23, a recent graduate of the University of Manitoba. 'There is so much we can learn from each other.' Aasif Bulbulia, 28, appreciated the opportunity to talk about how to respond to the war in Gaza and the situation facing Palestinian people. 'How do we address that?' asked Bulbulia, who is part of the Youth Leadership Institute at the Darul Falah Islamic Centre in Regina. 'How can we equip each other to resist what is happening when children are starving and being killed?' Bulbulia said he hoped to learn more about how Muslim youth can work with others to build a world based on shared ethical principles that go beyond any one religion. 'We should all be standing with marginalized and suffering people,' he said, adding that, for him, Jesus is an example of how to do that. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Winnipegger Ayesha Sultan (right) says the conference was an opportunity to build on ongoing conversations about Islamophobia. Lila Mansour, 26, an articling student at a law firm in Toronto, said hearing a variety of perspectives made the conference worthwhile for her, especially on the topic of mental health. 'That is a very serious issue for Muslim youth now,' she said, adding that many young people wonder how they fit into Canadian society. Young Muslims — particularly women, like her, who wear the hijab — can feel they are misunderstood or ostracized, she said. 'That immediately marks you as different,' said Mansour. 'For some people, there is bias.' Some people assume she is anti-Israel if she voices support for Palestinians. 'It can make things uncomfortable,' she said. 'My very presence is political for them… I am careful about what I say about Gaza.' Manitoba's Minister of Advanced Education and Training Renée Cable delivered an address at the conference, which she said was 'incredibly important.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. She praised the 'beautiful minds doing difficult work' JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Aasif Bulbulia, who travelled from Regina, says he appreciated the opportunity to talk about how to respond to the war in Gaza. 'I want you to know how much I honour, respect and appreciate all of you,' she said during her speech. Noting this is a difficult time for many communities, Cable said the government wants everyone Manitoban to feel seen, welcomed and celebrated. 'There is so much division rooted in misinformation and hate,' she said. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
City's first Krishna temple opens in Weston
For Greg Crowe, the opening of Winnipeg's first temple for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is like a homecoming. Raised in the Salvation Army, Crowe was christened at that denomination's Weston Community Church — now the new home for ISKCON in Winnipeg. 'It's like a coincidence, but I believe Krishna talks to me through coincidences,' said Crowe, a local high school band teacher who has been part of ISKCON, also known as the Hare Krishna movement, for about 20 years. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Dancers lead the chariot through the Maples during the chariot festival on July 5. The new temple, called Shri Hari Vaikuntha Dham, is 'like a dream come true' for him and the larger ISKCON community. 'I'm ecstatic about it,' he said. 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space.' Daniel Clark feels the same way. The local bookkeeper, who is a musician at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'There is a sense of energy in the community about the new temple,' said Clark, a musician who plays at the Unitarian church and who will also play at temple services. 'The idea brings out the best of emotions in me.' Crowe and Clark shared their thoughts about the new temple at the July 5 Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, at the Maples Community Centre. The annual festival found about 1,000 devotees pulling a large chariot bearing local priests and images of the deities Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), Balabhadra and Subhadra through the neighbourhood. The procession was led by dancers, drummers and singers who chanted 'Hare Krishna' and the names of the deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space,' Greg Crowe said. The festival, which also featured cultural displays, dance and food, was part of the launch of the new temple, which is located at 1390 Roy Ave. in the Weston neighbourhood. 'This is a historic moment for Manitoba,' said temple president Vishwambhara Kripa Das, noting that devotees in the city have dreamt for years of establishing a permanent spiritual centre in Winnipeg. The former Salvation Army church became available when it merged with the Weetamah Corps on Logan Ave. ISKCON's Winnipeg chapter bought the building for $850,000 in February. The new temple, which will be officially opened on August 16, will be a spiritual and cultural hub for the community, offering daily worship, youth education, food distribution, interfaith dialogue and wellness programs for all ages, Kripa Das said. It will also be a place to promote service to the community, he said, noting that Krishna consciousness is about more than chanting the name of deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Daniel Clark has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'It's about living a life of purpose, service, kindness and compassion,' he said. 'We serve Krishna by serving others, and serving all of creation, every living thing.' That will include renovating the kitchen so it can be available to serve meals to the wider community, including during emergencies like the recent wildfire evacuations. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. For Jaya Kaushik, who came to Canada in 2019 as an international student, having their own temple means no longer needing to rent space for darshan — spending time in the presence of a deity to seek its blessing. Now Kaushik and others can worship whenever they want at the temple, where a priest is present every day. Vrinda Devi Dasi is ISKCON's supervisor for Canada. She is happy to see Winnipeg finally get its own temple. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Drummers and a priest bring an image of a deity to the chariot at the July 5 festival. 'It's good to finally have that home,' she said. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
