Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jama’at of Toronto
The Islamic Ithna-Asheri Jama’at (ISIJ) of Toronto is a Canadian Shia Ithna Asheri organization for about five thousand Shia Muslims living in Canada, mainly in Ontario. Currently, about two thousand people have membership and voting rights in the organization. The members of the organization are primarily from East African countries having Indian origins.
The activities of this Canadian Shia Ithna Asheri organization include supporting the Shia Muslim communities in Canada in their need and requirements through different cultural, religious, and educational programs such as seminars, Islamic education for youth and children, financial assistance, provisions for burial ceremonies, libraries, publications, etc. fitness camps at their centers.
Centers
The organization has established four centers in Ontario at Thornhill, Brampton, Hamilton and London. These centers also act as mosques for the local communities of the region. Apart from religious amenities, the centers also provide educational assistance to children and youth, for example, the As-Sadiq Islamic School.
After the ISIJ’s foundation in the 1960s, the organization set up its first center, Jafari Islamic Center, in Thornhill in 1979. Fifteen years later, in 1994, the land for another center at Brampton was acquired, and the construction was completed in 2003. The center named, Masumeen Islamic center was opened with multiple facilities, including classrooms, a meeting hall and a mosque.
Two other centers were subsequently established at Hamilton and London. Currently, ISIJ is under construction process for a 161,000 square feet community center at Thornhill. The center’s blueprint includes classrooms, banquet halls, a congregation hall, a gym and a lawn.
Committees and Programs
To cater to the different needs of the community, the center has established various committees and programs in the fields of media, welfare, financial support, promotion, education etc. These include:
- Jaffari Eco Committee
- Jaffari Education Committee
- Jaffari Funeral Services
- Jaffari Health and Wellness Committee
- Jaffari Islamic Study Committee
- Jaffari Islamic Youth
- Jaffari Media & Public Engagement Committee
- Ombudsman Committee
- Jaffari Sports Committee
- Jaffari Tabligh Committee
- Ladies Committee
- Al-Asr Program
- Jaffari Senior Citizens Group
- Speaker’s Committee
- Thursday Night Study Center
