During the concluding session of today’s 9th Annual Fiqh Conference . . .
. . . Dr. Slimi recognized Stephen Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) as being in attendance.
In fact he was sitting maybe two prayer spots length directly behind me, alongside the central pillar within Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Prayer Hall.
The Conference concluding with Adhan Al Maghrib, and breaking of the Fast with pairs of dates and cups of water which had quickly been distributed by volunteers.
By Prayer Time, Stephen Brown was standing in Iqamah one person over from me, to my right.
After completing the Maghrib Prayer and before our Sunnah prayers, I made the briefest of introductions with him.
We had never met in person before.
I pointed to the Green Square of fabric safety-pinned to my lapel, which I had decided on Night 1 to begin wearing for the duration of Ramadan 2023.
Showing him my 30 Masjids photo card which I use in place of a regular business card, I confirmed that he did not know who I was, yet he was immediately in listening mode, giving me all his attention.
Thinking about it now, it might have been because he saw my Green Square.
I’ve learned to quickly recognize Sincerity when meeting people, and Alhumdulillah, it was found in this moment with Stephen Brown.
Yet it wasn’t the proper time to talk. At all.
People were praying Sunnah all around us; he was expected to momentarily be joining the Iftar Meal as a special guest of Imam Slimi in another room.
I quickly wrote down the url for the 30 Masjids BIG photoblog “30Masjids.ca/bigphotoblog” on the back of the photo card and handed it back to him.
I asked when he could, to visit the BIG photoblog, and find a specific post, he would immediately recognize it.
The CEO of NCCM assured me he would.
The post was of course This One.
In my video above,
Dr. Slimi had mentioned some of what Brother Stephen shared yesterday with Sayeda Khadija Centre’s Taraweeh Congregration during his address made after 8 Rakats.
Below is my rough video edit,
From Yesterday after Isha, Night 10 of Ramadan 2023…
Dr. Slimi introducing Stephen Brown to the Congregration after Isha Prayers.
After 8 Rakats of Taraweeh Prayers,
Brother Asim Malik welcomes Stephen Brown who then addresses the Congregation sharing his personal story about becoming Muslim then speaks about work NCCM is doing to bring about systemic change.
Great to hear from @nccm CEO Br. Stephen Brown on important work being done against hate and #Islamophobia. We all have a part to do thanks @ihslimi @skcentre for raising profile and awareness for orgs like @nccm and @justiceforallcn pic.twitter.com/ZFEJ9L4qWC
— S Chowdhury (@simplychowdhury) April 1, 2023
