A look at the National Council of Canadian Muslims
Working to empower Canadian Muslims through advocacy and leadership
NCCM: Empowering Canadian Muslims Through Advocacy and Leadership
For over two decades, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) has advocated for the rights of Canadian Muslims. Founded in 2000, NCCM has grown into the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, championing human rights, combating Islamophobia, and tackling discrimination head-on.
NCCM’s work includes public advocacy, engaging with the media, and fighting against Quebec’s discriminatory Bill 21.
In line with its mission to empower Canadian Muslims, NCCM hosted its very first Youth Leadership Summit this year on Aug 23 and 24, 2024, at the Toronto Metropolitan University. The summit drew over 200 students from across the country, coming from over 60 cities, and offered a unique space for young Muslim leaders to come together and share their experiences.
Over two days, participants engaged in a variety of workshops and activities. From media training to advocacy workshops, students gained hands-on skills and insights from veteran advocates, leaders, and long-time community engagement experts.
For many, the summit offered more than just training sessions – it was a space where future leaders could network, collaborate, and strategize on how to address challenges faced by Muslims in Canada.
The Carillon spoke with Omar Khamissa, NCCM’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), to get his take on the event’s impact, the organization’s ongoing efforts, and what lies ahead for Muslim youth eager to make a difference in Canada.
Born and raised in Aurora, Ontario, Omar Khamissa has been active in the Muslim community from a young age. With a degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo, he built a career in sales before dedicating his time to community engagement. Previously NCCM’s Community Engagement Officer for the GTA and Director of Community Engagement, Omar now serves as the organization’s COO.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
NCCM has been a key voice in advocating for the rights of Muslims in Canada. Can you walk us through the organization’s history, its core mission and some of its milestones over the years?
NCCM was created in 2000, and it has grown significantly since then. We’ve worked on many cases, and every single one has been at the center of fighting Islamophobia. I think that’s what the core of NCCM is… NCCM is about fighting Islamophobia, fighting discrimination, standing for Muslim civil liberties, and making sure that Canada is a better place for all.
Our vision is that Canada becomes a country where Muslims are free to practice their faith and feel safe doing so.
[People of Muslim faith] shouldn’t have to look over their shoulder when for example, wearing a hijab. We want them to be part of society without feeling different because of how they look or dress. NCCM is Canada’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, and we continuously fight for the rights of Muslims.
Some of the most significant moments in NCCM’s history include the tragic Quebec Mosque Shooting and the London attack on the Afzaal family, where members were run over in a targeted act of hate.
NCCM has addressed countless cases of discrimination faced by Muslim students, hijabi individuals, and others who have been treated unfairly. Through our efforts, we strive to ensure that Muslims can practice their faith openly and feel that they are a part of… society.
What are some of the primary programs and initiatives that NCCM currently offers to promote human rights and civil liberties?
NCCM has different [branches] working together. We have an education program that collaborates with school boards and universities across the country… we also have the proactive side, working with students and businesses to help them know their rights as students and employees. The advocacy program handles legal cases like Bill 21 and addresses numerous other Islamophobic incidents across Canada.
We also have a media arm that deals with marketing and communications, ensuring we’re always present in the community, in masajids (mosques), and in organizations. Our goal is to stay grassroots, to be in the community, and hear directly from Muslims about the issues they’re facing. Our biggest goal is to make tomorrow better than today for everyone.
Do you want to elaborate on NCCM’s social media presence and how it engages the community and campuses across Canada to encourage broad participation?
We’re active on social media and comment on current events, but there’s still a long way to go. NCCM tries to be at the forefront of conversations, whether on Twitter or Instagram, with a community focus. There are 1.8 million Muslims in Canada and the challenge is reaching all of them across Canada. How do you ensure that when you advocate, you’re speaking for all of them?
Social media helps, but it’s tough when NCCM is just a team of 35 people. Representing 1.8 million people is a huge task.
We’ve seen a 1300 per cent spike in Islamophobia since Oct 7 just from October to December and to put this into perspective of what that 1300 per cent increase looks like is that every hour, 3 people will call us for an Islamophobic attack, and seeing that happen is crazy.
Schools alone have seen an 800 per cent increase. This is where social media comes in, to show that people are not alone.
Recently, NCCM organized the Youth Leadership Summit for students across Canada. How was it for you as COO to see over 200 students come together for this inaugural summit?
Honestly, it was beautiful. Seeing students who are so engaged and empowered to do advocacy work and shape their communities was inspiring. I always say, ‘Be the voice of the voiceless.’
When someone experiences Islamophobia, they feel disempowered, and they feel like there’s no one to help them. But seeing these 200 students – both from high schools and universities – stand up for what’s right gave me a lot of hope for the future.
For a long time, this kind of work has been done by older people in the community, but now we’re seeing younger people taking charge. That gives me hope that, in 10 or 20 years, we won’t see the same levels of Islamophobia.
How did your team prepare for the success of the summit, and what challenges did you face?
The biggest challenge was narrowing down the 750 applicants into a cohort we could manage. It was difficult because the applicants were so impressive, even at such young ages.
In the future, we might separate the high school and university students because they’re at different levels of experience. There were people who had been doing advocacy for years and others who were doing it for the first time. Ultimately, it was about talking to the students to find out what issues they are facing and going through some training and educational programs in the approach we use every single day.
What feedback have you received from participants, and how will that influence future iterations of the summit?
Some of the feedback was about separating high school and university students into two separate avenues. Some participants wanted the summit to be a bit longer. The days were very long, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and maybe having a third day would allow people more time to get to know each other.
The most amazing thing was seeing the students. Everyone was so excited to go through the process, and that energy made it all worthwhile for us. The number one piece of feedback was how amazing the students were and the opportunity to speak, network, and get to know each other.
For many, the biggest takeaway was getting to work with people from coast to coast. For example, students from Regina don’t often get a chance to meet someone from Halifax. Breakout rooms and group work sessions allowed participants to build something together and connect in meaningful ways.
For me, the biggest thing was showing that people aren’t alone. A lot of times, when issues happen – like at Dalhousie University – the university knows it can reach out to schools and institutions across the country for support. That connection is what we want to build. That’s the impact we aim for: to create a nationwide network where communities stand up for each other.
For those looking to stay connected with NCCM, what platforms, resources, or events would you recommend they follow or attend?
Follow our social media – you’ll probably find out everything you need to know there. Reach out to our team. We just hired our first representative in Saskatchewan, and now we have a Saskatchewan advocacy officer. Areeba Siddiqui will be that connection with everyone. Also, connect with student groups on campus and get to know NCCM through your local masajids (mosques) and organizations. You can also visit our main website where we have various resources available.
For example, if a school board in Regina wants to do a “Know Your Rights” program in education – understanding your rights, what Islamophobia is, and how to face it – we are happy to help. Our goal is to have this work extended across the country.
When I started at NCCM five years ago, it was just a team of four. It was hard to be everywhere across Canada with just four people. Now, we’ve grown and have representatives across the country. We have vocal representation everywhere, which means we can sit down with communities, attend events, and talk to people. We’re here to listen and make sure that if someone wants to be a part of something, they know there’s an avenue for that.
There are amazing Islamic organizations in Canada that help people overseas, but an organization that looks after Muslims within Canada is hard to find. That’s what NCCM is about – fighting Islamophobia on a national level. Whether you’re looking for job opportunities, volunteering, or advocacy work, we’re here for that.
If someone is interested in getting involved, they can reach out to us at info@nccm.ca. Our goal isn’t just to focus on Muslims in Ontario – we look after every Muslim in Canada. We want the whole country to stand up and support them. That’s how you get real impact: by standing together, coast to coast.
If you are interested in subscribing to the NCCM newsletter, accessing their community resources, reporting an incident of discrimination, volunteering, or seeing career opportunities, visit the NCCM website at www.nccm.ca.
