THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO UOFT6 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2015 F ounded in 1965, the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) at UofT was the first MSA to be established in Canada, and has since

THE SURVIVAL

GUIDETO UOFT

2015 - 2016

2 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2015

THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO UOFT2015 - 2016

Assalamualaikum / Peace be upon you,

So you’ve done it! After several years of schooling, classes, homework and the struggle for exceptional grades, you’ve finally entered the university years. It wasn’t easy and it took a lot of work, but rest assured you have earned your right to several more years of schooling, clas-sess, homework, and the struggle for exceptional grades.

But worry not, university life is in many ways very different than the school life that you are used to. As a university student, you have a lot of freedom to choose what you want to study: everything from your major, to electives that pique your interest. You also get a lot of freedom as attendance to every class is not mandatory, and most of your marks are based on only a handful of assignments.

Most importantly, you are now part of a society in which everyone is striving to push the boundaries of human existence. UofT is one of the top universities in the world, and during your stay here you will get to have one-on-one interactions with some of the most skilled and capable leaders in any given field from around the world. This is an opportune chance for you to develop yourself as an individual, find your place in the world, and excel in whatever field you choose to pursue, nurtured by its founders and leaders.

However, this is also an incredibly challenging and trying experience. In order to extract the most benefit from your years here, you must be willing to strive and focus on the right things that matter most. It is very easy to fall short and exit simply with a piece of paper to show for it. University life is about much more than just your grades, it is about you as a person, and your role in the larger community. Remember that there will be times where you will fail to achieve your goal, but you must not let it hinder your focus. Walk away from it with a lesson learned, and you’ll end up successful.

With that in mind, we encourage you to strive hard in determining where you will contribute to society and use this time as an invaluable resource to help you achieve that goal. Strive to do well in school - but don’t forget that university is not complete without community. Join clubs that you are interested in, and get involved with extra-curriculars. The friends you make on this campus will likely last a lifetime - so choose them wisely and give your relationships their due right.

On a concluding note, we would like to remind you that this opportunity is something that has been entrusted to you by Allah. It is something you will be asked about on the Last Day, and will determine your fate. Indeed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has en-joined excellence in everything that we do, and university is no exception. Congratulations, and welcome to U of T! We are sure you will enjoy your time here.

Jazakallahu khairan / May Allah reward you with that which is good. The Muslim Students’ Association Executive Team

WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO UOFT2015 - 2016

MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2015 | 3


TABLEOFCONTENTS

ABOUT THE MSA 6

THE MUSLIM CHAPLAINCY 8

ACADEMIC INFORMATION 9

HALAL FOOD OPTIONS 10

THE ANTI RACISM & CULTURAL 12

DIVERSITY OFFICE

PRAYER SPACES ON CAMPUS 13

JUMMAH PRAYERS ON CAMPUS 14

PRAYER SPACES NEAR CAMPUS 15



Founded in 1965, the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) at UofT was the first MSA to be established in Canada, and has since grown to be one of U of T’s largest student clubs with a membership of over

1,500 students, faculty, and staff. The purpose of the MSA is to serve and represent the needs of Muslims on and off campus. What started as a club to facilitate prayer for some 20 students has now grown to a club that is at the forefront of social justice, community service, faith practices, and academ-ics support and campus social life.

Throughout this period, the Muslim Students’ Association has been part of many historic initiatives, such as the inclusion of women in Hart House, the hosting of the Bosnian president during the midst of the Bosnian War, and the establishment of national Muslim organizations that now serve as a representative for Muslims in the western hemisphere. The MSA strives to be a vibrant, integrated and contributing member of the campus and the Toronto community.

• Prayer Spaces Across Campus• Jummah (Friday) Prayers• Lectures, Workshops & Seminars• Community Service Volunteering• Social Events & Trips• Orphan Sponsorship Program

(OSP)• The Muslim Voice Magazine

(TMV)• Mentorship & Academic Help

SERVICES OFFERED

Get involved through different committees by heading to our website!

UOFTMSA.COM

UOFTMSA.COM/ABOUT/COMMITTEES

AND

UOFTMSA.COM/CONTACT/GET-IN-

VOLVED-WITH-THE-MSA/

AB

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OF

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SA

CONNECT WITH US

VISIT US

/uoftmsa /uoftmsa /theuoftmsa

www.uoftmsa.com


The MSA office is located in room 505 at the Sussex Clubhouse, behind Robarts Library. During the school year there are weekly office hours in which everyone is encouraged to drop by to meet the executives. For more information on office

hours visit our website at www.uoftmsa.com.

21 Sussex Ave. Suite 505

Position Name Email address (@uoftmsa.com)

President Saleh Firwana presidentSecretary Mariyam Lightwala secretary

Vice- President, Communications Ammar ElAmir communicationsVice-Presdient, Internal Asmaa Nisri internalVice-President, External Aruba Ahmed externalVice-President, Finance Osama Iqbal Ahmed finance

Vice-President, Student Life Noor Kayyal studentlifeVice-President, Social Advancement Mohammad Saleh socialadvancement

The Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto engages Muslim youth by providing an inclusive space for them to foster a meaningful Muslim identity, enriched and supported by

quality educational and counseling services.

The MC offers counseling on a daily basis as well as a range of weekly unique programs. Be sure to come by our office for some tea and meet our chaplain, Amjad Tarsin. Anyone is

welcome; we hope to see you soon!

Amjad Tarsin is a graduate of the Islamic Chaplaicy program from Hartford Seminary, and was appointed as the full time Muslim chaplain on September 2012 at the University of

Toronto.

75 Queen’s Park Crescent EEmmanuel College - Room 016

Toronto, ON, CanadaM5S1K7

/mcuoft /mcuoft www.mcuoft.com

Emmanuel College



ACADEMIC INFORMATIONARTS & SCIENCE

Dealing with administrative issues can be quite the challenge, but luckily we’re here to help! Every student attending a program within the Faculty of Arts and Science will be registered with a specific college.

Your main point of contact throughout your university career will be at the office of your college registrar for help with courses, tuition fees, scholarship & bursaries and any other academic issues.

Contact your registrar at the email/number listed below:New College [email protected] 416 978 2460Innis College [email protected] 416 978 2513

Victoria College [email protected] 416 585 4508Woodsworth College [email protected] 416 978 4444St. Michael’s College [email protected] 416 926 7117

Trinity College [email protected] 416 978 3687University College [email protected] 416 978 3170

For information on OSAP or Financial Aid, contact [email protected] information on tuition and student accounts visit http://www.fee.utoronto.ca/For information on sessional dates, degree requirements, program and course descriptions and more visit http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/

Any other questions? Contact askastudent @ http://askastudent.utoronto.ca/ for more information on courses, programs, student life and everything else.

ENGINEERINGAs an engineering undergraduate, it is important to keep in mind that most policies your Arts & Science friends will tell you will not apply to Engineering. Fortunately, the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has a website dedicated for undergraduate students where you can get help for academic and perosnal support, scholarship and financial support, tips

for success, academic calendars and timetables, computer labs and facilities. Visit it at http://www.undergrad.engineering.utoronto.ca/

All administrative questions should go to the First Year Office:

35 St. George Street (Galbrait Building), Room [email protected] 416 978 4625

ACCESSIBILITY SERVICESFor those in need of accomodations while at U of T for varying reasons, contact

accessibility services by phone (416 978 8060) or email [email protected]


*** These locations have halal options, but not all meat is halal. Always confirm before placing your order.

NANDO’S FLAME-GRILLED CHICKEN832 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5S 1Z6

INNIS CAFÉ***2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5

BURRITO BANDIDOS***2 Walmer Rd, Toronto, ON M5R

DADDYO’S PASTA & SALADS673 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5S

THE BURGERNATOR269 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M1

POPEYES267 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R6

ROBARTS LIBRARY CAFÉ***130 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 1A5

&SULTAN’S AT SIDS CAFÉ ***

Sidney Smith (basement)100 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3

BIG AL’S FLYIN’ PHILYS251 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T

2L7

HOWARD FERGUSON DINING HALL (FUNG)***

Main Floor, 75 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E5

TOP GUN STEAK251 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L8


VEDA HEALTHY INDIAN TAKEOUTSandford Fleming -

10 King’s College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4

&Mutli-Faith Centre -

569 Spadina Crescent, Toronto, ON M5S 2T4

SAMMY’S STUDENT EXCHANGE ***Hart House (basement) 7 Hart House

Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3

QUICK PITA199 College Street,

Toronto, ON M5T 1P9

PITA Q750 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 2J2

HALALFOOD

ON CAMPUS

BURRITO PLANET181 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E3

DARVISH RESTAURANT508 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1X9

THE SAJ PIZZA & WRAP RESTAURANT199 College Street,

Toronto, ON M5T 1P9

SIZZLER KABAB381 Spadina AvenueToronto, ON M5T

THE ANTI RACISM AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OFFCE

The Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO) has a tri-campus mandate to offer programs and services to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Toronto.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MUSLIM STUDENTS?

The ARCDO is committed to honouring the University of Toronto’s institutional committ-ment to equity and diversity by implementing anti-racist approaches to combat incidents of individual and systemic discrimination. We also work to provide a mechanism for dialogue, investigation and resolution of conflicts and/ or disputes relating to race, ethnicity, nation-ality, culture and/ or creed, so that they can be dealt with in an equitable and fair manner.

WHAT WE OFFERThe ARCDO engages in four distinct domains:

1. Confidential complaints management & conflict resolution;If there are concerns regarding something discriminatory on campus we can support stu-dents through helping to handle complaints and concerns. 2. Training & education services;The ARCDO seeks to support on campus initiatives and student groups in a number of ways to hlep facilitate key dialogues, training and educational opportunities. 3. Programming;The ARCDO organizes annual tri-campus events like the International Day for the Elimi-nation of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) and our Dialogue Series but we are also partner with various students groups, departments, and other university divisions to offer culturally diverse programming to the university community that supports equity and diversity. 4. Advice & consultations.The ARCDO is open to all students, staff and faculty who have questions or are seeking guidance on an issue they feel might be related to race, ethnicity, nationality, culture and/ or creed.

HOW YOU CAN ENGAGE

We all have a role to play in the elimination of racism. Ask questions and explore those sometimes tough discussions with your peers and with us. As a part of the U of T com-munity, we must all work together to uphold the policy that every individual on campus be treated with dignity and respect.

We can be contacted in office, by phone (416 978 1259), online (www.antiracism.utoronto.ca), or by email ([email protected]) for consultations. 12 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2015


PRAYERSPACESAT U OF T ST. GEORGEPlease note that most of these spaces are shared multi-faith spaces; as a result there may be a circum-stance where a space is not available. Descriptions about the prayer spaces and a detailed map can be found on the MSA website.

A) Emmanuel College75 Queens Park Crescent East,Toronto, ONPrayer Space: Muslim Prayer Room 1st Floor Basement, Room 006. Ablution facilities: Available on the same floor; Room 004Estimated Capacity: 50

B) Bahen Centre for Information Technology40 St. George Street, Toronto, ONPrayer Space: Room 1255, Opposite to the Cube Ablution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 100

C) Leslie Dan Pharmacy Building 144 College Street, Toronto, ONPrayer Space: 2nd Basement Floor - between student lounge and audito-rium. Room B220 & B222Ablution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 10

D) Sussex Clubhouse21 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ONPrayer space: Room 508 Ablution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 20Note: Sussex Clubhouse MSA Office is in Suite 505

E) Multi-Faith Centre (Located in the Koffler House)14 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ONPrayer Space: Meditation Room on 2nd floorAblution Facilities: Available on 2nd FloorEstimated Capacity: 20

F) Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ONPrayer Space: Room 409, 4th Floor (Multi-Faith Prayer Room) Ablution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 15

G) Robarts Library130 St. George St., Toronto, ONPrayer Space: 8th Floor, Room 8045 (Multi-Faith Prayer Room)Ablution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 40


JUMMAH (FRIDAY) PRAYERS ON CAMPUSThere are 3 Jumuah prayers offered on campus. Two are offered in Hart House back to back at the same location, while one is offered in the Multifaith Centre. The Jumuah prayer schedule is subject to change due to special holidays/other circumstances. Please check the website and

Facebook page for regular updates on the schedule.

HART HOUSE JUMUAH

7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Hart House Debates Room,

2nd FloorAblution Facilities: N/AEstimated Capacity: 200

Prayer Times (During Daylight Savings): First Jumuah: 1:20 to 1:50 pm

Second Jumuah: 2:20 to 2:50 pm

Prayer Times (Outside Daylight Savings): First Jumuah: 12:20 to 12:50 pmSecond Jumuah: 1:20 to 1:50 pm

MULTIFAITH CENTRE JUMUAH

14 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ONPrayer Space: Main Activity Hall – 2nd Floor

Ablution Facilities: Available on 2nd Floor (Separate Facilities for Brothers and Sisters)

Estimated Capacity: 100

Prayer Time (During Daylight Savings): 1:20 to 1:50 pm

Prayer Time (Outside Daylight Savings): 12:20 to 12:50 pm

Note: It is recommended that brothers/sisters attend the Multifaith Jumuah prayer if they can due to space limitations at Hart House.


Masjid Toronto has two locations to serve the community of downtown Toronto. The masjid hosts a number of community events and programs including study circles, community potlucks, open houses, hospital visitations, counselling, professional development, toastmasters club, new Muslim support, Quran and

Islamic Studies classes and more.

www.masjidtoronto.com

168 Dundas St. West 84 Adelaide St. West416 596 0507 647 748 4756

Toronto Islamic Centre is a mosque in the heart of downtown Toronto, serving a large and diverse Muslim community. It is located in probably the busiest commercial dis-trict, Yonge and Bloor. TIC was recognized and officially opened on April 1st 2010 and has been committed to reach out to people of all backgrounds and to pursue humani-

tarian activities through community based services on a weekly bases.

www.torontoislamiccentre.com

PRAYER SPACES NEAR CAMPUS

MASJID TORONTO

TORONTO ISLAMIC CENTRE647 350-4262 - 575 Yonge St. 2nd floor

12 | HISTORY OF THE MSA | 2014

Documents

THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO UOFT6 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2015 F ounded in 1965, the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) at UofT was the first MSA to be established in Canada, and has since