MAX Woman of the Year
The MAX Woman of the Year Award recognizes a Muslimah / Woman who has demonstrated significant achievement, leadership, and commitment to serving her community.


She currently works for MP Bill Morneau as a Constituency Assistant, focusing on immigration and communities within Toronto Centre.
She previously served as a Parent Engagement Worker with the MY Regent Park project, which focused on the reduction and prevention of gang related activity amongst youth in Regent Park. Fos was also a Coordinator of Regent Meals, where she helped developed one of the first halal restaurant-style food programs.
Fos has partnered with many agencies and institutions such as Dixon Hall, Toronto Police Services 51 Division, Central Neighbourhood House – 5yr committee member who helped organize National Day of Remembrance & Action On Violence Against Women, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, acting Board member of Regent Park Community Health Centre, Chair of Lord Dufferin Day Care Board & Jarvis Collegiate Institute’s Parent Council, Lord Dufferin Public School, and Nelson Mandela Park Public School.

Shahina has been working for decades to build bridges between communities, preserve human rights, and develop cultural competency and mutual understanding between different cultural groups. She founded the Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute, is one of the founding members of Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute, serves on the National Advisory Board for the Canadian Association for Muslims with Disabilities, is a member of the National RCMP Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on Diversity, is a senior board member of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and a founding member and chair of the Federation of Canadian Muslim Social Services.
Shahina has received many notable awards for her work, such as the YMCA-YWCA (Winnipeg) ‘Peace Medal 2002’, the Grass Roots Women of Manitoba Award,,the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal,,the Civic Courage Award from DawaNet, and the Joan Melanson Award. She also received the Tayyibah Taylor Award 2016 at the One Love Gala in Toronto in January 2016 recognizing a successful woman in leadership and incarceration issues.

Wahida’s professional background is in social work specializing in family therapy. Her pioneering research into the holistic balance of faith-based and clinical therapies resulted in numerous national and international invitations to speak, teach and write in more than a dozen countries. She has been named in the prestigious international directory “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies, and one of “100 Extraordinary Muslim Women Past and Present” by Women Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality. As former U.S. Congressman Paul Findley affirmed: “Her wise and persistent leadership on behalf of dignity and decency for people of all faiths has lifted the spirits and hopes of untold thousands of Canadians and people beyond. These endeavours are especially effective on behalf of the Muslims who struggle under unwarranted but often fierce passions against Islam. We need more Wahidas.”
MAX Friends of the Community Award
The MAX Friends of the Community Award recognizes non-Muslim individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to the Canadian Muslim community. The MAX Friends of the Community will have assisted in the achievement of certain strategic goals in key areas of importance to the community.
MAX is recognizing all Friend of the Community nominees below.

Annette started a second collaboration between the Muslim Association of Canada and the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto to sponsor Syrian families. She has also worked with the Dar Al Tarweed Mosque and the Unitarian Congregation, and the Syeda Khadijah Mosque on more sponsorships. All told, 15 families so far have been sponsored thus far!


He has received noteworthy recognition and awards – the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia’s Human Rights Medal; the National Pro Bono Award; the prestigious Gerald L Gall award by the John Humphrey Centre; the Winnipeg Citizens Award for contribution to Human Rights and Justice; the Paul Harris Fellowship for his contribution to global human rights; and named one of “Canada’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers” by Canadian Lawyer.
He finds his most important reward to be helping Omar find his freedom, a task yet unfinished. Omar has been released on bail and currently lives with Dennis. Their legal journey is not yet over, but it is decidedly more hopeful.

MAX Entrepreneur of the Year
The MAX Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes inspirational Muslim business leaders who have had a significant and positive impact on the community through their business leadership. Eligible candidates can include entrepreneurs and leaders of for-profit corporations and not-for-profit enterprises.


Mohamad is committed to revamping the traditional image of the Middle Eastern restaurant industry by changing the way the cuisine is viewed and enjoyed. He believes that his hands-on approach to all aspects of his business ensures the Paramount model will sustain growth and provide jobs for Canadians.
Currently employing over 800 people, the Paramount brand includes 12 restaurant locations across southern Ontario including the first halal restaurant in the Toronto International Airport, a gourmet butcher shop, a food factory, Yala food truck and new Fresh East Middle Eastern sandwich franchise.
Mohamad was named one of four finalists for the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for 2013, in the food and beverage category.


Shums is passionate about strengthening the Muslim community in North America. To this end, he has worked as tech lead for The Canadian-Muslim Vote in building their online presence. In the month of the federal election, The Canadian-Muslim Vote reached over 400K online impressions. Shums is also the tech lead for Stronger Together initiative under the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). In addition, Shums works as the head of the education board at his local mosque. His team established a scholarship program and was able to fund five students in 2016.
MAX Platinum Award for Excellence
The MAX Platinum Awards for Excellence recognize Muslims who have demonstrated significant achievement, leadership, and commitment to serving their community.

Danyaal is also a Lecturer of Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. His writing and teaching focuses on the social determinants of health, in both health care and public policy. He serves on the Board of Directors of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, on the Poverty & Health Committee of the Ontario College of Family Physicians and on the Advisory Board of Upstream. His most recent public policy advocacy has pushed for paid sick leave as a part of Ontario’s Changing Workplaces Review, and the federal implementation of a national, universal and public drug plan.

He founded the Muslim Law Students’ Association in 1992, co-founded the Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association in 1994 and then went on to help set up and serve as legal counsel to CAIR-Canada (now NCCM). He worked on the Maher Arar case, the Air India Inquiry, the Security Certificate cases and he filed submissions challenging the No-Fly List. He also testified at the UN Human Rights Committee on anti-terror laws.
He has set up many non-profits and charities, and he served on boards including Human Concern International and the Bosnian Canadian Relief Association. He recently served as co-chair of the Islamic Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). He is an executive of the International Human Rights Law Section of the AALS and a Director of the American Society of Comparative Law. He also served as the first Islamic content consultant for CBC’s “Little Mosque on the Prairie.”
Faisal is widely published and regularly invited as a public speaker. For the past six years, he has been included in “The Muslim 500: The World’s Most Influential Muslims.”


His story of a refugee child to Canada who worked hard in school, mastered English, maintained a strong work ethic and became a partner of a large law firm in the Hamilton area, all the while maintaining a strong Muslim identity and commitment to the faith inspires and gives hope to many Muslim and non-Muslim Canadians.

Dr. Badawi is the author of several works on Islam, including books, chapters in books and articles; some are available online, including Gender Equity in Islam available on google.com, and a 352-segment television series on Islam on IslamiCity.com and Aswatalislam.org. His other material is available on onislam.net, Youtube.com, Peace TV, Fiqhcouncil.org, and JamalBadawi.org.
In addition to participation in lectures, seminars and interfaith dialogues in North America, Dr. Badawi was invited as guest speaker on Islam in 41 other countries.
He is a member of the Islamic Juridical (Fiqh) Council of North America, The European Council for Ifta’ and Research and the International Union of Muslim Scholars. He served also as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Islamic American University in Detroit and The consultative (Shura) council of the Islamic Society of North America.


Although not publicly recognizable, many Canadian Muslims have likely heard his words. Whether it is regarding a mother of a 6-year-old on the No-Fly list, Muslim women being attacked during the election, or even Islamic schools wrongfully accused – his talking points and media advocacy are changing how Muslims are seen in the Canadian identity.
During the election, he voiced young Muslims’ issues by leading a team that held a national debate. After the conclusion of the election he initiated “Stronger Together” for NCCM, a national political advocacy network for the Muslim community.


MAX Charity of the Year
The MAX Charity of the Year Award recognizes Muslim run charities and not-for-profit organizations that have demonstrated excellence in program design, service delivery and impact to their community.


Since its inception in 2000, DawaNet has been prominent amongst Canadian Muslims due to its vibrant networking model and pioneering charitable projects that empower people and organizations to lead, link, and share.
DawaNet runs several award-winning projects in the Greater Toronto Area, such as TorontoMuslims.com, MuslimFest, Understanding Islam Academy, Canada Zakat, Project Civic Engagement, and MY Voice Magazine. Learn more about the organization at www.DawaNet.ca.

Founded by an all-volunteer group of Muslim women in 2008, MSS is now a registered charity directly serving over 500 people each year through programs, and countless more through contributions to food drives and various forms of social support. Programs include Safer Families, Newcomer Youth Integration, Positive Parenting in Canada workshops, “crash courses” in conversational Arabic for refugee sponsors, the Rohingya Youth Voices theatre project, and art therapy workshops for refugee children.

In Canada, the organization is involved in the fight against poverty and homelessness and is focused on providing food, healthcare services, and culturally-sensitive shelter for women, their children and families in distress, and healthy nutrition to our school children and seniors. Visit www.muslimwelfarecentre.com to learn more.