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A community invitation

Belonging takes work.
Let’s do it together.

Muslim organizations and neighbours of every faith, building safer and more connected communities.

Find people to work with, share what your community needs and contribute what you can.

Sign up to take part Meet the Council

Individuals and organizations welcome.
One signup, followed by a personal onboarding review.

Illustrative neighbours arriving for a conversation at a community centre
AI-generated scene · fictional people and gathering
Listen locally.Connect the right help.Follow through together.

01 / Why a council

People need a community that can respond.

A person facing hate, isolation or a difficult moment should be able to find trusted people, useful information and a clear next step.

The Council of Madinah is being developed to bring neighbours, organizations and institutions together around the needs people identify. Muslim organizations are the first audience for this invitation. People of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome.

Our vision

Communities where every person belongs, lives safely and can help shape a better future.

Our mission

Inspired by the Charter of Madinah’s principles of shared responsibility, we connect people, faith communities, organizations and institutions to meet local needs, counter Islamophobia and other forms of hate, and build trust, care and opportunity for all.

The idea behind the name

Madinah and the idea of a shared city

In seventh-century Yathrib, now known as Madinah, the Prophet Muhammad and local communities set out shared duties in a document known as the Charter or Constitution of Madinah. Its provisions included mutual protection and the distinct religious identities of Muslim and Jewish groups.

The Council draws inspiration from those responsibilities: keeping commitments, addressing disputes and caring for people who share a place. The present-day Council is a new proposal shaped by the communities taking part.

Historical source: the Charter in A. Guillaume’s translation, especially provisions 25, 37 and 44.

02 / What you can gain

Practical support for the work you do.

The member offer is being developed. The aim is to help people and small teams find support, prepare together and act on local priorities. Services and partner terms will be confirmed before use.

01

Support pathways

Incident response guides, caseworker routes and referrals to specialist services.

02

Evidence you can use

Local briefs, wider research and clear explanations to share with your community.

03

People to work with

Peer introductions, learning circles and local partners with relevant experience.

04

Ready to use tools

Templates for schools, media, community engagement and safety planning.

05

Funding opportunities

A grant calendar, eligibility checks and help preparing a project with partners.

06

A stronger civic voice

Preparation for city meetings and a record of commitments to follow up.

Tell us what would help your community.

Sign up

03 / Care and connection

A person should know where to turn.

Illustrative community worker and visitor looking through resource information
AI-generated scene · no real client or caseworker is depicted

Start with what the person needs. Ask permission before connecting them with help.

Food and essentials
Food access, emergency supplies and practical help.
Housing and settlement
Housing navigation, newcomer and refugee services.
Wellbeing and family
Counselling routes, youth, seniors and family support.
Work and learning
Employment services, skills and education.
  1. Listen
  2. Ask permission
  3. Connect to help
  4. Follow up

The proposed Muslim Food Bank and Community Services (MFBCS) caseworker route needs an agreed scope, consent process and confirmed availability before referrals begin. Read about MFBCS’s independent ASPIRE service. The Council signup form is for participation, not personal case details or urgent help.

04 / Countering Islamophobia

Support people.
Change the conditions around them.

Connect care for people with prevention in schools, workplaces, faith sites and public life. Affected communities choose the action; the Council’s proposed role is to connect the people, evidence and partners who can help.

Support people

Report and care

Help someone document a concern, find support and reach an appropriate caseworker or legal service.

Neighbour solidarity

Plan open houses, bystander learning and practical support with the people affected.

Prevent harm

Schools and workplaces

Share accommodation guides, brief staff and agree a clear response to harassment.

Mosque and site safety

Review risks, prepare volunteers and connect specialist safety advice.

Change conditions

Public narratives

Check harmful claims, explain the evidence and amplify credible Muslim voices.

Civic commitments

Bring evidence to decision makers, agree a specific action and track the response.

Use the draft guide to work through safety, consent and the next step.

Read the response guide

05 / Working together

One TEAM.
Many strengths.

Together Everyone Achieves More

Residents describe what needs to change. The group agrees a priority, names who can act and returns to the people who raised it.

Illustrative neighbours discussing a local map and priorities together
AI-generated scene · not an actual Council meeting
  1. 1

    Listen

    Residents describe the need and what would help.

  2. 2

    Choose

    Pick a shared priority. Agree the next step and a lead.

  3. 3

    Contribute

    Offer skills, contacts or resources that fit your capacity.

  4. 4

    Learn

    Review what changed. Share what worked and what did not.

How we would check progressWas useful support reached?Did a tool save someone work?Was an agreed action completed?

06 / Funding and capacity

Turn an opportunity into a stronger plan.

The proposed funding support helps teams decide what fits their mission, prepare together and learn from each application.

  1. 1

    Discover

    Match dated opportunities to place, purpose and eligibility.

    A useful shortlist
  2. 2

    Decide

    Check the deadline, workload and fit with your mission.

    A pursue or pass decision
  3. 3

    Build

    Bring partners, a budget, evidence and a shared plan together.

    A credible project plan
  4. 4

    Submit and learn

    Review the application and use feedback in the next attempt.

    A stronger next application
Shared tools plannedGrant calendarPartner directoryBudget templatesEvidence library

This support is in development. Funding decisions remain with funders; awards and introductions are not guaranteed.

07 / Learning resources

Learn. Share.
Put it into practice.

Draft guides for community conversations, staff learning, school visits and local action. Each guide links to its sources and includes a practical next step.

Illustrative neighbours learning about Islam in a library

Understand

Islam explained

Beliefs and everyday practice, common questions and respectful discussion.

Read the guide
Illustrative neighbours planning a community conversation

Connect

Meet your neighbours

Introductions to faith communities, visiting with care and planning a shared gathering.

Plan a conversation
Illustrative organizers planning a response to a community concern

Act

Counter Islamophobia

Recognize different kinds of harm, choose a suitable response and use a planning worksheet.

Explore the guide

All three images are AI-generated illustrations, not actual Council activities.

Open the learning hub
How evidence would inform the work

Global

Research across borders

Research on religious dress laws, attacks on worship spaces, public narratives and prevention methods.

A research note members can use

National

Canadian patterns and policy

Police reported hate crimes, human rights complaints, school disputes and court or policy changes.

A briefing for Canadian partners

Local

What neighbours experience

Resident reports shared with consent, school and workplace concerns, site threats and unmet service needs.

A local priority and response

Briefs would need dated sources and human review. Population figures, incident reports and service needs answer different questions and would be kept distinct.

08 / The proposed city network

Local decisions.
Shared knowledge.

Each city would choose its own priorities. Councils could ask peers for help, exchange useful tools and adapt what works elsewhere.

VancouverLocal needs · local choices
SurreyLocal needs · local choices
KelownaLocal needs · local choices
ToolsResearchReferralsLessons
VictoriaLocal needs · local choices
NanaimoLocal needs · local choices
Prince GeorgeLocal needs · local choices
MunicipalChoose local priorities
RegionalShare support and practice
NationalConnect evidence and public voice
GlobalExchange research and learning

Proposed structure and locations. Learning, resources and relationships return to local communities; each community keeps its own decisions.

Illustrative Vancouver council

What one city table could look like.

A 16-seat proposal gives equal space to Muslim organizations and wider faith and community partners. This is an example for discussion; no seats or appointments are confirmed.

Bring your community to the conversation
50% · 8 Muslim organization seats

Mosques, Islamic centres, social services, youth, women and local communities.

50% · 8 wider community seats

Christian, Jewish, Sikh and other faiths; neighbourhood, service and civic partners, as agreed locally.

BC population context: the deck’s 2026 planning scenario

Start with people. Check the local reality.

These approximate figures from the October 2026 onboarding proposal help frame questions about community scale. They are illustrative estimates of Muslim religious affiliation, not new Census counts, incident figures, Council participation or measures of service need.

Lower Mainland≈ 127,000

Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts combined.

Vancouver and Surrey are included in this regional total.

City estimates

Vancouver
≈ 19,000
Surrey
≈ 37,000

Smaller city estimates · separate scale

Victoria
≈ 1,800
Kelowna
≈ 1,700
Nanaimo
≈ 1,100
Prince George
≈ 600
Fort St. John
≈ 300
Penticton
≈ 100

Method in the proposal: 2021 Census religious affiliation multiplied by subsequent population growth, assuming the affiliation share stays constant. City estimates use city boundaries. These scenarios have not been independently recalculated for this website. Baseline: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0354-04.

09 / Specialist support

Connect with the right expertise.

The proposal identifies tools and organizations that could complement local work. Each provider controls its services, eligibility and availability.

Member access being developed

BeeGood
Missions, volunteers, giving and funding tools. Member access and any discount are to be agreed.
WeShield
Safety planning and coordination tools for organizations. Pathway and scope are to be agreed.
IRIS / MPAC
Masjid safety and risk detection software. Access terms and onboarding are to be agreed.

Networks and independent services

GNCI
Global Network on Combatting Islamophobia. Research and peer learning through its own participation route.
SALAM Project
Faith site preparedness, training and safety practice. Coverage and capacity need to be checked.
NCCM
National Council of Canadian Muslims. Reporting, legal support and advocacy through independent intake and eligibility.

These are potential supporting routes, separate from council seats. Listing an organization here does not establish a partnership, endorsement or entitlement to a service.

10 / Taking part

Come as you are.
Choose your part.

Your involvement can fit your mission, interests and capacity. Start with what is useful now; your role can change as your time and community change.

Learn

Use resources or join a learning session.

Connect

Meet a peer or introduce a service your community trusts.

Contribute

Share a tool, skill, space or local insight.

Convene

Help host a discussion or shape a shared local priority.

What we ask of each other

Treat people with dignity. Protect confidences. Be honest about capacity. Take part where you can.

These are choices within one community. There are no fixed hours, mandatory projects or required public endorsements.

Tell us one local need and one strength you can share.

Sign up

Let’s begin

Start with one conversation.

Tell us who you are, who you serve and what would help your community.

One signup welcomes individuals and organizations from every faith and background. A person reviews each registration before confirming participation or a role.

  1. Sign upShare your contact details, place and priorities.
  2. Onboarding reviewA reviewer follows up to discuss where you would like to take part.
  3. Stay connectedChoose email or WhatsApp updates while the community develops.
  4. BeeGood, when readyA separate invitation and choice. Your details will not transfer automatically.