Launching "Of Hockey and Hijab" by Sheema Khan & discussion on women's rights, integration, security/civil rights

What: Launch of "Of Hockey and Hijab" by Sheema Khan & Panel discussion with Sheema Khan, Kerry Pither, Farhat Rehman and Keith Neuman
When: Monday December 7 at 6 pm
Where: Auditorium, Main Library, 120 Metcalfe Octopus Books is excited to organize the launch of Sheema Khan’s Of Hockey and Hijab on Monday, December 7. Of Hockey and Hijab is a collection of Sheema Khan's Globe & Mail columns. She gives her own pointed insights on the condition of being a modern and liberal, yet practising Muslim, especially in Canada.  Tackling a host of issues, such as terrorism, human rights, Islamic law, women’s rights, and the meaning of hijab, she explains Islam to the greater public while calling for mutual understanding and tolerance. Her essays will be used as a spring board when discussing women’s rights, integration and cultural understanding, and finding the balance between security and civil rights. Other panelists are:
* Kerry Pither on security/civil rights. Kerry is human rights advocate and the author of the Dark Days - The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in The Name of Fighting Terror.
* Farhat Rehman on women's rights. She is a longtime community grassroots activist who has worked extensively with women, and she's also been active within Canadian Council of Muslim Women, Ottawa Chapter since 1990.
* Keith Neuman from Environics Research Group on integration/multiculturalism. A link to one of the research that has been conducted by them: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/12/muslim-poll.html The event will be moderated by Yavar Hameed, human rights lawyer, Carleton U teacher and active community member in many fronts. Sheema Khan writes a monthly column for the Globe and Mail on issues pertaining to Islam and Muslims. She holds a PhD from Harvard University in chemical physics, along with numerous patents on drug delivery technology. She has served on the Board of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (2004–2008), and is the founder of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) and its former chair (2000–2005). She testified as an expert witness on Muslims in Canada before the O’Connor Inquiry, and has appeared before a number of parliamentary committees. In addition, she has spoken at numerous NGO conferences and government agencies on issues of security, civil rights, and Muslim cultural practice. She is currently a patent agent in Ottawa. The event is sponsored by CAIR-CAN (www.caircan.ca) and Muslim Presence Ottawa (muslimpresence.com).