History

Pakistani Community Centre started with the dream of providing the Pakistani Community in the GTA with a platform to share their cultural traditions and build bridges with other communities at large. In 2006 the first Pakistani Community Centre became a reality with the help of Late Honourable Jack Layton, MPP Peter Tabuns and city councillor Paula Fletcher. Late Honourable Jack Layton and MPP Peter Tabuns supported Tasleem RIaz and Farukh Mehmood (co-founders of Pakistani Community Centre) in finding a location for the community centre at 1470 Gerrard Street East, Glen Rhodes United Church. Glen Rhodes and especially Jane Mgill welcomed Tasleem and Farukh into their church space. In 2006, Pakistani Community Centre was officially establish with Late Honourable Jack Layton, city councillor Paula Fletcher and MPP Peter Tabuns inaugurating the opening of Pakistani Community Centre. Late Jack Layton, gifted a Canadian and Pakistani Flag to Tasleem Riaz on the day of the inauguration, which she has kept safe as part of the Pakistani community asset. For over a decade, Pakistani Community Centre, with the support of Jane Mgill, organized countless cultural and multifaith events. In 2015, soon after Jane Mgill's death, Tasleem started facing obstacles from the church. So, after 2015, she started working from her home, but she never stopped her mission.

 

In 2006, Tasleem and Farrukh started thinking about their next mission. They thought, "how can we bridge different communities?" With this question in mind, both of them spoke to Peter Tabuns, their local MPP. In 2006, Peter Tabuns  introduced Tasleem and Farukh to Karen Robbins from the Danforth Jewish Circle. She was also excited and ready to build bridges among the communities. Karen's passion towards building bridges was extremely incredible and it motivated Tasleem and Farukh even more. Together, they started their Muslim - Jewish relationship. Karen, Farukh and Tasleem, came up with the idea of multifaith. They invited the Christian, Unitarian and other communities and founded the Danforth Multifath walk under the Danforth Multifath Committee . The Danforth Multifaith walk occured between Masjid, Church and Synagogue and the purpose was so that we can get to know each other  better and sending the message of multifaith unity.

 

All the work that they have done did not happen overnight. In that moment of the first multifaith faith walk, Karen, Tasleem and Farukh, did not realize that they will spend the next decade and a half working for humanity with the same passion. Even the Sisters to Sisters campaign was extremely successful because of the East Toronto Multifaith Committee (previously known as Danforth Multifaith).  Since 2006, they trust each other more than ever and continue their mission of building bridges, spreading love, care and unity for their communities and humanity.