Raheel Raza

Author of Their Jihad…Not My Jihad, Ms. Raza is a public speaker, consultant for interfaith and intercultural diversity, documentary filmmaker, and freelance journalist. She is a member of the Communications Team: 2010 G8 Interfaith Leaders' Summit. She has recently been appointed to the Ontario College of Teachers' Public Interest Committee.

She started writing at a young age because she grew up in a culture where women were supposed to "be seen and not heard.” Travelling extensively throughout the Middle East, Europe, Far East, and North America, she brings a fresh new global perspective to her mandate “there is unity in diversity."

She bridges the gap between East and West, promoting cultural and religious diversity. She has appeared in print, on television, and radio to discuss diversity, harmony, and interfaith. In a presentation to Members of Parliament and international diplomats at the House of Commons, she received a standing ovation for her speech called "Celebrating our Differences."

An outspoken advocate for gender equality and an activist for women's rights internationally, she has appeared many times in print, radio, and television media to reveal and debate Canadian issues related to media, diversity, gender, and immigrants.

She has received many awards for her work to build bridges of understanding. She is a recipient of the City of Toronto’s Constance Hamilton award and is the first South Asian woman to narrate a CBC documentary on “Passionate Eye.” A fervent advocate for human rights, she is the first Muslim woman in Canada to lead mixed gender prayers.

She has spoken at places of worship, the private sector, the Justice Department, School Boards, and government institutions in Canada. She has also been invited to speak at universities in the U.S. including Harvard and Columbia Universities.