February 28, 2025

TORONTO –

As the bells at Old City Hall rang, Laila Soliman cut a red ribbon to unveil to dozens of spectators the project she hopes will remind Muslims in Toronto of the peace and unity their religion stands for.

The 16-year-old teamed up with four other Muslim high school students in the Toronto Youth Muslim Council — Arqish Minhas, Miraj Siddiqui, Raheem Ebrahim and Ibrahim Rahman — to create a large-scale “Ramadan Mubarak” installation at Nathan Phillips Square for the entire holy month. The sign, meaning “blessed Ramadan,” was cheered by spectators of many faiths.

A Grade 11 student at The Bishop Strachan School, Soliman worked alongside her council peers to fund the project, including crowdfunding, and bring it to life. The council includes students from 30 schools across the GTA although not all schools were involved.

Soliman, the team lead, explained that the installation is an interactive way to educate others about the significance of Ramadan — a time when Muslims worldwide focus on fasting, prayer, gratitude and spiritual reflection.

The idea for the 25-by-eight-foot installation came about last year after Soliman and her fellow council members noticed a rise in hate around the world.

Sharaf Sharafeldin, the president for strategy of the Muslim Association of Canada, called the project “a powerful initiative of inclusion, unity and recognition for the Muslim community,” and one that is “more vital than ever at a time of heightened Islamophobia.” 

Soliman hopes the installation will challenge negative stereotypes and serve as a reminder of the simple things we often take for granted — like food — during the holy month….

Writtem by Asma Sahebzada | Read the full article: Toronto’s Ramadan installation unveiled at Nathan Phillips