Yes, the new TorontoMuslims.com portal is finally here for you to embrace!
It's been good two years of hard work, countless challenges, and several sleepless nights that have finally materialized with Allah's mercy and our visitors' and advertisers' support.
When we first held our brainstorming session with various community members in 2007 for a TorontoMuslims.com facelift, one thing was clear: We needed a dynamic portal that befits Toronto's position in North America as one of the most ethnically rich cities with the highest concentration of Muslims on this continent.
Since its inception in 2001, TorontoMuslims.com envisioned the idea of utilizing the web and email media to build bridges between the various Muslim organizations, centres, mosques, leaders, volunteers and the Canadian community at large.
While we never claimed to be an umbrella organization attempting to unite the Toronto Muslim community, we did realize the potential of this service in bringing community stakeholders together and helping them connect and communicate for the first time.
Now 9 years later, we are taking the TorontoMuslims.com potential to connect and mobilize the GTA Muslim community to the next level, Insha Allah.
This web 2.0 ready website will not only keep you informed, but it will inspire you and allow you to share your experiences, resources, and feedback on regular basis.
So what's so new about this new website?
Here are 10 reasons why the new website is a big deal for the Toronto Muslim community:
- Database Driven: With the help of a robust DNN CMS, content is much easier to manage and access
- User Driven: Instead of the website administrators researching and entering all the data, you are better equipped to submit relevant data to the community databases
- Events Calendar: The new events calendar will allow you to view all upcoming events for the month
- Event Reminder: You can now request the events calendar to email you a reminder a few hours or days prior to a particular event
- Rating and Feedback: You are invited to rate and offer feedback on a restaurant, Masjid, organization, business, or event, so others could benefit from your experiences
- Searchable Content: Looking for a particular business or event? Now you can quickly find it using the search option
- More News: With over 30 RSS feeds from local and global news websites, you can scan your daily news headlines from around the GTA and the Muslim world in minutes
- Original Local Content: Soon you will enjoy original local stories, event summaries, and columns by community writers on this portal
- Community Services: A unique and much-needed section on the new website is a comprehensive list of community organizations and services available in Toronto and Canada
- Reduced Ad Clutter: Yes, we heard you! Our new automated advertisement management system will not make your eyes sore any more and will help you focus on the content
We ask Allah to make our work a model for other cities to follow, Ameen.
The facelift of TorontoMuslims.com will allow us to focus on launching CanadaMuslims.com and other Canadian city websites in the months and years to come, God-Willing.
We are humbled to be able to serve the Muslim community in creative ways and we ask you to remember us in your prayers.
On behalf of the TorontoMuslims.com volunteers and team members, we thank you for being with us all these years and for giving us your trust, love and support!
TorontoMuslim.com Team
Amani Rauff
Amer Meknas
Arif Zia
Hafsa Taher
Naveen Ahmed
Seif Youssef
Taha Ghayyur
Zahra Govindji
Zawwar Rizvi