Shaila Kibria Carter – New Co-Chair

The Canadian Interfaith Conversation is very pleased to announce that Shaila Kibria Carter has been affirmed as the new Co-Chair for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2022. The Executive Committee had unanimously supported her nomination to the Participant Assembly to serve as the next Co-Chair.

Shaila is a wife, mother, and daughter to one of the first Bangladeshi immigrants to Canada. A community activist at heart, Shaila started as VP Equity at University of Toronto Student Union fighting for social justice issues and is now Interfaith Specialist of the largest Muslim relief organization in the country, Islamic Relief Canada. Shaila has fundraised for Syrian refugees and marginalized Black youth, is committed to lifting up the voices of women, and has helped facilitate Muslim-Indigenous partnerships. She is author of the book "Maariyah's Day", about a girl's experience being a Canadian Muslim. Shaila has also contributed as a freelance journalist to CBC Radio 1 about the multicultural tapestry in Canada and is currently pursuing her Master of Theology at the University of Toronto. Shaila loves working with people of different cultures and religions and strives to build bridges.

Shaila succeeds Zul Kassamali who has served as Co-Chair since April 2016. Zul has been a tremendous inspiration to the work of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation bringing his expertise as President of 1NAAS (National Alliance for the Advancement of Pluralistic Societies), President of the Toronto Area Interfaith Council and Co-Chair of the Parliament of World Religions held in Toronto in 2018.

Shaila joins the current Co-Chair, Pastor Peter Noteboom, General Secretary of The Canadian Council of Churches.

Read bios of the other members of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Interfaith. Conversation >