Wahida Valiante, Therapist & Social Worker
Wahida Chishti Valiante is a graduate of the University of Toronto specializing in family therapy, mediation and post traumatic stress disorder from inter-cultural and Islamic perspective. She is a recent past-president and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress (1998-2011) and currently serves as founding Chair of Islamic History Month Canada (2007-2015). She has been identified as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.
She is a well-known Muslim community leader who has been politically and socially active since her arrival in Canada and continues to be a national leader among Canadian Muslim women in roles of political and social justice advocacy, building inter-faith understanding, and in promoting current and accurate religious education for all.
She is a published author on South Asian family, domestic violence and social work interventions and has recently published "A Mosaic of Thoughts," a topical anthology embracing myriad inter-cultural issues including the role of Muslim women in contemporary society. Wahida's considerable list of awards, honors and distinctions over nearly three decades reflects the esteem in which she is held by professional peers, fellow social activists, academia, and members of the Muslim community both in Ontario and across Canada.