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🌟 FIVE EVENTS WORTH CHECKING OUT
📚 Book Launch: When Genocide Wasn’t News: How Canadian media covered-up the destruction of Gaza
A powerful evening of conversation with journalists Martin Lukacs, Desmond Cole, and lawyer Dania Majid, discussing the newly published book exposing how Canadian media covered up the destruction of Gaza.
🌟 Martin Lukacs, Desmond Cole, Dania Majid
💬 English
🗓️ Thursday, July 10 | 7:00–8:30 PM
📍 Centre for Social Innovation Annex – Annex, 720 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 2R4
🎟️ Free – Eventbrite
🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Friday, July 11, 6:30–8:15 pm & 9:30 – 11:15 pm (More screenings listed below)
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
🎶 Moneka and Friends @ MixTO Festival
Experience the infectious energy of Ahmed Moneka as he blends Afro-Sufi traditions with Arabic folk, funk, soul, and jazz. This outdoor set features music from Kanzafula — the first Canadian-Iraqi album to earn a Juno nomination.
🌟 Ahmed Moneka and other artists
💬 Iraqi Arabic / English
🗓️ Sunday, July 13 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Trillium Park – 955 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON M6K 3B9
🎟️ Free – Instagram
📚 Book Launch – Taslīm: We Are the Prophets by Carolyn Ramzy
Celebrate the launch of this bold poetry collection, which explores Coptic girlhood, diasporic memory, and the burden of religious inheritance. Carolyn Ramzy reads from her new book and joins Fady Shanouda in conversation.
🌟 Carolyn Ramzy + Fady Shanouda
💬 English
🗓️ Monday, July 14 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Another Story Bookshop – 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
🎟️ Free – Mawenzi House
🌌 MEZAR – Toronto Debut
Experience a night where ancestral sounds converge with futuristic sonic landscapes. MEZAR combines Sufi poetry, Algerian diwan rhythms, and Afro-oriental influences with contemporary composition and hypnotic sound design. Featuring Elsa Corgié and Chakib Kouidri, along with Toronto artists Devon Goping and Corey Weinberg.
🌟 Presented by: Kunn Collective, in partnership with Keife Records, F360, Tapestry & Marsm
💬 North African Arabic / Multilingual
🗓️ Tuesday, July 15 | 8:00–11:00 PM
📍 Tapestry – 224 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6
🎟️ Ticket Tailor
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🔓 Looking for more? Every issue of 🖐🏽 khamsa features five staff picks plus even more events organized by day. If you’re a subscriber, keep scrolling. If not, sign up (it’s free!) to unlock the full list.
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🗓️ FULL LIST OF EVENTS FOR THIS WEEK
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Thursday, July 10
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📚 Book Launch: When Genocide Wasn’t News
A powerful evening of conversation with journalists Martin Lukacs, Desmond Cole, and lawyer Dania Majid, discussing the new anthology exposing how Canadian media covered up the destruction of Gaza.
🌟 Speakers: Martin Lukacs, Desmond Cole, Dania Majid
💬 English
🗓️ Thursday, July 10 | 7:00–8:30 PM
📍 Centre for Social Innovation Annex – Annex, 720 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 2R4
🎟️ Free – Eventbrite
🎶 Yehia @ Cafe Pamenar
Enjoy a cozy night of live music on Pamenar’s back patio, featuring a warm set of original songs in Egyptian Arabic and English by Toronto-based artist Yehia.
🌟 Yehia
💬 Arabic / English
🗓️ Thursday, July 10 | 8:00–9:30 PM
📍 Pamenar – 307 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2
🎟️ PWYC (Pay What You Can) – Instagram
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Friday, July 11
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🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Friday, July 11, 6:30–8:15 pm & 9:30 – 11:15 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
🌃 The MENA Room Rooftop
Rooftop season is here — and MENA Room socials are back with good music, good people, and good vibes. Doors close at 9 PM. Entry requires DM confirmation of ticket + guest names.
🌟 Hosted by MENA Room
💬 English / Arabic-friendly
🗓️ Friday, July 11 | 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM
📍 East Room – 507 King St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1M3
🎟️ Tickets | DM the MENA Room with guest names
🎶 Rima, Illarra & Hikaya Band
Two artists, one band, and a night of soul-stirring music. Rima performs her first full set with Hikaya, while Illarra debuts three new originals. Directed by Peter Henry Holbrook, this evening fuses Arabic folk, jazz, flamenco, and Sufi influences, bringing together musicians from across Canada’s jazz and world music scenes.
🌟 Presented by: Illarra Music
💬 Arabic / English
🗓️ Friday, July 11 | 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM
📍 Tapestry – 224 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6
🎟️ Eventbrite
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Saturday, July 12
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🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Saturday, July 12, 4:45 – 6:30 pm & 7:15 – 9:00 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
🎥 From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza
A gripping documentary screening and community gathering in Newmarket, spotlighting firsthand Palestinian testimonies of life under occupation. The evening includes a vendor market of Palestinian goods and guest speakers from Independent Jewish Voices and Toronto’s spoken word scene. All proceeds support the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
🌟 Presented by: Newmarket Aurora 4 Palestine
💬 English / Palestinian Arabic
🗓️ Saturday, July 12 | 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM (Film starts at 6:00 PM)
📍 Old Town Hall – 460 Botsford St, Newmarket, ON L3Y 1T1
🎟️ Eventbrite
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Sunday, July 13
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📖 Book Launch – Until They Change What’s Within Themselves by Saba Yahya Aleryani
Join us and author Saba Yahya Aleryani for the launch of her empowering Arabic book Until They Change What’s Within Themselves. Rooted in the Quranic verse “God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves,” the book offers practical tools and guided exercises for personal growth across health, relationships, and finances.
🌟 Author Talk by Saba Yahya Al-Iryani
💬 Arabic
🗓️ Sunday, July 13 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 BookBridge Library – 135 Sixth Street, Etobicoke, ON M8V 3A6
🎟️ Free Event - Instagram
🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Sunday, July 13, 3:00 – 4:45 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
☕ Toronto Arab Senior Women’s Circle
A weekly gathering held in Arabic for Arab senior women to connect over conversation, creativity, and community.
🌟 Hosted by: Toronto Arab Senior Women’s Circle
💬 Language: Arabic
🗓️ Sunday, July 13 | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
📍 The Only Café – 966 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4J 1M1
🎟️ Eventbrite
📚 BORN SACRED – Smokii Sumac (with Hajer Mirwali & Maysam Ghani)
A poetic evening of solidarity and resistance. Join Ktunaxa two-spirit poet Smokii Sumac for the Toronto launch of Born Sacred, joined by Palestinian writers Hajer Mirwali and Maysam Ghani. This powerful new collection reflects on Palestinian genocide and Indigenous sovereignty through 100 poems written in real time during the 2023 attacks on Gaza.
🌟 Readers: Smokii Sumac, Hajer Mirwali, Maysam Ghani
💬 English
🗓️ Sunday, July 13 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
📍 Another Story Bookshop – 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
🎟️ Free – Eventbrite
🎶 Moneka and Friends @ MixTO Festival
Experience the infectious energy of Ahmed Moneka as he blends Afro-Sufi traditions with Arabic folk, funk, soul, and jazz. This outdoor set features music from Kanzafula — the first Canadian-Iraqi album to earn a Juno nomination.
🌟 Performer: Ahmed Moneka
💬 Iraqi Arabic / Multilingual
🗓️ Sunday, July 13 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Trillium Park – 955 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON M6K 3B9
🎟️ Free – Instagram
🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Sunday, July 13, 7:15 – 9:00 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
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Monday, July 14
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📚 Book Launch – Taslīm: We Are the Prophets by Carolyn Ramzy
Celebrate the launch of this bold poetry collection, which explores Coptic girlhood, diasporic memory, and the burden of religious inheritance. Carolyn Ramzy reads from her new book and joins Fady Shanouda in conversation.
🌟 Carolyn Ramzy + Fady Shanouda
💬 English / Egyptian Arabic
🗓️ Monday, July 14 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Another Story Bookshop – 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M6
🎟️ Free — Mawenzi House
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Tuesday, July 15
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🎬 To a Land Unknown – Canadian Premiere
A haunting new thriller from Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel (A World Not Ours) makes its Canadian debut at TIFF Lightbox. To a Land Unknown follows two displaced cousins stranded in Athens as they scheme for a way out — from scams to high-stakes deception — in a gripping tale of exile, survival, and desperation. Loosely inspired by Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun.
🌟 Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
💬 Palestinian Arabic, Greek, English
🗓️ Tuesday, July 15, 7:45 – 9:30 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🎟️ TIFF
🌌 MEZAR – Toronto Debut
Experience a night where ancestral sounds converge with futuristic sonic landscapes. MEZAR combines Sufi poetry, Algerian diwan rhythms, and Afro-oriental influences with contemporary composition and hypnotic sound design. Featuring Elsa Corgié and Chakib Kouidri, along with Toronto artists Devon Goping and Corey Weinberg.
🌟 Presented by: Kunn Collective, in partnership with Keife Records, F360, Tapestry & Marsm
💬 North African Arabic / Multilingual
🗓️ Tuesday, July 15 | 8:00–11:00 PM
📍 Tapestry – 224 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6
🎟️ Ticket Tailor
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Wednesday, July 16
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🧵 Tatreez Circle – Summer Edition!
The weekly embroidery circle continues outdoors! During the summer, the Tatreez Circle will rotate through local parks to stay accessible and enjoy the sunshine. Location announced weekly via Instagram. All skill levels welcome — bring your Aida cloth and embroidery floss
🌟 Hosted by Tatreez Circle
💬 English / Arabic-friendly
🗓️ Wednesday, July 16 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Location: TBA (check Instagram for updates)
🎟️ PWYK: $5 suggested donation
🎬 LEILA AND THE WOLVES – Film Screening + Talk on Women in Resistance
Travel through time and memory with this groundbreaking 1984 film, which delves into the often-overlooked roles of Arab women in the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance. The evening begins with a talk by the Palestinian Youth Movement, followed by a screening of Leila and the Wolves (95 minutes), a film that blends fiction, archival footage, and fantasy. Food by Olive Haven, prints by Fatima Eljamal, and accessories on sale.
🌟 Hosted by Deeply Rooted & Palestinian Youth Movement
💬 Film: Palestinian Arabic / Talk: English
🗓️ Wednesday, July 16 | 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Art Gallery of Guelph – 358 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON N1G 1Y1
🎟️ Eventbrite
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