Abdul Latif Mirza
Abdul Latif Mirza | |
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عبداللطیف مرزا | |
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| Born | April 1, 1950 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Citizenship | Canada |
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Abdul Latif Mirza is a Pakistani-Canadian business executive and Halal subject matter expert. He currently works at Maple Lodge Farms overlooking Halal Production Compliance and the Policy and Procedure Development. Mirza is the co-founder of PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency) and also serves on the board of the Canadian Institute of Policy Studies (CIPS). Throughout his career, Mirza has worked significantly through new initiatives incorporating his philosophy and has secured a sturdy position in the community as a leader.
Mirza has over four decades of experience and specializes in strategic planning and public relations. He has gained recognition for his Halal advocacy as well as being a firm believer of the Islamic religion. Mirza is also closely associated with several non-profit organizations at work in order to progress the Islamic community as a whole.
Early life and education
Mirza was born in a middle-class family in Punjab, Pakistan. He completed early education at Islamia High School Jalalpur Jattan. In 1966, Mirza enrolled in the Zamindar College of Gujrat, Pakistan, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a concentration in Political Science. Soon after his graduation, Mirza applied for a master’s degree program in Political Science at the University of Punjab, graduating in 1973.
Career
Mirza started his career in 1979 as an IT professional at Saudi Hollandi Bank. He worked for almost two decades here, assuming different positions such as IT Operations Manager, Manager Production Support, and IT Auditor. In 1989-90 Mirza became a board of directors at the Institute of Overseas Pakistanis, where he served for 13 years, and Pakistan Cultural Group Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he served for almost 8 years. In 2004, Mirza became an administrator and trustee at the Al-Falah Islamic Centre, which is a religious, educational, and not-for-profit entity operating in the province of Ontario under the banner of Islamic Circle of North America, (ICNA Canada). A year later, he was promoted to the post of secretary-general at ICNA Canada. He served for over three years at this institute.
Mirza, in 2007, became a trustee at Milton Masjid, the first designated place of worship for Muslims of the local community in Canada, where he served for four years. In the same year, he also became a trustee at Ar-Rehman Islamic Centre in Mississauga, where he served for almost four years.
In 2009, Mirza briefly served as the secretary of the Executive Committee at the Islamic Centre of Toronto which is the first mosque of the GTA area. He then became the President of Take-it-Granted Funding Consultants, where he served for over three years. During his time there, Mirza focused on strategic planning, policy, and procedure development, grant-seeking proposal writing, fundraising, and event management.
Mirza was appointed as the director of the Islamic Community Centre of Milton in 2011, where he served for over two years. During this time he led a multi-million dollars project to establish a full-service Islamic Centre in Milton, Canada. Simultaneously, he also served as a board member of the Islamic Society of North America Canada, where he served for over five years. During this time he also worked as a marketing head at Interest-Free Financing Corporation (IFFCO) for half a year. In 2012, Mirza was a member of the Technical Committee for Halal Food Standards, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for a brief period.
In 2012 Mirza joined Maple Lodge Farms as a Halal Compliance and Community Support Manager, where he has been working for almost a decade. He is also currently a board member of the Canadian Institute of Policy Studies (CIPS), a national educational, non-partisan, non-profit organization, and PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency), an independent, non-partisan, and not-for-profit indigenous research and training institution that aims at strengthening democracy and democratic institutions in Pakistan.
Personal life and philanthropy
Mirza has been a student activist since he was a child. He has worked with Islami Jamiate Talaba, the country's most well-known and largest student organization. He has also served as a leader in various initiatives and has taken part in activities to restore democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. Throughout his life, he has stood up to Pakistan's undemocratic rulers and has been subjected to oppression and victimization by the dictatorial authorities. Mirza became a member of various religious, educational, social, and civic organizations after permanently relocating to Canada in 1997 to give services in a country where Muslims are not the majority. His primary goal was to develop facilities for Muslim youth and others. He is a strong believer in disseminating Islamic principles and assisting the community as a whole.
