Excerpt:
Typical teenage angst rather than religious fervour is on the minds of most callers to Canada's first hotline for Muslim youth, say its co-founders. Based in Mississauga, the Naseeha ("advice" in Persian) help line was launched last month to help young people navigate the usual challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, dating and curfews – but with advice that emphasizes Islamic values, says co-founder Abdussamad Khan, 27, a financial adviser. "In Islam, sex before marriage, drugs and alcohol are not permitted, so sometimes youth get confused." The other founder Yaseen Poonah, 28, a computer engineer, adds: "We're not here to judge anyone or come from an aggressive, negative manner. We just point out what the Qu'ran says."