Recovery 'precarious' for Coalition of Muslim Women executive director injured in ATV crash

Fauzia Mazhar. (Submitted/Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo)

The executive director of the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW (CMW) remains on a ventilator after an ATV collision in the United Arab Emirates, CMW said Sunday.

Last week, the organization posted on social media that Fauzia Mazhar had been seriously injured in a crash in Dubai, eliciting an outpouring of support online.

On Sunday, CMW announced it had launched a fundraising campaign to cover Mazhar’s medical expenses and provided more details about the crash. 

Mazhar was on vacation with her family in Dubai when she suffered life-threatening injuries to her head and spinal cord in a desert safari ATV crash, CMW said in a media release.

According to the latest update from her family, Mazhar opened her eyes, nodded her head and was able to move her hand when asked to do so during a neurological assessment on Friday. She remains on a ventilator to stabilize her vitals while doctors wait to perform surgery on her spinal injuries.

“We were all shocked beyond words when we heard the news from the family here in Canada,” Sarah Shafiq, CMW director of programming and services, said in the release. “Ever since that day, we have all been praying for her health and recovery.”

Fauzia Mazhar is the executive director of the Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo. (Submitted/Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo)

The organization described Mazhar’s condition as “precarious” and said financial support is need to ensure medical expenses do not hinder her return to health.

“Fauzia has touched so many lives in the community with her compassion, kindness, and generosity,” Shafiq said. “She was always the first to reach out to someone with an offer of support as soon as she would hear of a need or an incident.”

As the executive director of CMW and one of its founding members, Mazhar is a leading voice against Islamophobia, racism and hate in Waterloo region.

Ghazala Fauzia, CMW board chair said in merely three years, Mazhar led the way to creating anti-Islamophobia programming and established culturally responsive services to counter gender-based violence, hate, racism, and discrimination.

Her non-stop commitment to helping racialized Muslim women and youth establish their identities in Canada helped the CMW launch two new programs in the last 12 months, she added.

“Fauzia has supported, mentored, and touched the lives of hundreds of individuals in the Region of Waterloo and beyond. We are all very blessed to have Fauzia in our lives as a friend, mentor, and a community leader to look up to,” said Ghazala.