Riasat Ali Khan
Community Leader, Advocate for Diversity and Immigrant Integration
About Riasat Ali Khan
Riasat Ali Khan (1934-2003) was a prominent Canadian Muslim leader, businessman, and tireless advocate for diversity and immigrant integration in British Columbia.
He immigrated to Canada in 1959 and was a founding member of the Pakistan-Canada Association. He is credited with opening the first mosque in Western Canada in Vancouver in 1964.
Khan dedicated forty years of his life to helping immigrants integrate into Canadian society and championing diversity, serving as a former President of AMSSA (Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC). He also served as the head of the B.C. Immigrant Services Society, was a board member of the B.C. Cancer Society, and a delegate to the Committee for Racial Justice. In 1963, he was Canada's only Muslim probation officer.
The Riasat Ali Khan Diversity Award was created in his honor by AMSSA to recognize innovative programming that strengthens diversity in British Columbia. He was a successful businessman and active in the Liberal Party's backroom politics, though he unsuccessfully sought a federal Liberal nomination in 1997. His death in 2003 captured national media attention.
References & Credits
External Sources
Key Contributions
Founder of the Pakistan-Canada Association, credited with opening the first mosque in Western Canada (Vancouver, 1964), former President of AMSSA, head of the B.C. Immigrant Services Society, board member of the B.C. Cancer Society, delegate to the Committee for Racial Justice, Canada's only Muslim probation officer (1963).
Legacy
The Riasat Ali Khan Diversity Award was established in his honor by AMSSA to recognize excellence in strengthening diversity in British Columbia.