Organizers of Islamic history month are mulling over why their project has failed to achieve the same success in Toronto that it's found in other parts of the country. 
 
The Canadian Islamic Congress declared October to be Islamic history month and received support from many cities and school boards, including Ottawa, Vancouver and Kingston, but not Toronto.
 
Zafar Bangash, director of the Islamic Society in York Region, said the success of black history month inspired his community to try something similar.

"Muslims have made a tremendous contribution to the development of science, geography, astronomy and so on. Which I believe is not very well known," he said. 
 
Bangash had hoped Islamic history month would spur a series of topical lectures and assignments in Toronto schools. But he said organizers were late getting started, which may explain why the Toronto school board was reluctant to jump on board.
 
Lloyd McKell, a senior official with the board's equity department, said the late start was just one part of the problem.
 
"What we have to be careful about," said McKell, "and this is why we need to discuss these initiatives and these events with these groups, is to ensure that such activities do not involve proselytizing about those faiths, specific faiths."

McKell said he's open to meeting with representatives from the Islamic community to discuss how they can get together and make the concept work next October.