Muslim students in Ontario and, by extension, elsewhere in North America face a host of challenges to observing their faith on campuses, according to a 55-page report released today by the Canadian Federation of Students. Jesse Greener, the federation’s president, told The Chronicle that he was surprised at the consistent responses from the 1,000 students on 17 Ontario campuses who were surveyed for the report.

The report offers nearly five dozen recommendations for improvements. Among them are retaining Muslim faculty members and offering halal meals, which meet Islam’s dietary restrictions. One of the biggest problems facing Muslim students is the loan-based student-aid system.

“Interest-bearing loans are forbidden in Islam, which means that provincial- and federal-government loans are simply off-limits for many practicing Muslims,” said Mohamed Sheibani, president of the Muslim Students’ Association National of the U.S. and Canada, in a news release. —Karen Birchard