The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC) joined forces to hold the 61st ISNA Convention in Dallas over Labor Day weekend at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, celebrating the theme of “The Muslim American: Forging Faith & Action.”

“This year’s #ISNA61 held in Dallas, TX was a huge success with over 21,000 attendees,” said convention chair and former ISNA president, Azhar Azeez. “This was an unprecedented and historic convention.”

NTIC president Mujeeb Kazi served as the ISNA convention vice chair and says the 2024 convention broke records with the number of attendees for the event which is normally held in Chicago.

“It is an extraordinary, happy moment, especially for those who live in North Texas,” said Kazi. “We see the ISNA organization as a true representative of Muslim sentiment across the entire spectrum — it’s not just the religious services, it’s not just establishing institutions, it’s about shaping the narrative.”

The four-day event provided numerous parallel sessions covering critical topics to foster dialogue and reflection on faith, health, environmental issues, politics and community building.

Headlining speakers included media critic and journalist Medi Hasan, the first female Muslim military chaplain Saleha Jabeen, African American civil rights leader and academic, Dr. Cornel West among many others.“ISNA is a historic organization, and for 61 years it has been trying to keep alive the best of a great Islamic legacy in the United States,” said West, who is Christian. “So for me to be able to come here in the spirit of humility, to learn and listen as well as speak, and be able to just revel in the humanity of my Muslim brothers and sisters and engage in serious intellectual and religious wrestling is an honor.”

Saleha Jabeen, who is with the air force, has attended the convention for many years and says she “would never want to skip any year for multiple reasons, you get to be around community… mentors and people of different generations, and it just reminds me of what I am supposed to be as an active member of the community.”

CEO of Emgage, a Muslim-led civic action organization, Wa’el Alzayat emphasized the benefit of the convention, “ISNA is such an important annual gathering for Muslim Americans and allies to reconnect, to celebrate our religion, to celebrate each other and to also dedicate ourselves to the betterment of our community, our country and the world.”

One notable session featured esteemed imams who guided attendees on how to translate faith into action while delving into urgent issues, such as the genocide facing Palestinians in Gaza. The former Imam of the Islamic Association of North Texas, Shpendim Nadzaku who spoke on a panel discussing the imam’s role in activating the community, said ISNA’s presence in DFW was significant.

“I think it’s important for us as Muslims, especially within a city as Dallas that has such a high profile role within the politics of the country as a whole,” said Nadzaku, who currently works for the City of Dallas’ Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs department.

The diversity and networking opportunities that the convention afforded were appreciated by Imam Muhammad Abdul-Jami of Masjid Al-Islam, located in downtown Dallas. One of the oldest mosques in the area, it serves a mainly African American congregation.

“We believe that the work we’re doing at Masjid Al-Islam is so important that everyone should know about it and support it on whatever level that they can,” said Abdul-Jami. “I think it’s inspiring for everyone to see and collaborate with Muslims who are doing great things, learning from these sessions and having fun together.”

There were approximately 50 parallel sessions, including a youth-led convention which was managed, organized and led entirely by young leaders. There were also spaces for reverts and multilingual Muslim community members.

The convention also had separate tracks for African American and Hispanic Muslims, with 300 complimentary badges, complimentary booths and sessions for Islam in Spanish and Masjid Al Islam. 35% of event speakers were from these communities.

ISNA is one of the largest Muslim nonprofit umbrella organizations in North America, dedicated to fostering the development of the community, interfaith relations, civic engagement and a better understanding of Islam. ISNA provides platforms for community development, leadership training and promotes understanding through events like the annual convention.

NTIC is committed to fostering unity, collaboration and advocacy among Muslims in North Texas. NTIC works towards addressing the spiritual, social and civic needs of its communities through educational programs, community engagement, interfaith relationships and collaborative initiatives.

NTIC President Kazi and Convention Chair, Azeez, both said the event’s success was a testament to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers and staff who had been planning it for almost a year and they thanked attendees, speakers and participating Masjids for making this convention an outstanding success.

Source: Medium.com

1. Taught over 400 adult and 200 youth students in Islamic centers and ISA classrooms.

2. Launched, with Southern Methodist University (SMU), a joint Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) with a self-designed concentration in Islamic Studies with 12 students.

3. Produced a weekly live-streamed educational series and several other student enrichment programs including a guided Umrah trip.

Since April 2017, ISA is managed by the Islamic Seminary Foundation (ISF).

ISF – ISA Vission & Mission

The Islamic Seminary of America (ISA) is dedicated to producing authentic knowledge about the Islamic Civilization and translating it into the American context.

1. ISA is focused on developing Muslim leadership and improving religious literacy for all Americans using online and in-person educational initiatives and an annual (6 years by ISF, established in its first year by the Muslim Endorsement Council of Connecticut) in-service training conference at Yale University for chaplains, imams and other human services providers.

2. ISA leadership represents much of the ethnic diversity of the Muslim American community.

3. ISA leadership has extensive background in higher education administration and teaching as well as deep real-life experiences as board members, imams, chaplains, administrators, staff and consultants to Islamic and non-Islamic religious and human services institutions.

4. By Fall 2018, ISA intends to develop certificate programs aimed at capacity-building for Islamic centers and NGOs such as free medical clinics and disaster relief agencies.

5. By Fall 2019, ISA intends to begin offering unique degree-granting programs that focus on both organizational leadership and traditional Islamic sciences.

Collaboration with Southern Methodist University (SMU)

The Islamic Seminary of America is pleased to announce its continuing collaboration with SMU. The next course in Islamic Studies to be offered at the SMU Main Dallas Campus in the Fall of 2017:

• Islam and the American Civil Rights Movement:

Instructor: Omar Suleiman

Examines Islam and important Muslim figures that helped shape the Civil Rights Movement to include orthodox Islam, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, H. Rap Brown and other Muslims that played an important role in crafting both the theory and practice of black activism. Students will also explore the current role of Islam and Muslims in the discussion of black empowerment. This course may be applied to the following curricular field concentrations: human rights and social justice; humanities; American studies.

• Examples of Additional Courses Offered in Upcoming Semesters:

– The Islamic Civilization

– Islamic Textual Criticism

– Major Themes in Islamic Law

– Human Rights in Islam

– Terrorism, Torture, and International Law

– The Impact of the Arab Spring on Israel and the Middle East

– Islam, State and Society

• Program Options:

Certificate of Advanced Study (18 Credit Hours) – For those who already have a master’s degree but are interested in pursuing a specific concentration in a specific curricular field only.

Master of Liberal Studies (36 Credit Hours) – For those who pursue the full degree program.

Non-Degree Option (3-6 Credit Hours) – For students wanting to try the program may take 1-2 courses.  Credits can be applied to the Certificate or Master’s programs.

ISF – ISA Board of Directors

• Prof. Jimmy Jones, Chair and Interim President
• Bonita McGee, Vice-Chair
• Chaplain Shazeeda Khan, Secretary
• Dr. Shariq Siddiqui JD, Treasurer
• Dr. Abed Ayoub
• Prof. Ihsan Bagby
• Athar Haq MD
• Abdul Ahad Hayee MD
• Alim Khandekar MD
• Dr. Yasir Qadhi
• Farooq Selod MD
• Dr. Iqbal Unus

Contacts

• Address: 7700 Windrose, Plano, TX 75024, USA
• Phone: +1 214 774 2136
• Email: info@islamicseminary.org
• Website: http://www.islamicseminary.org/

Google asks its employees to “Do the right thing.” At least, that’s what its revised 2015 motto states in an upgrade from the original company maxim, “Don’t be evil.” But when a user searches Google for information on Islam, the results often link to propaganda, anti-Muslim hate and outright lies. The algorithm for the world’s largest search engine is definitely not doing the right thing ― especially when it comes to the first page of results, where most users stop their searches.

Basic searches for words like “Muslim” and “Islam” return reasonable results with links to reputable sites. But more specific terms, like “sharia,” “jihad” or “taqiyya” ― often co-opted by white supremacists ― return links to Islamophobic sites filled with misinformation.

The same thing happens with the autofill function. If a user types in “does islam,” the first suggestion that pops up to complete the query is “does islam permit terrorism.”

Another egregious example occurs when a user inputs “do muslim.” The autofill results include “do muslim women need saving.” There are endless possibilities for misinformation, and the consequences are disturbing.

Source: The Huffington Post