Annual ISNA Convention Draws More Than 12,000 North American Muslims

by Faisal Kutty and Bushra Yousuf

For the second year in a row, the Muslim community of central Ohio and the city of Columbus hosted the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Annual Convention. More than 12,000 Muslims from across the U.S. and Canada participated in the 33rd annual event over the Labor Day weekend at the Columbus Convention Center.

Among the speakers at this year’s function were Dr. Murad Hofmann, former German ambassador to Algeria and Morocco; Dr. Ali Mazrui, Albert Schweitzer Professor of Humanities at SUNY (Binghampton); Abdul Malik Mujahid, president of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA); Dr. Sulayman Nyang, chairman of the Department of African Studies at Howard University; Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui, director of the Islamic Center of Orange County; Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqui, director, Institute of Islamic Economics; Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary-general of ISNA; Abdullah Idris Ali, president of ISNA; Ibrahim Hooper and Nihad Awad from CAIR; and others.

Most of the sessions centered around this year’s theme, “Muslims for Peace and Justice.” Dr. Murad Hofmann encouraged Muslims to unite with Christians who are also a minority in a sea of unbelief. He stressed that cooperation with Christians is vital to fight for the greater good and to preserve morals, peace and justice. Hundreds of attendees signed a banner for “peace and justice” and thereby affirmed their commitment to these principles.

The convention also featured a Health Fair. The Fair gave participants an opportunity to undergo testing for cholesterol, stress, glaucoma and heart problems, as well as providing mammograms and cancer screenings. According to organizers, more than 60 percent of the people tested last year had high cholesterol. Moreover, 16 percent had high stress levels, and four of them had to be referred to physicians for immediate attention. The Fair also offered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to participants.

National Muslim organizations including ISNA, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the American Muslim Council (AMC), and the American Muslim Alliance (AMA) took advantage of the large gathering to encourage Muslims to register for the ’96 elections. Dr. Agha Said, president of the American Muslim Alliance; Suhail Khan, a lawyer and congressional aide; and executive editor Richard Curtiss of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs conducted a heavily attended workshop on the Muslim community and the 1996 elections, and examined the pros and cons of bloc voting. After an intensive two-and-a-half-hour session, participants encouraged the panelists to take their message to a larger audience.

One of the most popular attractions of the conference was a bazaar with over 200 booths. The bazaar showcased more than a dozen book dealers, as well as displays by various Islamic and charitable organizations.

The Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), and the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) held programs in conjunction with the ISNAevent. Alim Fevens, vice president of MSA, told the Washington Report that the attendance at MSA sessions was even better than anticipated at this major annual event.

The Conference raised an estimated $600,000 through pledges and contributions toward ISNA’s ongoing services and programs.