Another virtual year for the celebrated gathering which has inspirational speakers from the world of religion and politics amongst many others.
Preparations are underway for ISNA’s 58th Annual Convention, to be held Labor Day weekend — with AMT as the official media sponsor for the first time.
This year’s theme — Reimagine & Rebuild with Renewed Resolve — will cover a variety of topics such as spiritual renewal, social justice, the post-pandemic world, human rights and Islamic education.
There will be messages of support from congressional members Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Rashida Tlaib. Last year Joe Biden sent a special video message to the Muslim community via ISNA's convention, two months before winning the presidency.
ISNA’s Executive Director, Basharat Saleem confirmed the event would be free again to ensure “maximum attendance” and so that more Muslims and allies can benefit from the high profile array of speakers.
“We are bringing together more than 100 renowned national speakers, we will have thousands of attendees that Labor Day weekend and Inshallah together we will make it a beautiful weekend. We will be addressing important topics like COVID-19, social and racial justice and many other issues within the Muslim community.”
One of the speakers during the session on countering Islamophobia is Emgage CEO Wa’el Alzayat. He’ll be speaking about the importance of Muslims being civically engaged in politics.
“One of the arguments of the Islamophobes is that Islam is incompatible with democracy and American values. Through our engagement in the public space, including politics, we can reclaim the narrative of what Islam and Muslims are and what they stand for. We can show that Muslim values are not only compatible with democracy, but are essential to allowing our pluralistic democracy to thrive,” he said. “Moreover, our active civic participation will help inform public policy about issues that affect us and the country, as well as elect public officials who support our shared vision of a just and inclusive society.”
ISNA’s Vice President, Magda Elkadi Saleh, urged people to tune into the town hall meeting on the first day of the event.
“Please join us as we listen to thought-provoking and inspiring speakers as we plan to reimagine and rebuild with renewed resolve. One of the highlights from this year’s convention that I hope all of you will join us for is the town hall meeting on Friday evening. Let us hear from you, our members. How can we make ISNA more relevant and beneficial to you and your communities?”
Fiyyaz Jaat, the Director of the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), says virtual or in-person — the convention brings the community together.
“The ISNA convention means so many different things to so many different people, whether it be that beautiful road trip out to this awesome state or city with your family and friends; whether it be seeing the sheer number of Muslims that were there and it really strengthening your Muslim identity; or whether it be being inspired by the countless summers of amazing speakers and scholars and sessions and discussions that were so relevant to who we are and what we need as a community.”
Shaza Khan, the Executive Director of the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA), will speak during the “Celebrating Islamic Education” session of the event.
“I am so excited to join ISNA's fabulous lineup of speakers discussing important topics that resonate with today's American Muslims,” she said. “In my talk on Celebrating Islamic Education, I share data and research that can help parents and educators understand both the strengths and challenges facing Islamic schools today. I hope that the talk will be informative and empowering for you as you learn more about the history of Islamic schools and imagine with me where they can and should be headed into the future.”
ISNA will celebrate the end of the conference with its usual Entertainment Night which this year will bring together a range of talented artists and entertainers. This includes British spoken word artist Kashmir Maryam, as well as Mo Sabri, Mecca2Medina, Raff and convention and comedy circuit regular, comedian Preacher Moss.