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IANA Concludes Annual Conference
by Dina Rashed
CHICAGO, May 31 (IslamOnline) - After gathering various Muslim scholars and experts from the U.S., Canada and the Muslim world, the Islamic Association of North America (IANA) concluded its eighth annual conference in Chicago, IL.
Entitled "Muslims in the Changing World: Revival and Reform", the four day event discussed the role of the media in da'wa (bringing people to Islam), the future and aspects of the Internet in relation to Muslim lives, Islam in America, schools and education, and the issue of Jerusalem, among its many parallel sessions.
Different from the usual format of various Islamic conferences held annually in North America, allowing mixed attendance of men and women in the same room, this conference applied strict gender segregation during the sessions, practically dividing the conference into five separate sections.
Separate sections for men and women were further divided into separate sessions to accommodate both English- and Arabic-speaking audiences. Another effort was devoted to addressing Muslim youth and their related issues.
Some sessions where issues were deemed important for both genders, like those discussing the impact of globalization on the Muslim umma and the future of Islamic societies in North America, were held in the men's main hall and broadcast to the women's section. Questions and comments of attending women were gathered at the end of speeches and sent to the speakers to comment on.
Because several of the attending women were abiding by one interpretation of the Islamic dress code, in accordance with rules they cover their entire body, including the faces and hands, in presence of men, the separate sessions enabled them to uncover at least their faces, said Ibtehal Fouad, chairman of the women's conference.
In the women's portion, several speakers addressing issues of da'wa and family had background experience in da'wa efforts in the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia and Syria.
"We are trying to connect Muslim women from all over the world," said Nebras Diab of the Information committee of the conference, in an interview.
Prominent Muslim activists such as Sheikh Muhammad Ad-Dedo, director of the Osama Bin Zaid Center in Mauritania; Omar Obaid Hasana from Qatar and Idris Palmer, spoke at the conference.
In a session on Modernization and Moderation, speakers including Jaafar Sheikh Idris of the American Open University, who stressed that the Islamic concept of moderation should not be misunderstood as to give way to current rules of modernization, and that moderation should be taken while sticking to the firm rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Established in 1993, IANA is a relatively new Islamic organization in North America compared to other major ones, like the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).
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