Annual ISNA Convention Opens

The annual convention brings an audience of up 40,000 people.

Held under the theme "Achieving Balance: Faith, Family and Community", the four-day convention is probing a host of issues of Muslim concern.

Prominent among Muslim scholars attending the event are Jamal Badawi, Hamza Yusuf, Abdallah Idris Ali, Zaid Shakir, Umar Faruq Abdallah and Siraj Wahhaj.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges Alina Romanowski and Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England are also showing up at the meeting.

Along the ISNA convention, Muslim organizations such as the Muslim Students Association National (MSA National) and the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) are also holding their annual meetings.

With over 500 booths set-up by mostly Muslim-owned businesses, social service and other civic organizations and national and regional Muslim organizations, attendees of the convention could spend much of the holiday weekend just in the bazaar itself.

For many attendees, the ISNA bazaar offers a chance to go on their annual shopping spree with vendors featuring elegant and affordable clothing for men, women and children.

Bookstores also set-up booths and offer special discounts to convention attendees.

ISNA is an association of Muslim organizations and individuals providing a common platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs, and fostering good relations with other religious communities, civic and service organizations.

Muslim Unity

Mattson was elected on August 23 as ISNA's first female president.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the opening session, ISNA newly-elected President Dr. Ingrid Mattson criticized President George W. Bush for using the term "fascists" to describe some Muslims.

Mattson, who was elected on August 23 as ISNA's first female president, said that the use of Islam to qualify terrorism or violence only pushes Muslims away and serves as deterrence to dialogue.

She stressed that efforts should be focusing on drawing Muslims closer not apart.

Bush has said a foiled air plot in Britain was "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists" and hammered unnamed critics he accused of all but forgetting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

ISNA's four-day annual convention is the largest gathering of Muslims in North America, and dates back to 1963, when the first such conventions was organized by the predecessor to ISNA, the Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada.

Over the years, the convention has increased in popularity and consistently draws crowds of up to 40,000 Muslims in attendance each year.

• Click to Read ISNA's Program for the 43rd Session