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35th Annual ICNA Convention | “Save Family: Save Society”

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Muslim Matters would like to thank Br Nihal Khan for sharing his experience at the recently concluded 35th annual ICNA convention. If you were at the convention too or joined in via live stream for some of the talks,  share your experiences and gems below!

A few weeks ago, on Memorial Day weekend, the Islamic Center of North America (ICNA) in association with the Muslim American Society (MAS) held their 35thannual combined convention at the Hartford Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Along with the conference, there was a parallel youth conference which was funded and organized by the Young Muslims of North America and the Muslim Student Association. Over 14,000 Muslims from all over the United States and Canada were in attendance for this year’s conference.

In the spirit of educating the masses about the importance of family, the organizers of the conference made this year’s theme “Save Family: Save Society.” A short list of speakers included Sh. Yasir Qadhi, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, Ustadh Wisam Sharieff, Sh. Abdul Nasir Jangda, Yahiya Emerick, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Sh. Ali Sulieman, Imam Khalid Griggs, Sh. Jafer Sebkhaoui, Imam Omer Suleiman, Dr. Altaf Hussain, Dr. Talat Sultan, Sh. Yasir Fazaga, Sh. Mohammed Faqih and Imam Faraz Khan. Though the conference overall was truly a success, I personally felt that the Youth Conference which was put together by YM and MSA was the highlight of the whole convention.

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This youth conference’s theme this year was “Happily Ever Hereafter?” and addressed issues pertaining to life in the grave, heaven and hell, meeting with Allah, and the like. With the efforts of the organizers from YM and MSA, almost every session in the youth conference would fill up before the session would even begin! After all the chairs would be occupied, brothers and sisters were standing, sitting on the floor, kneeling, standing by the entrance of the hall, etc. There simply would not be enough room to accommodate everyone in the hall. Not to mention that the intensive class which the organizers had put together reeled in more than 100 youth at 8am Sunday morning! But the main aspect of the youth conference which stuck out to me were the speeches delivered by Ustadh Wisam Sharieff. Though this was his first appearance at an ICNA convention, he truly “rocked the house” every time his turn came to address the audience. After every one of his speeches, attendees told me that they would love to see him back the following year and take on more sessions; and that his presence was “truly an enlightening experience.”

To add to the excitement of this year’s conference, MuslimMatters very own authors and scholars were in attendance as speakers at the conference. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, and Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda were the main panel speakers at all of the main sessions in the convention. Some of the authors can be seen playing in the midnight basketball tournament in the pictures below!

Overall, this year’s convention seemed lively, family-friendly, and beneficial to all those who were in attendance. I know I will be back next year…will you?

More pictures from the conference can also be viewed here.

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13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Arif Kabir

    June 17, 2010 at 12:38 AM

    Very nice synopsis and photo gallery – keep them coming Insha’Allah! :)

    Reply

    • Pine

      November 29, 2010 at 5:28 PM

      Dear MAS-ICNA Member:

      We are writing on behalf of our union, UNITE HERE Local 450 and Local 1 in Chicago, the union that represents Chicago hotel workers. We are writing today because the MAS/ICNA Convention is currently scheduled to take place at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare beginning December 21st, a hotel where we and our many co-workers have called for a boycott. We are asking you to move the MAS/ICNA Convention to an alternate location. Please do not meet, eat, or sleep at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare until the dispute is resolved.

      Over the last ten years, we have fought to make Chicago hospitality jobs good jobs with livable wages and family health insurance. Now Hyatt is trying to take away what we have fought for. Our contracts expired over a year ago, and since then we have seen our hours cut and endured massive layoffs. Our hotels are understaffed while our co-workers sit at home in need of work. And now Hyatt wants to freeze our wages for years and take away our good insurance.

      That is why we are making the difficult decision of asking customers like you to boycott the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and not support them with your business. We are willing to sacrifice wages and tips now to get respect and dignity in our workplace, and to ensure that our livelihoods continue to support our health and our loved ones.

      As a Muslim and as a moral person, please honor our struggle and our boycott and do not come to the MAS/ICNA Convention if it is held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. As a leader in the Muslim community and as a consumer, you have the power to bring this company to justice and stop it from treating its employees this way. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Leah Pine at Unite Here Local 1 at (312) 986-3945 x226, or at pinelocal450@gmail.com.

      Sincerely,

      Abdul Noorani
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 30 years

      Mohammed I. Sozzer
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 24 years

      Sezair Murati
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 10 years

      Mirsad Okanovic
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 13 years

      Taher Bhatti
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 20 years

      Bouchra Doghmi
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 10 years

      Muhammad Tariq
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 14 years

      Zafar Iqbal
      Hyatt Regency Chicago, 25 years

      Reply

  2. shafkat

    June 17, 2010 at 2:53 AM

    As salaam alykum,

    Alhamdulillah .. Very happy for all my Muslim brothers and sisters who arranged and participated in this Youth Conference.

    InshaAllah a lot of knowledge was gained from it… Awareness of Islam and our zeal to excel and to follow the true path toJannat – tul – Fidaus is increasing day by day .. Alhamdulillah summu Alhamdulillah ..

    Now comes the most important and most difficult (for some of us ) part … IMPLEMENTATION of what we have learnt into bringing about CHANGE in our lives …. as surely what the Prophet (SWS) told the Sahaba’s is ABSOLUTELY TRUE that the most difficult of Jihad’s is the JIHAD – un – NAFS…

    ISTIQAMAH, IKHLAS and TAQWA is what we should all strive for and InshaAllah we shall ALL meet in Jannat-tul-Firdaus in the hereafter… Ameen.

    Please include me and all our brothers and sisters all over the world in your Duas who are striving to bring back our lives to ‘mirror’ the lives of the Prophet (sws), his wives, and the Sahabas …

    JazakAllah kheir.

    Shafkat
    Mombasa/ KENYA

    PS. Is it possible to listen to some of the talks given by the different speakers during the conference ?

    Reply

  3. s

    June 17, 2010 at 8:29 AM

    b-ball pics??

    and nic article, jzks

    Reply

  4. ICNA Social Networking Team

    June 17, 2010 at 8:33 AM

    Woah, your title is completely wrong, please fix it, THIS is the 35th Annual Convention!

    Reply

    • Ameera Khan

      June 17, 2010 at 9:55 AM

      Have edited it, JazaakAllah for the heads up. The post was received as such but we should have double checked. Will remember now on, Inshaa’Allah.

      Reply

  5. Qasim

    June 17, 2010 at 9:08 AM

    Not your typical Conference. A MUST ATTEND if you’ve never been able to.

    – An intensive class at a Conference is just unheard of. Attended by hundreds.
    – A Midnight Basketball Tournament, to keep one half of the typical “lobby scenes” seen at other conferences, out of the equation.
    – And the most practical of sessions. Not just “your bad you need to do good” session.
    – A Qiraah competition to encourage the youth to come closer to the Quran.
    – Workshop sessions by Imam Omar Suleiman on getting rid of sinful habits. Br. Wisam on Lessons from Surah Yusuf, Dr. Mohammad Sadiq on Youth and Marriage, and Imam Abdul Nasir Jangda on the Role of Women (not your typical women must rule the world lecture that we have become used to hearing).

    I’m already looking forward to the one next year inshaAllah. JazakAllahu khair to the organizers.

    Reply

  6. Qasim

    June 17, 2010 at 9:09 AM

    And yea this was like the 30 something Annual ICNA Convention. And the 11th time they have teamed up with MAS I believe.

    Reply

  7. Muslimaah

    June 17, 2010 at 12:14 PM

    Wasn’t this the theme last year? I could have sworn I went to an ICNA conference in Atlanta last fall with the same one…

    Reply

  8. abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

    June 17, 2010 at 4:03 PM

    Jazak Allah khayr, Nihal. Will see you inshaAllah later this year. Had no idea the B in B-Ball stood for Bayyinah. ;) I think the slideshow needs to play the Nike bouncing basketballs in the background, at least at the appropriate pics.

    Tariq

    Reply

  9. Kashif

    June 18, 2010 at 2:38 AM

    Assalamoalaikum

    MASHA ALLAH may ALLAH SWT give barakah. I am really happy about it and want to do it in PAKISTAN. Can any ody help me getting it in organizing it.

    Kashif

    Reply

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