Islamic Society of North America

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.[1][2][3] ISNA holds an annual national convention which is generally regarded as the largest annual gathering of American Muslims to discuss their role in society, politics, public media, activism, educational institutions, and other areas. The organization has been the subject of several controversies throughout its lifetime.

Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America logo
AbbreviationISNA
Formation1963-1982 (as Muslim Students' Association)
1982-present form
Purpose"To unify Islamic organization and to contribute to the betterment of the Muslim community and society"
HeadquartersPlainfield, Indiana
Region served
North America
President
Azhar Azeez
AffiliationsMuslim Student Association (MSA); the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT); Canadian Islamic Trust (CIT); Muslim Community Association (MCA); American Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS); American Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE); The Elkadri Fund (TEF); Islamic Medical Association (IMA); Islamic Teaching Center (ITC), and Foundation of Internanm, lklikltional Development (FID).
WebsiteOfficial website

History

ISNA traces its origins to a meeting of several Muslim student organizations in 1963, at which the Muslim Student Association of the U.S. & Canada ("The MSA") was formed in January 1963. ISNA regards the MSA's 1963 convention as its first one, held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Present-day ISNA was founded in 1982 through a joint effort of four organizations: The Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada (The MSA), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), and the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE) - to create a community-oriented organization due to the changing nature of the growing Muslim community.[4][5][6] Many of the leaders of these four founding organizations took leadership roles in the newly formed ISNA. In 1983, ISNA completed a $21 million ($53,906,782 today) headquarters complex in suburban Indianapolis using funds raised in part from international sources.[4] On August 30, 2013, Tahera Ahmad became the first woman to recite the Quran to open the ISNA convention, which she did at the 50th annual ISNA convention in front of a mixed-gender audience.[7]

Goals
Interior of ISNA mosque

ISNA's goal is "to be an exemplary and unifying Islamic organization in North America that contributes to the betterment of the Muslim community and society at large." ISNA is an association of Muslim organizations and individuals that provides a common platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, and civic and service organizations.

Since 1982, ISNA's structure has changed, with several organizations either becoming defunct, or simply leaving ISNA's umbrella. Currently, ISNA includes under its umbrella: Muslim Student Association (MSA), the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation (CITF; NAIT's counterpart in Canada), Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE), Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), and the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA).[8][9] Other organizations that either left ISNA or were disbanded include: Muslim Communities Association (MCA), Islamic Teaching Center (ITC), the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), Islamic Media Foundation (IMF), and Foundation for International Development (FID), among others. Although each of the umbrella groups under ISNA has a seat in the ISNA Board of Directors, ISNA itself has no reciprocal seat or say in the leadership of the lower umbrella groups.

Services
View through ISNA window

ISNA provides various services for Muslim immigrants and Muslim communities in North America. It used to publish information about Islam to be distributed with the intention of informing Muslims and non-Muslims about various issues in the religion, however this role was filled by a separate, unaffiliated organization, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).[10] They provide a forum for discussing aging and mortality as well as domestic violence. ISNA-Canada, a separately-run but loosely affiliated Canadian non-profit entity, also certifies food service and consumer products companies as Halal, and issues Islamic marriage certificates to couples with a marriage license who have performed the religious ceremony.

Although only a small percentage of mosques are official members, mosque membership in ISNA is an important step for many small communities trying to grow. ISNA also offers individual membership on an annual basis and lifetime basis for sustaining donors.

ISNA holds an annual national convention, typically on the Labor Day weekend in early September, which is generally regarded as the largest annual gathering of American Muslims in the United States. In the last few years, it has been held most frequently in Chicago, Illinois. The convention features Islamic lectures, discussions, debates, nasheeds, and Muslim comedy. A notable comedian who has repeatedly performed at ISNA is Azhar Usman. In 2012, the ISNA Convention was held in Washington, D.C. Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Thomas Perez, addressed the 2012 Convention,[11] and other prominent representatives of the White House have attended in the past, including Valerie Jarrett, President Obama's Senior Advisor for Engagement and International Affairs in 2009 [12] and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in 2016.[13]

Islamic Horizons is ISNA's bi-monthly publication of ISNA, featuring news from within the Muslim community around the nation, as well as articles addressing topics relevant to Muslim Americans.

ISNA-Canada, an independent, Canadian-incorporated organization, is the operator and owner of the Islamic Society of North America Elementary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Organizational structure

The ISNA is led by the ISNA Executive Council with decisions ratified by a Board of Directors (Majlis Ash-Shura).[14] A prominent former president of the ISNA Executive Council was Mohamed Magid, whose term ended in 2014. The ISNA Secretary General is Hazem Bata. Azhar Azeez is the current president. Former ISNA Secretary General Dr. Sayyid Syeed is the National Director for the Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances for ISNA.

Interfaith dialogue
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson at the ISNA Annual Convention in Chicago in September 2016
Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson at the ISNA Annual Convention
ISNA building, Plainfield, Indiana

ISNA invited Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to speak before its 44th annual meeting (2007). Reform Judaism is the largest Jewish denomination in the US. Yoffie denounced "opportunists" who demonise Islam, and called for an end to racial profiling and legal discrimination against Muslim Americans. Yoffie drew frequent applause, and a standing ovation. David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, criticized Yoffie.[15]

ISNA also invited Rick Warren to address the 2009 annual ISNA convention. Rabbis, evangelical and Catholic leaders were also present.[16]

ISNA has participated in interfaith dialogue with the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

In 2016, ISNA and the American Jewish Committee formed the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council to address rising bigotry against Jews and Muslims in the United States.[17]

Controversies

Alleged extremist ties

Former US Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said that the Islamic Society of North America is "accused of ties to Islamic extremists",[18] and investigative journalist Steven Emerson accused ISNA of ties to terrorism,[1] and argued that ISNA is not as moderate as some "would like to believe".[19] Others such as Rabbi Marc Schneier, president and founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, argue ISNA and other Islamic groups are too often condemned because of "extreme outliers".[19]

Alleged terrorist financing

ISNA was one of a number of Muslim groups investigated by US law enforcement for possible terrorist connections. Its tax records were requested in December 2003 by the Senate Finance Committee. However, the committee's investigation concluded in November 2005 having found no evidence of ties to terrorists. Committee chairman Charles Grassley said, "We did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law enforcement is already doing."[20]

In the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorist financing case, the United States Department of Justice named ISNA, along with Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), as an unindicted co-conspirator and one of a number of "entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood."[21][22][23][24] ISNA, along with NAIT and CAIR, filed motions seeking to be removed from the UCC listing, and the District Judge found that the government had violated the organizations' rights by listing them as Unindicted Co-Conspirators.[25] Judge Solis, as affirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, held that the government should not have listed CAIR and ISNA, but that "the government has produced ample evidence to establish the associations of CAIR, ISNA, NAIT, with the Islamic Association for Palestine, and with Hamas".[26]

An audit of the separately run but loosely-affiliated ISNA Canada, from 2007–2009, found that only a quarter of the funds donated to the organization went to help the poor. Charity donations were mostly spent on the administration of the center or misdirected to private businesses.[27][28] On September 21, 2013, the Canada Revenue Agency revoked the registration of ISNA Development Foundation,[29] a defunct-charity that operated out of ISNA Canada's headquarters,[28] due to the disbursement of funds to private businesses, including an organization linked to the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group.[29][30] ISNA Canada was not affected by this move, and still has its charitable status,[31] as can be found on the Canada Revenue Agency's website.[32]


Allegations of Wahhabism

In his testimony before the US Senate in October 2003, Dr. Michael Waller told Senators, that "The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) refers Muslim clerics to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Islamic Society of North America is an influential front for the promotion of the Wahhabi political, ideological and theological infrastructure in the United States and Canada." Claiming that ISNA has connections to 50 to 79 percent of mosques on the North American continent, he accused the organization of "dominating Islam in North America."[33][34]

Similarly, Stephen Schwartz described ISNA in Senate hearing testimony as "maintain[ing] open and close relations with the Saudi government".[35]

Other controversies

A speaker at the 2009 national convention, Warith Deen Umar, a New York imam, asserted that the Holocaust happened to the Jews "because they were serially disobedient to Allah."[19] He went on to allege that a group of Jews close to President Barack Obama "control the world". ISNA condemned the comments.[36]

At the July 2017 annual convention of ISNA, representatives from "Muslims for Progressive Values" and Human Rights Campaign (LGBT rights groups) were asked to shut down their booth and leave, given "that the convention was a religious, private, and family-oriented event."[37]

See also

References
  1. "Top Reform Rabbi Gives Watershed Address to Largest U.S. Muslim Group". The Jewish Daily Forward. 5 September 2007.
  2. "ISNA's Change Convention". Islamonline.net.
  3. "10 minutes with … Mohamed Magid". 2010-11-03.
  4. "Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis". washingtonpost.com.
  5. What You Need to Know about Islam & Muslims.
  6. Transplanting Religious Traditions.
  7. Hafiz, Yasmine (September 8, 2013). "Tahera Ahmad Is First Woman To Recite Quran At ISNA Convention (VIDEO)". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  8. "MYNA | Connect . Belong . Inspire - Home". myna.org. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  9. The Muslims of America.
  10. "Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) | Outreach, Education, and Social Services". icna.org. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  11. "Speech of Thomas A. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, at the 49th ISNA Convention - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  12. "Valerie Jarrett Addresses the Islamic Society of North America | The White House". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  13. "Jeh Johnson at ISNA".
  14. "Board of Directors - ISNA". isna.net. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  15. Marc Perelman (September 5, 2007). "Top Reform Rabbi Gives Watershed Address to Largest U.S. Muslim Group". The Jewish Daily Forward.
  16. Wan, William (2009-07-06). "Rick Warren Speaks at Muslim Interfaith Event". The Washington Post.
  17. Lipman, Steve (November 16, 2016). "Muslim-Jewish Council Forms Amid Spike In Hate Crime Launch of first such national group buttressed by post-election bias incidents against the two groups". The Jewish Week. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  18. Infiltration.
  19. Guttman, Nathan (2009-07-20). "Anti-Semitic Speech at Islamic Meet Mars Interfaith Push". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  20. "Nation/World - Indianapolis Star - indystar.com". Indianapolis Star.
  21. The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West, Lorenzo G. Vidino ISBN 9780231522298, pp 167-186
  22. http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/423.pdf
  23. MacFarquhar, Neil (2007-08-16). "Muslim Groups Oppose a List of 'Co-Conspirators'". The New York Times.
  24. Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and the United States.
  25. Josh Gerstein. "Judge: Feds violated U.S. Islamic group's rights". POLITICO.
  26. "2009 order on Holy Land Foundation unindicted coconspirator list". scribd.com.
  27. McLean, Jesse (January 20, 2011). "Muslim charity squandered money for poor". The Star. Toronto. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  28. "Star Investigation: Federal audit raises concern that Canadian charity funded terror".
  29. "The Canada Revenue Agency Revokes the Registration of the ISNA Development Foundation as a Charity". MarketWatch. September 20, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  30. Shawn Jeffords (September 20, 2013). "Islamic group's charitable status revoked over alleged link to terror organization". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  31. "ISNA Canada Release 27 September, 2013, Re: ISNA Development Foundation". ISNA Canada. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.
  32. "Islamic Society of North America - Canada (ISNA - Canada) — Quick View". Canada Revenue Agency. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  33. J. Michael Waller (October 14, 2003). "Statement of J. Michael Waller (Annenberg Professor of International Communication Institute of World Politics) Before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, Senate Committee on the Judiciary". US Senate Judiciary Committee. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008.
  34. Stupid Black Men.
  35. Schwartz, Stephen. "Wahhabism & Islam in The U.S." National Review. Archived from the original on 2015-02-04.
  36. "Antisemitic Rant Causes Red Faces at Islamic Confab". The Jewish Daily Forward. July 15, 2009.
  37. Avery, Dan (14 July 2017). "HRC Ejected From Largest Muslim Convention In North America". LOGO News. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
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