Islamic Society of North America
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The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), based in Plainfield, Indiana, is an umbrella group that describes itself as the largest Muslim organization in North America. Formed in 1963 by the Muslim Brotherhood[1], the Islamic Society is an umbrella group that represents Muslim associations for youth, college students, engineers and others, and also provides support to Muslim chaplains and North American mosques. Its annual meeting regularly draws more than 30,000 people. The president serves a two-year term, leading the society's committees and executive boards that set policy through consultation with its members.[2]
The vision of ISNA 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. ISNA's annual convention is generally the largest gathering of American Muslims in the United States. Islamic Horizons is the bi-monthly publication of ISNA. ISNA Elementary School.
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[edit] 2006 New leadership
Ingrid Mattson, a Canadian convert to Islam and an Islamic law scholar at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, was overwhelmingly voted in through a mail-in ballot, in which she ran unopposed, to lead the Islamic Society of North America just ahead of its annual convention, which began on September 1, 2006 in Rosemont, Illinois. "This is a community that can choose to be whatever it wishes to be, unlike many other Muslims throughout the world who don't live in democratic societies", Mrs. Mattson said August 28 in a phone interview from Chicago. "I think it shows what Muslims can do and would like to do".
Mrs. Mattson's election was announced late August 25, 2006. The organization has received a few e-mails objecting to her election since then, "but it's a very small minority", she said. "It was our membership who elected me", she said. "I wasn't foisted upon their community. Really, this is their choice".
American Muslims hold varied cultural views on the proper role for women in the religion, and there is no tradition of female imams, or clerics, at mosques. The Islamic Society president is only rarely called upon to lead public prayers, and Mrs. Mattson will not do so, said Sayyid Syeed, who directs national interfaith and community relations for the group. "That does not in any way limit her role as president", Mr. Syeed said.
Mrs. Mattson, who wears a hijab in public said that wearing Hijab in pubilc is a strong priority for her because it symbolizes women empowerment and dignity. Omid Safi, professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said Mrs. Mattson's election was significant for another reason. He noted that North American Muslim organizations are generally led by members of the ethnic-immigrant groups that founded them. Choosing a North American convert and Islamic scholar shows a new openness, Mr. Safi said. "Let's hope that it marks an important shift", he said.[2]
[edit] Services
As a nationally respected body, ISNA provides various services for Muslims and Muslim communities in North America. They publish information about Islam to be distributed with the intention of informing Muslims and non-Muslims about various issues in the religion. They provide a forum for discussing ageing and mortality as well as domestic violence. ISNA also certifies restaurants as Halal, and issues Islamic marriage certificates to couples with a marriage licence and who have performed the religious ceremony.
Although only a small percentage of mosques are official members, mosque membership in ISNA is an important step to make for many small communities trying to grow.
ISNA holds a national convention on an annual basis, typically on the Labor Day weekend in early September. In the last few years, it has been held in Chicago, IL with increasing numbers attending including people from outside of the U.S. and North America. The convention features Islamic lectures, discussions, debates, nasheeds and Muslim comedy. A notable comedian who has repeatedly performed at ISNA is Azhar Usman.
[edit] Funding sources investigated
The 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 with no action taken. Committee chairman Charles Grassley said, "We did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law enforcement is already doing."[3]
[edit] Criticism
Umbreen Shah of the self-proclaimed progressive group Muslim WakeUp! has criticized ISNA for their conservative nature and alleged misrepresentation of the American Muslim population. Miss Shah takes issue with ISNA's claims that while more than half of American Muslims are black (contrary to surveys of American Muslim demographics, see Islam in the United States), ISNA, claiming to represent all Muslim Americans, reserves little room for them or the ways in which they practice Islam. She also cited Democrats and Republican writers being concerned that ISNA denied any Muslim connections with 9/11, glorifiyng Osama Bin Laden in books on their website and funding hate literature in 80% of American mosques controlled via the Saudi-funded, North American Islamic Trust.
Shah decried a "tendency in ISNA to enforce a particular religiously conservative philosophy without adapting to the people it serves." She claimed women presenters at ISNA to have been "routinely asked to wear hijab during presentation even though they don’t normally wear the headscarf", thus promoting either hypocrisy or contention when presenters have refused to wear it. She quotes Ingrid Mattson as having said "Most Muslim women are content with separate prayer space in the mosque", thus "echoing white supremacists who said blacks have an innate preference for segregation.". Shah also denounced a "police state mentality among ISNA officials. The website also misrepresent various Islamic books such as Sahih Muslim, Sahih Bukharee etc etc".[4]
[edit] Response
In an article, Sheila Musaji has responded to various criticism raised by Umbreen Shah. She states that she searched the ISNA print publications and information on the their website for any claim that they were “only representative of Muslim Americans from all walks of life", and could not find any. She also points out that many African Americans may not have been represented in large numbers at the ISNA convention because of the convention by W.D. Muhammad during the same weekend.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ In Search Of Friends Among The Foes U.S. Hopes to Work With Diverse Group
- ^ a b "Islamic group taps woman for chief", Washington Times, 2006-08-29.
- ^ Indiana-based Islamic Society cleared in Senate investigation by King, Robert, Indianapolis Star, November 15, 2005
- ^ ISNA Thugs, by Umbreen Shah, September 07, 2005
- ^ ISNA? Thugs (2005 ISNA Convention), by Sheila Musaji, The American Muslim, September 11 2005
- The group is not to be confused with the Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia which is an Islamic group based in Australia. The two are pronounced phonetically the same. (IPA: ['ısnʌ,'ısnæ])
