ISNA Conference 2006

TMO Staff Reporter

ISNA held its 43rd annual conference this past weekend in Rosemont, Illinois, at the Chicago Convention Center. The theme of the convention was “Achieving Balance In Faith, Family and Community.” According to ISNA’s Sayyid Syeed, the national director of ISNA’s Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances, 40,000 people attended the conference.

The most notable speaker from among the many well-known speakers was President Mohammad Khatami, until recently president of Iran. Forced to speak via teleconference in response to security concerns, Khatami spoke mainly on the importance of American Muslims’ having a terribly important role to play in world politics.

The convention buzzed with bazaar activity, social interaction, and MSA sessions. The topics discussed ranged widely–across community, national, and international issues.

As usual, the conference was elaborately and painstakingly organized.

This conference was also notable for the identify of ISNA’s new president, the first ever woman selected for that post, Ingrid Mattson.

Dr. Mattson, who earlier served as the first female ISNA Vice President, is Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of Islamic Chaplaincy at the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT.

The conference was held September 1st through 4th, over Labor Day weekend. About 500 vendors were present at the bustling bazaar, and thousands of Muslim participants had come from around the United States and abroad to participate.

Special sessions of the conference included an ITAG conference targeted at the burgeoning interest in IT among Muslims.

It was a wonderful Labor Day weekend for all who enjoyed the many delights that the convention afforded the visitors who came to it from around the world.

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