Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Convention Slated for 02-05 Sep 2022 In Chicago

by Jatinder Singh Bedi

CHICAGO - The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) will be hosting its 59th Annual Convention in Chicago September 2-5, 2022. The Convention will take place during the Labor Day Weekend at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018. This was announced at a press conference held at Chicago's famous Usmania Resturant.

The theme of the Convention is "Resilience, Hope, & Faith: With Hardship, Comes Ease." One of the attractions is the annual bazaar which is likely to feature over 550 vendors including clothing designers, booksellers, non-profit organizers and much more.

At a press conference, Mr Mir Khan, the ISNA Board Member, and also the Chairman of the Convention Steering Committee, says that “ISNA is the largest and oldest Islamic umbrella organization [of Muslims] in the North America. It fosters development of the community through [activities like] convention, conference, education forums, interfaith activities, youth programs, civic engagement and other avenues. Our [ISNA] goal is also to unite people across different faiths and backgrounds in the spirit of peace and better understanding. ISNA has invited prominent speakers, scholars, community leaders, and public servants to attend the Convention. We live in challenging times by showcasing a diverse array of voices, stories and viewpoints, we hope to continue shaping a new narrative around what it means to be a mainstream Muslim today.”

He added that the Convention will also feature film festival, fashion show for ladies, young professionals banquet, qira’at competition, and matrimonial banquets. There featured speakers at this year’s ISNA Convention such as Khizr Khan, Siraj Wahhaj, Miko Peled, Sayyed Hossein Nasr, Dalia Mogahed and several known community leaders.

ISNA has its roots with the Muslim Student Association from 1963 and ISNA was incorporated in 1981. Its headquarters is located in Plainfield, IN. 

Mr Ashfaq Syed, the Secretary of the ISNA Convention Steering Committee, said: “The four-day ISNA convention will unite both Muslim and interfaith individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations for a full schedule of lectures, discussions, debates and entertainment.” He expects over “20000 people” to attend.

Mr Ashfaq Syed “requests all the community members to join ISNA convention for the great experience.” The Convention may be for four days, but the memories last for a lifetime, Mr Ashfaq added.

ISNA has its roots with the Muslim Student Association from 1963 and ISNA was incorporated in 1981. Its headquarters is located in Plainfield, IN. ISNA has a wide variety of services and programs including education forums for Islamic schools, webinars, regional conferences, youth development, community resources, scholarships, mosque development, chaplaincy endorsement, matrimonial services, community outreach and interfaith programs.