Islamic Society of North America
Encyclopedia
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
.
using funds raised in part from Muslim Brotherhood
leader Youssef Nada
and the Emir
of Qatar
. In 2008, it claimed 400,000 members.
, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, and civic and service organizations.
ISNA includes under its umbrella: Muslim Student Association (MSA), the North American Islamic Trust
(NAIT), Canadian Islamic Trust (CIT; NAIT's counterpart in Canada), Muslim Community Association (MCA), American Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), American Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), Islamic Teaching Center (ITC), Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) and Foundation of International Development (FID).
. ISNA 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 holds an annual national convention
, typically on the Labor Day
weekend in early September, which is generally the largest gathering of American
Muslims in the United States
. In the last few years, it has been held in Chicago, Illinois, with increasing numbers attending including people from outside of 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
.
Its President is Mohamed Magid, and its Secretary General is Safaa Zarzour. Muzzamil Siddiqi was president until November 2001, and he and Imam Siraj Wahhaj
serve on ISNA's board of directors. Dr. Sayyid Syeed
is the National Director for the Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances for ISNA.
Islamic Horizons is ISNA's bi-monthly publication.
ISNA is associated with the Islamic Society of North America Elementary School
in Mississauga, Ontario
, Canada.
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.
ISNA also invited Rick Warren
to address the 2009 annual ISNA convention. Rabbis, evangelical and Catholic leaders were also present.
ISNA has participated in interfaith dialogue with the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
.
. 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."
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
, as an unindicted co-conspirator
and one of a number of "entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood
." According to columnist Rod Dreher
's interpretation of court documents, "ISNA is an integral part of the [Muslim] Brotherhood's efforts to wage jihad against America through non-violent means."
(R-AZ) has asserted that the Islamic Society of North America is "accused of ties to Islamic extremists", and Steven Emerson
accused ISNA of ties to terrorism.
Similarly, Stephen Schwartz
described ISNA in Senate hearing testimony as one of the chief conduits through which the radical Saudi form of Islam passes through to the US.
, a New York imam
, asserted that the Holocaust
happened to the Jews "because they were serially disobedient to Allah
." He went on to allege that a group of Jews close to President Barack Obama
"control the world."
ISNA immediately condemned the comments.
In an article, Sheila Musaji has responded to 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 “the 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.
A audit of the ISNA's Canadian arm found only a quarter of the funds donated to the organisation went to help the poor. Charity donations were misdirected to private businesses.
Plainfield, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,396 people, 7,051 households, and 4,914 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,023.1 people per square mile . There were 7,449 housing units at an average density of 414.3 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
History
ISNA traces its origins to a Muslim student organization in 1953, which emerged as the Muslim Student Association in January 1963. ISNA regards the MSA's 1963 convention as its first one. ISNA was founded in 1982 by individuals. In 1983, ISNA completed a $21 million ($ today) headquarters complex in suburban IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
using funds raised in part from Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
leader Youssef Nada
Youssef Nada
Youssef Moustafa Nada is a noted businessman and Muslim Brotherhood financial strategist, having recently served as chairman of al Taqwa Bank, the multinational financial services outfit accused by the US Treasury Department during the Bush administration of financing al Qaeda...
and the Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. In 2008, it claimed 400,000 members.
Goals
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 IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, and civic and service organizations.
ISNA includes under its umbrella: Muslim Student Association (MSA), the North American Islamic Trust
North American Islamic Trust
The North American Islamic Trust is a Saudi-backed organization based in Plainfield, Indiana, that owns Islamic properties and promotes waqf in North America...
(NAIT), Canadian Islamic Trust (CIT; NAIT's counterpart in Canada), Muslim Community Association (MCA), American Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), American Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), Islamic Teaching Center (ITC), Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) and Foundation of International Development (FID).
Services
ISNA provides various services for Muslim immigrants and Muslim communities in North America. It publishes 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 aging and mortality as well as domestic violenceIslam and domestic violence
The relationship between Islam and domestic violence is disputed. Even among Muslims, the uses and interpretations of shari’a, the moral code and religious law of Islam, lack consensus....
. ISNA also certifies food service and consumer products companies as Halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
, 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 holds an annual national convention
Isna convention
The annual convention of ISNA is the largest annual gathering of Muslim Americans to discuss their role in society, politics, public media, activism, educational institutions, etc....
, typically on the Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend in early September, which is generally the largest gathering of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Muslims in the United States
Islam in the United States
From the 1880s to 1914, several thousand Muslims immigrated to the United States from the Ottoman Empire, and from parts of South Asia; they did not form distinctive settlements, and probably most assimilated into the wider society....
. In the last few years, it has been held in Chicago, Illinois, with increasing numbers attending including people from outside of 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
Azhar Usman
Azhar Usman is a Indian American Muslim comedian and actor born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.-Background and education:...
.
Its President is Mohamed Magid, and its Secretary General is Safaa Zarzour. Muzzamil Siddiqi was president until November 2001, and he and Imam Siraj Wahhaj
Siraj Wahhaj
Siraj Wahhaj is an African-American convert to Islam. He is imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America .-Early life:...
serve on ISNA's board of directors. Dr. Sayyid Syeed
Sayyid Syeed
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed is the National Director for the Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances for the Islamic Society of North America . ISNA is a national umbrella organization which has more than 300 affiliates all over the U.S. and Canada....
is the National Director for the Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances for ISNA.
Islamic Horizons is ISNA's bi-monthly publication.
ISNA is associated with the Islamic Society of North America Elementary School
Islamic Society of North America Elementary School
Islamic Society of North America Elementary School is an Islamic elementary school in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The school is part of the Islamic Society of North America umbrella organization. ISNA Elementary School was founded in 1983, and moved to its current location in 1985; it is one of...
in Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, Canada.
Interfaith dialogue
ISNA invited RabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Eric Yoffie
Eric Yoffie
Eric H. Yoffie is a Reform rabbi, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism , the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada...
, president of the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
, 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
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
and legal discrimination against Muslim Americans. Yoffie drew frequent applause, and a standing ovation. David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
, criticized Yoffie.
ISNA also invited Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
to address the 2009 annual ISNA convention. Rabbis, evangelical and Catholic leaders were also present.
ISNA has participated in interfaith dialogue with the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
The Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs is the principal ecumenical and interfaith organization of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops....
.
Legal issues
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 CommitteeUnited States Senate Committee on Finance
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
. 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."
In the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorist financing
Terrorist Financing
Terrorist financing came into limelight after the events of terrorism on 9/11. The US passed the USA PATRIOT Act to, among other reasons, attempt thwarting the financing of terrorism and anti-money laundering making sure these were given some sort of adequate focus by US financial institutions...
case, the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
named ISNA, along with Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR), the North American Islamic Trust
North American Islamic Trust
The North American Islamic Trust is a Saudi-backed organization based in Plainfield, Indiana, that owns Islamic properties and promotes waqf in North America...
, as an unindicted co-conspirator
Unindicted co-conspirator
An unindicted co-conspirator, or unindicted conspirator, is a person or entity that is alleged in an indictment to have engaged in conspiracy, but who is not charged in the same indictment...
and one of a number of "entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
." According to columnist Rod Dreher
Rod Dreher
Rod Dreher is an American writer and editor. He was a conservative editorial writer and a columnist for The Dallas Morning News, but departed that newspaper in late 2009 to affiliate with the John Templeton Foundation. He has also contributed in the past to The American Conservative and National...
's interpretation of court documents, "ISNA is an integral part of the [Muslim] Brotherhood's efforts to wage jihad against America through non-violent means."
Controversies
Senator Jon KylJon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
(R-AZ) has asserted that the Islamic Society of North America is "accused of ties to Islamic extremists", and Steven Emerson
Steven Emerson
Steven Emerson, is an American journalist and author, who writes about national security, terrorism, and Islamic extremism.Emerson is the author of six books, and co-author of two more. His television documentary Jihad in America won the 1994 George Polk Award for best Television Documentary, and...
accused ISNA of ties to terrorism.
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."Similarly, Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz (journalist)
Stephen Suleyman Schwartz is an American Muslimjournalist, columnist, and author. He has been published in a variety of media, including The Wall Street Journal. He is the executive director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism...
described ISNA in Senate hearing testimony as one of the chief conduits through which the radical Saudi form of Islam passes through to the US.
Other controversy
A speaker at the 2009 national convention, Warith Deen UmarWarith Deen Umar
Warith Deen Umar is a New York area imam and resident of Bethlehem, New York. He was formerly the head Muslim chaplain of the New York State Department of Correctional Services, until his retirement in the year 2000....
, a New York imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, asserted that the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
happened to the Jews "because they were serially disobedient to Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
." He went on to allege that a group of Jews close to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
"control the world."
ISNA immediately condemned the comments.
In an article, Sheila Musaji has responded to 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 “the 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.
A audit of the ISNA's Canadian arm found only a quarter of the funds donated to the organisation went to help the poor. Charity donations were misdirected to private businesses.
See also
- Islam in CanadaIslam in CanadaAccording to Canada's 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population. In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimates there were about 0.9 million Muslims in Canada. About 65% were Sunni,...
- Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
- Canadian Council on American-Islamic RelationsCanadian Council on American-Islamic RelationsThe Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations is a national Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in Canada. CAIR-CAN is an Ottawa-based, nonprofit organization with a grassroots membership...
- Council on American-Islamic RelationsCouncil on American-Islamic RelationsThe Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
- Muzammil H. SiddiqiMuzammil H. SiddiqiDr. Muzammil Siddiqi is a prominent American Muslim, Islamic scholar, theologian and chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.-Education:...