Thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims will discuss security, service, society and the future of Islam in America and abroad at the 44th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention later this month in Rosemont, Ill. It is a time for engagement, reflection and action.
I can't wait.
My family and I make it a priority to contribute in whatever way we can to the convention. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Muslims found themselves in the forefront of American public life. Nobody knows the exact figures, but some estimates say that roughly 3 to 9 million Muslims live in America.
We are a minority. The public wants to know more about us. They should, too.
The first study on Muslim Americans, commissioned by the Pew Center for Religion & Public Life, found that they are "generally well assimilated, happy with their lives and moderate with respect to many of the issues that divided Muslims and Westerners around the world."
According to the study, 65 percent of Muslim Americans are foreign-born, 35 percent native born, 24 percent Arab and 18 percent South Asian. The study also found that 21 percent of Muslims in America are converts.
According to its Web site, ISNA -- widely considered the largest Muslim organization in the country -- seeks to provide 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."
Not surprisingly, the 2007 convention's theme -- "Upholding Faith, Serving Humanity" -- promises to engage the broad spectrum of Muslims from different nations.
More students are taking Arabic. More universities, including IU, offer language courses related to South Asia. (The Department of Central Eurasian Studies recently began offering Urdu.)
The U.S. State Department declared certain Middle Eastern and South Asian as critical languages and offers funding for students interested in studying Urdu, Arabic, Turkish, Hindi, Bengali and Punjabi.
Every year, since the beginning of his presidency, President George W. Bush has been invited to attend the convention. He never has, but in 2006, his deputy secretary of defense, deputy assistant secretary for educational and cultural affairs, and the assistant administrator for the Bureau for Asia and the Near East at U.S. Agency for International Development, attended the 43rd annual convention.
The three-day convention, which will be held Aug. 31 through Sept. 4, is more than a time to pray and meet new people. It is also a time to deepen the interconnection of my faith. I believe it is part of my responsibility as an American and a Muslim to advance the dialogue of Islam in America. It is refreshing to attend and meet young people who have similar experiences and thoughts.
It is even more uplifting to participate in events that encourage tolerance and acceptance in society, such as the annual blood drive for the Red Cross and the $10-million-dollar Katrina Relief Fund.
After all, there is more that unites us than divides us.
Small wonder why I look forward to the convention every year.
Maaria Chaudry can be reached at mchaudhr@iusb.edu.
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Islamic Society of North America
