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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs- November 2003 ISNA and ASM hold join session By Richard H.Curtiss The annual three-day Labor Day weekend is a highpoint for Muslim Americans, particularly those who live in the Midwest and Canada. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people attended the 40th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference, held at McCormick Place in Chicago from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1. A parallel event held in Chicago the same weekend by the American Society of Muslims, led by Warith Deen Mohammad, drew about the same number of African-American Muslims. For the first time the two conventions, held just three miles apart, had one joint session. Leaders sought to introducethe American Muslims from overseas to the indigenous American Muslims who have been expanding their numbers exponentially within the United States. An unspoken but clear attempt was made to bring these groups closer together as rapidly as the two memberships were prepared to accept. The mainstream African-American group the Nation of Islam was founded by Wallace D. Fard and his successor, Elijah Muhammad. At that time the group generally was referred to as the Black Muslims. Later, after W. Deen Muhammad, Elijah Muhammad's son, assumed leadership in 1975, he went to Mecca, and began to understand the worldwide implications of Islam. He steered the group to Sunni Islam, founding the organization that became the American Society of Muslims in 1978. He has remained leader of the group, which now boasts 2.5 million members, ever since. In 1978 Louis Farrakhan—who several years ago suffered serious health problems related to prostate cancer—took over the old Nation of Islam, now a considerably smaller organization. The group has become less militant over the years, and has organized highly successful and well-publicized peaceful demonstrations such as the Million Man March and a similar event for Black women. For some time African Americans have hoped that the Nation of Islam and the American Society of Muslims might amalgamate. At this year's ASM Convention, Warith Deen Mohammad announced that he will be retiring but plans to remain active in the organization—perhaps as a kind of elder statesman—and asked his members to elect a successor. Thus, leadership changes can be expected in both groups. Immigrant Muslim Americans have frequently expressed the hope that they might learn from the experience of African-Americans during the civil rights movement. The Chicago ISNA convention featured an extraordinary number of activities for immigrant Muslims and their American-born children alike. While most focused on proselytizing, making new converts, and reinforcing their members' convictions, there were panel discussions on politics as well. Richard H. Curtiss is executive editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. |