Islamic Circle of North America

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is an Islamic North American grassroots umbrella organization.[1][2] It seeks to propagate Islam and promote the Islamic way of life among American Muslims. It has links to the Jamaat-e-Islami in South Asia.[3]

Islamic Circle of North America
AbbreviationICNA
Formation1968 (1977–present form)
TypeIslamic North American grassroots umbrella organization
PurposeTo seek the pleasure of Allah through the struggle of Iqamat-ud-Deen [establishment of the Islamic system of life] as spelled out in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of [Muhammad]
Headquarters166-26 89th Avenue, Queens, New York, United States
Region served
North America
President
Mohsin Ansari
Websiteicna.org

History

ICNA is an offshoot of the Muslim Students' Association (MSA), and was founded by immigrants from South Asia.[4] In 1971, a number of South Asian MSA members who had been involved in Islamic movements in their home countries developed an Islamic study circle (halaqa), in Montreal. This Halqa Ahbab Islami would become the predecessor of ICNA.[5][6][7] The "Sisters Wing", its women's group, was established in 1979.

It is smaller and more conservative than the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), holding separate sessions at its national conventions for women.[8][9] In 2002 it allowed a woman to address its annual convention for the first time.[10] Its headquarters are in Jamaica, New York, and includes classrooms, a reading room, and a small mosque, and it has offices in Detroit, Michigan, and Oakville, Ontario.[11]

Views

According to ICNA, its goal "shall be to seek the pleasure of Allah through the struggle of Iqamat-ud-Deen establishment of the Islamic system of life as spelled out in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Muhammad."

ICNA seeks to promote Islam and the Islamic way of life in the United States.[3] They are active on the issues of War in Afghanistan and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Initially ICNA was composed of Muslim Americans of Indo-Pakistani descent who had split from ISNA.[12]

According to Hossein Nasr, ICNA has been influenced by the ideals of Abul A'la Maududi of Pakistan, and is structured similar to the Jamaat-e-Islami, which Mawdudi founded. However, it is a separate entity from Jamaat-e-Islami.[13] John Esposito wrote in 2004 that it had links to Jamaat-e-Islami.[3][14]

ICNA strongly condemned the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt and immediately called for punishment to the fullest extext of the law for anyone who engages in terrorism.[15] In 2011, ICNA welcomed President Barack Obama's counter-terrorism initiatives.[16]

Activities

Its major Dawah activities include a toll-free number for non-Muslims (1-877-WhyIslam), and dawah: field trips, distribution of Islamic literature, through mosques, by mail, through media, in prisons, campus support, flyers online, and through email. WhyIslam.org is an ICNA program.

When the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy broke, ICNA condemned the depiction of any prophet, from Adam to Moses to Jesus to Mohammed.[17]

As of 2002, a dozen mosques were affiliated with ICNA.[18]

Annual convention

ICNA's annual convention is one of the largest gatherings of American Muslims in the United States, drawing thousands of people. The 33rd annual convention, co-sponsored by the Muslim American Society, was held at the Renaissance Waverly Atlanta Hotel in Georgia.[19] The 2007 ICNA-MAS convention, the 32nd annual convention, was reportedly attended by over 13,000 people. The 38th Annual ICNA-MAS Convention, which was themed "Islam: The Pursuit of Happiness", was attended by a record 18,000 people at the Hartford Convention Center in Connecticut.[20]

The conventions have been held in Baltimore since 2015. An estimated 20,000 Muslims attended the 42nd ICNA-MAS convention in 2017. Many sessions addressed concerns arising from the spike of Islamophobic hate crimes in the community, such as "Combating Islamophobia", "Asserting Your Rights Under Trump Presidency", and "Working through Challenging Times".[21]

ICNA has participated in interfaith dialogue with the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

In January 2017, Javaid Siddiqi was elected ICNA president.[22]

In January 2021, Mohsin Ansari was elected ICNA president.

Why Islam?

Why Islam?, headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, is a community outreach project of the ICNA, with the objective of providing information about Islam, and debunking what it describes as popular misconceptions. Why Islam? was established in 2000. The project seeks to provide information about Islam, by dispelling popular stereotypes and common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims through various services and outreach activities. In an effort to promote peaceful co-existence and remove hatred in society through encouraging understanding, Why Islam? offers opportunities for dialogue and answers to people’s queries about Islam.

Controversy

In 2009 and 2010, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) accused the ICNA of inviting extremist and anti-Semitic speakers to its conferences that serve as platforms for extremist views.[23][24] ICNA responded to ADL's allegations by saying that its conferences have always been held under the objective of rejecting extremism. ICNA's statement also supported the defense of human rights for Jewish and Israeli people, but demanded the defense of human rights for Palestinians as well.[25]

References
  1. van Nieuwkerk, Karin (2006). Women embracing Islam: gender and conversion in the West. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292713029.
  2. Cornell, Drucilla (2004). Defending ideals: war, democracy, and political struggles. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-94882-1.
  3. Esposito, John L. (2004), The Oxford dictionary of Islam, Oxford University Press, p. 146, ISBN 0-19-512559-2
  4. Complete idiot's guide to understanding Islam, Yahiya Emerick, Penguin Group, 2004, ISBN 1-59257-272-3, accessed 10 October 2020
  5. The South Asian religious diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States, Harold G. Coward, John R. Hinnells, Raymond Brady Williams, SUNY Press, 2000, ISBN 0-7914-4509-7, accessed 10 October 2020
  6. Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad; Jane I. Smith; Rowman Altamira (2002). Muslim minorities in the West: visible and invisible. ISBN 0-7591-0218-X. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  7. Afsaneh Najmabadi (2003). Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures: Family, law, and politics. Vol. 2. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-12818-2. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  8. Islam in America, Jane I. Smith, Columbia University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-231-10966-0, accessed January 31, 2010
  9. Erwin Fahlbusch; Geoffrey William Bromiley (2000). The encyclopedia of Christianity. Vol. 2. Brill Academic Pub. ISBN 90-04-11695-8. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  10. Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad; Jane I. Smith; Kathleen M. Moore (2006). Muslim women in America: the challenge of Islamic identity today. Oxford University Press US. p. 44. ISBN 0-19-517783-5. Retrieved 2014-06-02. Islamic Circle of North America.
  11. Madhulika Shankar Khandelwal (2002). Becoming American, being Indian: an immigrant community in New York City. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-8807-9. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  12. Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck (1993), The Muslims of America, Oxford University Press, p. 135, ISBN 0-19-508559-0
  13. Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza (1994). The Vanguard of the Islamic Revolution: The Jama`at-i Islami of Pakistan. University of California Press. p. 78. ISBN 0520083695.
  14. Cohen, Stephen P. (2004), The Idea of Pakistan, Brookings Institution Press, ISBN 978-0-8157-9761-6
  15. "Condemns Times Square Bomb Plot | Islamic Circle of North America". ICNA. Archived from the original on 2010-12-28. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  16. "ICNA Welcomes Obama's Counter Terror Strategy". 9 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  17. Muhammad Tariq Ghazi (2006). The Cartoons Cry. AuthorHouse. ISBN 1-4259-4764-6. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  18. Mohamed Nimer (2002). The North American Muslim resource guide: Muslim community life in the United States and Canada. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-415-93728-0. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  19. Cyril Glassé (2008). The new encyclopedia of Islam. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742562967. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  20. "Muslim Family Services". Archived from the original on 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  21. Rentz, Catherine (April 15, 2017). "Thousands of Muslims gather in downtown Baltimore for annual convention". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  22. "ICNA Press Release". Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  23. Backgrounder: Islamic Circle of North America Archived 2012-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, Anti-Defamation League, July 17, 2009 (Updated: January 18, 2011).
  24. Muslim-American Organizations' Anti-Radicalization Effort 'A Sham' Archived 2012-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Anti-Defamation League, Press Release, January 11, 2010.
  25. "Response to ADL Statement on Chicago Convention '09". ICNA.org. 12 January 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
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