PROGRAM BOOKLET

WELCOME MESSAGE
Dear brothers and sisters,
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
I pray to Allah (SWT) that you and the members of your family are in the best of health and high
Islamic spirit.
On behalf of the Convention Committee, I am very pleased to welcome you to the 2016 ISNA
Canada Annual Convention. The theme of the convention is “Principles of Success – Leading with
Love & Faith”.
The Convention Program Committee introduced the theme of the convention as follows: “Indeed,
Allah Most High has entrusted us humankind with being the stewards of this earth and all that it
holds. A recurring theme thereof is the detailing of leadership that when understood and practiced,
yields such bounty of peace and love on all micro and macro levels of existence: personal self,
familial, social, global, political, environmental, etc.” It added: “Thus the intention of this year’s
convention is to come together to learn and remind ourselves of how this can be done, how we
can yield this reality in the various areas and roles we find ourselves in, and what determines true
success (al-falaah)”.
This is a beautiful expression of the high aspirations of young Muslim Canadians who have internalized
the true values of Islam. We pray to Allah (SWT) to guide them to assume Islamic leadership
and demonstrate its characteristics of love of Allah and His Prophet, strength of character and
sense of accountability (amanah). This kind of leadership is a blessing not only for Muslims, but
also for humanity at large.
The convention program will deal with the various aspects of successful leadership in different
spheres of life, as well as more pressing topics such as the Muslim presence in Canada and the
new opportunities for dawah, relevance, and also the new challenges facing Muslim Canadians
such as the scourge of Islamophobia. Many scholars, with various orientations, have been invited
this year to enrich the dialogue.
I pray to Allah (SWT) to make this convention a positive and meaningful experience for you and
your family members.
Wassalamu alaikum.
Dr. Mohamed Bekkari
Chair - ISNA Canada Convention
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