ISNA Co-hosts Regional Conference in Atlanta
By Crystal Habib
Sep/Oct 2024
On July 13-14, in collaboration with YMTA (Young Muslim Talent of America), ISNA hosted an inspiring regional conference in Duluth, Ga.
Around 400 attendees and dozens of vendors and sponsors made the venue buzz with excitement. The event’s sponsors Islamic Relief USA and The Zakat Foundation added a touch of generosity and community spirit.
Session topics included “Transformative Personal Change,” “Cultivating Love and Tranquility in the Family,” “Empowerment through Education,” “Prioritizing Personal Health and Mental Well-being,” “Being a Prophetic Voice: Mercy as a Tool for Uniting Communities,” and “Standing in Solidarity with the Victims of Gaza and Palestine.”
“Marriage is half of our deen, but what does that mean to us?” asked Shaykh Saad Tasleem (instructor, Al Maghrib), in the session on Cultivating Love and Tranquility in the Family. “There is so much more that needs to go into this relationship. A marriage that is established for the sake of Allah is a gift from Allah. Our Creator gifts this relationship with love, affection, and mercy. And that needs to be maintained, that needs to be nurtured, and that needs to grow,” he added.
A parallel session on” Islamic Finance Halal Money Master: Empowering Your Wealth Ethically” was addressed by Islamic finance speakers, among them Hud Williams (AMANA Mutual Fund) and attorney Bukhari R. Nuriddin. Youth parallel sessions included topics about the foundations of faith, personal transformation, dealing with doubts, and the power of du‘a.
In a session about education in the AI age, Nabile Safdar (division director, Imaging Informatics) stated that “It is a necessity for us to be dealing with the media and this degree of information. There is a risk with new tools like AI, but it is about the decisions we make as individuals about how we interact with these tools because they can be good and bad depending on how we use them.”
The Community Service Recognition Award ceremony concluded Saturday evening by recognizing award recipients Raheem Shah and Zareenah Naushad. Shah, an international philanthropist, has been recognized by the Georgia senate. He is the founder of Voices of Muslims, the Georgia Pakistan Council, and other organizations.
In addition to excelling in robotics and AI, high school honors graduate, Zareenah Naushad. founded Autistry Studio and has partnered with major universities. She completed Georgia Tech’s computing research program, serves as a WIT ambassador, and interns at Innova Solutions.
Shaykh Saad Tasleem delivered a powerful keynote address. As the event ended, a heartwarming concluding session honored the dedicated volunteers and organizers who made it all possible. The young stars of the Children’s Program received well-deserved awards for their outstanding accomplishments. On display during this session was a beautiful diorama created by the children showcasing their creativity and talent.
Crystal Habib is ISNA’s communications and social media coordinator.
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