Despite a lower attendance than anticipated, Saturday's 20th Annual Islamic Conference of New England, sponsored by the Islamic Council of New England and hosted by the Brown Muslim Students' Association, set a strong precedent for future large-scale undertakings of the BMSA, according to its organizers.
The politically charged series of lectures focused on the conference's theme, Islamic Vision of Democracy and Geopolitical Realities. Speakers from across New England and beyond addressed democracy-related theories and ideologies found in basic and traditional Islamic law, as well as the modern-day implications of these tenets in America and around the world.
Listeners said they particularly enjoyed the second session's speakers, Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid and Al-Hajj Imam Khairi A. Shakur. Discoursing on "Dogma or Evolution: The Dilemma of Contemporary Ijtihad (Quranic interpretation)," the two speakers "can really connect with the audience, (so) people want to listen," said Saad Yousuf '08, one of the conference's student co-chairs. "You have to gear your speeches toward your audience. Those who are a lot more spiritual (and less academic in vernacular) get them more excited - everyone needs a boost in spirituality," he said.
Rashid, for instance, challenged listeners to overcome the idea "that the only way we can thrive in this land is to make the Islam religion subservient."
Also popular was Session III, during which Asma Afsaruddin, an associate professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at Notre Dame University, and Ustaz Omar Abdul-Malik of Harvard University talked about the concept of "Shura," loosely translated as "consultation," and its potential to bridge the chasm between Islamic law and democratic systems. A specialist in the political thought of Islam, Afsaruddin said, "The concept is actually very compatible with democracy in general. All of those ideas are embodied in the notion of Shura," because consultation and advisement are essential qualities of a democratic system. "The accountability to the people is there from day one."
Abdul-Malik added: "Now that we have all this information (technology), people will respond. It brings a whole new meaning to consultation." Like most of the other lecturers, Abdul-Malik ran overtime, delving deeply into his theories of human capital development.
The conference also featured an entertainment portion: After a short afternoon preview, Muslim artists spent three hours following the banquet dinner demonstrating, among other talents, the increasingly popular art of spoken word poetry set to music. Yousuf was especially pleased with this addition to the conference program. "Because it was a mix of rap and religion, the youth, especially teenagers, liked that," he said. "They've never heard it before."
Refai Arefin '07, Yousuf's co-chair, agreed and said that the genre, in "dealing with issues of justice and society," proves an effective social commentary not seen in mainstream rap and hip-hop records.
Connecting with the younger conference attendees, however briefly, was an essential goal of the conference, though one not met as fully as Yousuf, Arefin and their ICNE counterparts had hoped. Despite projections of 300 - 400 attendees from Brown, other New England schools and the area's Muslim communities, only about 100 people - mainly families and outside religious leaders - showed up.
"That's a disappointment," Yousuf said, but he conceded that the conference's mid-semester timing and lack of a keynote speaker or central event may have hurt the numbers.
Additionally, Arefin noted that attending the conference may have proved "intimidating for people because there were so many Muslims from all over New England." The BMSA organizers added a youth session in the afternoon at the last minute, but by then it made little difference.
Longtime ICNE member and former professor of biology Sajide Khudairi offered an alternative explanation for the low numbers: "Before (Sept. 11), it was easy, anyone would attend. We had good numbers because none of them were being reported. Now, people are afraid. I give credit, really, to those who are here." Khudairi, who said she was a firm believer in the American ideal, hopes that conferences such as the ICNE's annual event will create a more equal dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims.
In spite of such obstacles, conference attendees and organizers were pleased with the results. "We feel responsible as Muslim youth to change this picture" of Islam in the world, said Ossama El Batron '07, and the day's discussions opened a pathway for this change.
Fatima Quraishi '06 added, "Instead of trying to find a way to frame ourselves for everyone, we (can) take back and make ourselves a part of our heritage."
ICNE Executive Director M. Saleem Bajma was satisfied as well. Despite the attendance, he said, "quality is at par, maybe even better, than previous years," when the conference was held at places such as Harvard and Northeastern Universities. The variety among attendees' ethnicities, dress and accents attested to Bajma's goal of bringing together the diversity of the area's Muslim community and his hope to empower student organizations was clearly met as well.
Arefin agreed, "This (was) the MSA's opportunity to really connect with the outside community ... this just opens up the door for us."
