4th Annual Muslim Chaplains Conference
The 2008 Muslim Chaplain's Conference was held on August 27 – 28, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio. The event opened just before the 45th Annual ISNA Convention. This year’s theme was “Building Professional and Leadership Capacity.” The conference began with a half day program consisting of lectures and presentations by renowned speakers in the field of chaplaincy. The conference was kicked off with opening remarks from the ILDC Executive Director, Louay Safi. Dr. Safi urged Muslim chaplains to seek opportunities to develop themselves professionally, reminding everyone of the important role that chaplains have in promotion of religious dialogue in America's greatest institutions. He also stressed the importance of leadership that chaplains have in the greater community, reminding us that chaplains are the face of the Muslim community.
The first session entitled "Recruiting, Training and Sustaining Muslim Chaplains" featured insightful, motivational and educational presentations by Khalid Latif, Director/Chaplain Islamic Center at NYU, Chaplain Bilal Ansari and C. George Fitzgerald, Director of Spiritual Care Service at Stanford Hospital and 
Clinics. The session focused on ways and means to improve professional capacity of Muslim chaplains by leading in unprecedented work environment settings such as universities and hospitals. This session encouraged chaplains to learn from those successful models of other faith groups and exchange personal unique experiences with each other for collective support. A commitment to building a professional Muslim chaplaincy association was introduced as a foundational goal in sustaining professional and leadership capacity.
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Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Behind the Blindfold of Justice
ILDC Executive Director Louay Safi spoke on March 25, 2008, on the issue of Balancing National Security with Civil Liberty, at Yale University. Dr. Safi’s statement was part of a panel discussion organized by the Council on Middle East Studies at the Macmillan Center under the title “Behind the Blindfold of Justice: Security, Individual Rights, & Minority Communities after 9/11.”
Panelist included Valerie Caproni, the General Counsel of the FBI from the office of the General Counsel, FBI, Washington, DC; Reva b. Siegel, Nicholas Deb. Katzenbach Professor of Law and associate dean of Yale law school; Jack m. Balkin, Knight Professor of constitutional law & the first amendment, Yale Law School; and Beverly Gage, assistant professor of history, Yale University.
The discussion focused on the impact of security measures enacted in the wake of 9/11 attacks on civil liberties and individual privacy. Dr. Safi stressed that national security is one of the highest priorities of the federal government, and that Americans expect their leaders to give it the importance it deserves. He argued, however, that national security must be balanced against civil liberties, and highlighted several excesses by federal agencies. He discussed the use of the National Security Letters, among other examples, of excessive use of investigative and surveillance powers beyond the constitutional limitations.
“A National Security Letter,” Dr. Safi pointed out, “is an administrative subpoena issued by the FBI.” “Under the Patriot Act,” he continued, “the FBI can compel US citizens and residents to surrender information in their position, even if they are not suspects in criminal investigation.” He argued that the practice violates the 4th Amendment because it sidesteps the requirement of judicial oversight, and give the executive branch unrestricted powers. “Judicial oversight,” he contended, “must constitute the dividing line that demarcates when national security concerns ends and civil liberties starts.”
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Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008
Combating Islamophobia in Milwaukee
ILDC executive director spoke on October 20, 2007 at a seminar addressing the issue of Islamophobia, organized by Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin and the Islamic Center of Milwaukee. The program, entitled “Combating Islamophobia,” is part of a series of seminars on the question of Islamophobia organized throughout the month.
The seminar was attended by educationists, university students, and members of the media and law enforcement community. The panel included, along with Louay Safi, Hussein Ibish, executive director of the Hala Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership, and Edina Lakovic, communication director with the Muslim Political Action Council (MPAC).
Dr. Safi pointed out the Islamophobia is the new face of the old tradition of Orientalism, albeit in a more crude and ugly face, as it aims at demonizing Muslims throughout the world to perpetuate hostility and war between western and Muslim countries. Islamophobes, he emphasized are the counterpart of Muslim extremists and indeed feed on their rhetoric.
Dr. Safi further stressed danger of Islamophobic discourse to both the American Muslim community and the country at large, as it undermine both the civil rights of Muslims and the credibility and long term interests of the United States. Islamophobes are keen to turn the war on terrorism into a war on Islam, and as such, he stressed, they undermine all genuine efforts that aim at effectively dealing with extremism and terrorism.
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Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007
Cherishing Diversity, Reaching Out in Unity
The first session entitled “A Conversation on Religious Diversity and Accommodations in Chaplaincy,” featured presentations by Muhammad Shafiq. The session focused on ways and means to improve working conditions in a diverse work environment setting, and to exchange such experiences. A new guide for interfaith dialogue was also introduced and discussed.
The second session focused on “Mapping the Future, Building on Past Experiences”. Conference participants developed strategies to strengthen performance, build capacity, improve networking, and use collective resources to address issues peculiar to the Muslim prison population. Bilal Ansari and Umar Bajwa facilitated this interactive session.
The first day concluded with keynote addresses by Col Steve Moon, US Army Chief of Chaplains Office and Dr. Muneer Fareed, ISNA Secretary General. Both distinguished speakers spoke on the importance of the role of Chaplaincy within the American Muslim context.
On Thursday there was a thematic panel discussion, followed by a thematic inter-active workshop which was held to establish working standards and measure that were rigorously discussed. The day began with the first session focusing on “Leadership Development: How we can raise the bar of Islamic Chaplaincy”. Abdullah Hulwe, Rabia Harris, Mumina Kowalski and Yahya Hendi stimulated discussion on the state of Muslim chaplaincy and explored ways and means to improve the work as well as raise professional standards. This session was followed by a breakout groups to discuss in more detail proposed ideas and then report the findings to the conference.
After afternoon prayer and lunch a discussion on “Trauma Transformation in the Work Place” was conducted by Osman Ali and George Fitzgerald. Questions such how does a chaplain become a transformative agent in your workplace when faced with traumatic events such as those mentioned and where does faith fit into the human dimensions of surviving trauma were addressed by both the speakers and participants.
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Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007
Islamophobia and the Challenge of Pluralism Workshop
(September 21, 2007)
ILDC Executive Director spoke on September 20th 2007 at a workshop on Islamophobia and pluralism organized by the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Entitled Islamophobia and the Challenge of Pluralism, the Workshop hosted leading scholars and researchers, heads of national and international organizations, newspaper editors, and government officials to discuss the content, causes and consequences of Islamophobia.
Islamophobia, participants stressed, has important consequences for the relationship between the Western and the Muslim worlds. It reinforces relations of mistrust, enmity and hostility between Muslims and non-Muslims. Nihad Awad and Juan Cole pointed to the war on Iraq as a profound example of what Islamphobia can lead to. Parvez Ahmed, among others, discussed the distortionary effects Islamophobia has on civil rights and civic life. Louay M. Safi articulated that Islamophobia was not a problem of a few bigoted individuals—instead it was a political and social problem, precisely because the attitudes of a few bigots were determining the relationship between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the West and elsewhere. Jasser Auda, Phillip Lewis, Daniel Madigan, and Louay Safi, among others, indicated that Islamophobia not only normalizes prejudice, discrimination and violence towards Muslims, it also, silences legitimate criticism within the Muslim world and conflates legitimate anxiety in the West. Participants agreed that there are urgent moral and pragmatic imperatives to actively engage in curbing and eradicating Islamophobia so that we can build a safe and secure world and a global society “constituted by equals and working towards a common good.”
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Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007
Carrying Trust Effectively: ILDC Organizes Workshop For Community Leaders in Chicago
The ISNA Leadership Development Center in conjunction with the Itqan Initiative of the Mosque Foundation held a Leadership Seminar on August 11, 2007 for board members of local Islamic Centers and Islamic schools in Chicago, IL. Dr. Louay Safi and Dr. Iqbal Unus presented sessions that focused on both leadership development and teambuilding. Dr. Louay Safi's session entitled "Compassionate Leadership and Community Empowerment" focused on the role of community leaders in setting the tone for an open atmosphere that invites cooperation and involvement among community members. It also discussed essential measures for enhancing cooperation, including clear rules and procedures for using community's facilities and resources, developing shared vision and goals, and setting standards that aim at improving community. Dr. Iqbal Unus followed with his lecture and workshop "Teambuilding in Islamic Organizations" where he highlighted the importance of team spirit in Islam, and demonstrated how Islamic organizations can develop effective teams. Dysfunctional behaviors that can impair a team was also be discussed as well as potential ways of avoiding them. The afternoon program was attended by nearly 25 participants.
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Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007
Compassionate Leadership for Community Empowerment in Ft Worth
ISNA Leadership development center (ILDC) organized, with the Muslim community of Fort Worth, Texas, a one day leadership program on August 11, 2007, under the theme "Compassionate Leadership for Community Empowerment." The program focused on building leadership capacity among community leaders with sessions addressing community empowerment as well as on team building in Islamic organizations.
Dr. Iqbal Unus, director of the Fairfax Institute, spoke on the topic of Team Building in Islamic Organizations. He highlighted through his presentation the importance of team spirit in Islam and demonstrated how Islamic organizations can develop effective teams. Dr. Louay Safi, Director of the ISNA Leadership Development Center, presented on the importance of Compassionate leadership and community Empowerment. His lecture focused on the role of community leaders in setting the tone for an open atmosphere that invites cooperation and involvement among community members. Moreover, he discussed essential measures for enhancing overall cooperation. The presentations were followed by a teambuilding exercise that the participants engaged in.
The program was well attended by leaders of Islamic organizations and members of the community active in Islamic Centers and schools. The 29 participants requested that future extended programs be delivered in their local community.
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Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007
3rd Annual Muslim Chaplains Conference
The 3nd Annual Conference of Muslim Chaplains offers an opportunity to share insights, and resources, discuss concerns and challenges and plan for the future.
The theme of this year's conference addresses issues of working in a religiously diverse society and workplace, and explores ways and means to improve intra-faith and interfaith services and working relations
The conference is open to imams and Muslim chaplains working with hospitals, universities, the Armed forces, and federal and state, prisons around the Country.
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Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007
ILDC Director Speaks in Munich
ILDC Executive Director Louay Safi participated in two programs in Germany organized by the senior Muslim chaplain in Germany and by the US Consulate in Munich. The first program involved Muslim service-men and women and their families and was sponsored by the army. It featured several workshops on family values, Islam’s teachings on peace and war, and issues of prejudice and discrimination. The second programs involved several meetings and seminars with public officials, community leaders, and the press.
The Military Family Conference was held in Garmisch, a small resort about 60 miles south of Munich, and was attended by 55 US servicepersons and their families. Dr. Safi spoke on the concept of peace in Islam and discussed Islamic teachings on the limits of war. Speakers included Chaplain Abdul-Rasheed Mohammad, the highest ranking Muslim Chaplain in the military, who in a series of presentations addressed the topic “7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.” Nihad Awad, CAIR executive director, introduced the work of CAIR in the area of human rights and shared with the participants statistics on reported incidents of discrimination against Muslims in the United States and gave tips on how to deal with discrimination and prejudice. James May, IMCOM-Europe Chaplain, stressed the important services rendered by Muslim chaplains and spoke of the need for Muslims to take the initiative in introducing their faith to the larger community .
Col. May commeded Maj. Mohammed for his hardwork and for constantly looking for ways and means to serve his community and country. He also expressed hopes that the Muslim servicepersons and their families work closely with other people of faith to bring mutual understanding and help.
Dr. Safi visited the US Consulate in Munich and met with Eric Nelson, the consul general and his assistants. He thanked Mr. Nelson for the excellent work his consulate is doing in helping the German Muslim interact with the Muslim American community and to
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Posted on Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Second annual Muslim Peace Building Conference
ILDC and Salam Institute for Peace and Justice organized at the American University the Second Annual Conference of Muslim Peacebuilding and Interfaith Dialogue, during the weekend of May 5 – 7, 2007.
Over 16 papers were presented during the two-day conference addressing issues pertaining to conflict resolution, peace education, interfaith cooperation and dialogue, and women and human rights in the context of Islam and peace. Over 50 participants attended the conference.
The conference was followed a one-day leadership training workshop on conflict resolution. Two established scholars in the field led the training: Amr Abudllah, Professor and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, United Nations University for Peace, Costa Rica, and Ayse Kadayifci, Co-Executive Director Salam Institute and Professor at the School of International Service, American University. 22 participants attended the workshop.
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Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007