President Jimmy Carter to be keynote speaker at Muslim convention in Detroit

The Islamic Society of North America or ISNA, the nation's largest Muslim group, will hold its 51st annual convention in Detroit's Cobo Center Friday through Sept. 1, and will feature former President Jimmy Carter as the keynote speaker. President Carter will talk on the subject of his latest book, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, at a luncheon Aug. 30.

That night, at a session called “Generations Rise: Elevating Muslim-American Culture” -- the same title as the entire conference theme — the outgoing president of ISNA, Imam Mohamed Magid, and four other Muslim speakers will offer ideas for Muslim-American advancement over the next five years. A “secret special guest” is also on the bill.

The convention‘‍s opening session Friday will include words from Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, the national leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim member of Congress, will also be speaking Saturday.

There will be many other sessions over the four days, including workshops on a variety of topics including religion with both Muslim and interfaith approaches, education, and culture. An Islamic Film Festival and a competition for those who recite the Qur‘‍an will be held, and there will be a bazaar/trade show with more than 400 vendors.

At the same time and location as the conference, the Islamic Medical Association of North America, Muslim Students Association, and Muslim Youth of North America will have their annual gatherings.

This is the first time the organization will will hold its convention in Detroit. Its headquarters is in Plainfield, Ind, near Indianapolis.

Source: http://www.toledoblade.com