Muslim American Society-Milwaukee’s 14th Annual Convention this weekend

Muslim American Society-Milwaukee’s annual convention attracts about 1,000 attendees from across Wisconsin. Participants also come from Illinois and Michigan to hear national speakers.

Returning for the first time since the pandemic, the Muslim American Society-Milwaukee’s 14th Annual Convention begins today with programs for all ages. It’s timely theme: Facing Challenges with Resilience and Optimism.

“It is good to see it coming back strong with nationally prominent speakers, education and promotion of family values, activism and empathy,” said Islamic Society of Milwaukee president Salah Sarsour, a former MAS president who said he attends the MAS-MKE convention every year.

The MAS-MKE Convention runs from 4 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday at Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport, 6401 S. 13th St., Milwaukee with programs for the entire family. Tickets are available online and at the door throughout the weekend for $40 for adults (18+), $30 for college students, $20 for young adults (13-17) and $15 for children and youth (3-12).

The younger generation has stepped up to lead the organization, Sarsour added. “They are bringing notable keynote speakers and valuable workshops and sessions for all ages.”

It will include a Quran, Athan, Prayer Competition for children and youth ages 8 – 17 with prizes for first, second and third places.

See the full program here.

Everyone is welcome at any time, organizers say.

Notable Speakers address today’s challenges

Among the many outstanding sessions:

Professor Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley, a leading Palestinian human rights advocate and co-founder of American Muslims for Palestine and Zaytuna College, will speak on Beyond Islamophobia: Overcoming Setbacks with Activism, Saturday at 4 p.m.

Professor Bazian will join Janan Najeeb, founder of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, and ISM executive director Othman Atta in a talk Does My Vote Really Matter? Transformation Begins and Ends with Accountability, Saturday at 7:10 p.m.

Mohammad Abbasi, MPA, a sought-after public speaker on personal and organizational leadership and nonprofit management, and Sr. Ismahan Abdullahi, national director of MAS’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement and director of the Movement and Campaign Strategies at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, will discuss Steps to Change the Ummah with a Clear Vision, Saturday at 10 a.m.

Abbasi has consulted major nonprofits including Islamic Relief-USA. He is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University–Newark and founder of Keller Williams Realty – Tri-State Region, which has 32 offices and 4,500 associates in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Abdullahi, a national leader in social justice and equity work, is an expert on building grassroots power through community organizing, policy advocacy, leadership development and coalition work. She is informed by her experience as a Muslim Somali refugee woman. She is host of Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast.

Mental health professional Haleh Banani, a marriage counselor, parent educator, life coach, and television host, and Qari Noman Hussein, an imam and founder of Oasis Chicago, a space committed to creating social-spiritual experiences for young professionals and families, will talk about Healing and Forgiveness, Saturday at 2 p.m.

Sheikh Yaser Birjas, an imam at Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Texas and an instructor at the AlMaghrib Institute, is known for his popular classes and workshops on topics related to youth, marriage, parenting and family life. He and Qari Hussein will pair up today at 6 p.m. for the talk Turning Challenges into Opportunities.

See the full program with three tracks of programming based on age here.

MAS-MKE—a place to belong

At 22, Eman Khatib of Oak Creek believes she is the youngest on the MAS Convention Planning Committee. The others are mostly young professionals.

“I don’t really have a profession yet,” she said in an interview with the Wisconsin Muslim Journal. “I’m starting dental school in the fall.”

Yet, she has years of experience in MAS.

Khatib moved with her family from Florida to Appleton, Wisconsin, when she was 10 years old. Since then, the annual MAS-MKE convention has been the highlight of the year, she said. 

People flock to Milwaukee for the MAS-MKE convention from Appleton, Madison, Fond du Lac, from all around the state, and even Illinois and Michigan. About 1,000 people attend each year.

“There was not a big Muslim community in Appleton when I was there. Our community was literally 10 big Muslim families. We only had the Appleton masjid,” she recalled. “But it was a very tight-knit community. We were all really close, like one big family.”

They made driving down to the MAS convention during spring break “a family trip with the whole community, just like one big family,” she said. “It was one thing we all looked forward to. It was a big hit!”

They made driving down to the MAS convention during spring break “a family trip with the whole community, just like one big family,” she said. “It was one thing we all looked forward to. It was a big hit!”

At the time, Khatib was most excited about staying in the hotel, being allowed to stay up late with friends, sharing a room. “It was a good time.”

Yet, in retrospect, she realizes how wonderful it felt to be surrounded by hijabis and so many people “who look like me,” she said. “You don’t have that in Appleton.”

Every single convention she attended “was just so memorable,” Khatib said. “When you walk into the convention, there’s so many young adults in hijabs, people who look like me. You don’t realize what you’ve been missing until you have it.”

She remembers thinking, “I can’t wait until I’m in college and can volunteer with MAS. It’s so great how life works; now I’m on the MAS Convention Committee.

“Since this is the first convention after COVID, it will be especially good to see everyone again.”

With young adults in MAS-MKE’s leadership, the sessions include speakers who were raised in America, she noted. “They really understand what we are struggling with as a community—the social media, what is going on now, what we go through on a daily basis.

“I’m thankful for the older people in MAS who listen to the younger people and are open enough to see things from a different perspective.”

Laila Azam, 39, from Franklin also helped plan this year’s convention. She has been part of MAS-MKE with her husband since 2008 as a young wife. MAS began nationally in 1993 and gradually developed local chapters, she explained.

She appreciates how MAS-MKE helped members build an Islamic identity, she said. “It offers tools and skills to help us learn more about Islam and apply it to our lives. And it connects us with the community. It offers support for families like the family camp in August. That’s why we love it. It is designed to include everyone of all ages so you can remain consistent throughout the different life stages.”

An educator and researcher in public health, Azam noted, “There is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, especially after the pandemic. We are wired for social connection and belonging. It is extremely important to our lives. I want a healthy, happy family that connects to the Muslim community and society.  

“MAS starts with the individual. You are continuously working on your self-development. Then you bring that to your family and the community.”

The MAS-MKE convention “is a place to build relationships and social connections. They welcome you and embrace you. That is why I want to keep coming back, to do this work and be a part of it.”

MAS-MKE executive director and convention program chair Dalal Hasan, 34, of Franklin likes the way MAS empowers youth, she said. “They feel a sense of belonging and develop leadership skills.” Hasan learned to be a leader by observing the examples set by MAS-MKE leaders over the years, she said.

Beyond the convention, MAS offers opportunities all year long to be involved, she noted. There are programs for all ages. The annual convention is one of the times when the entire family comes together.