Reviving the Islamic Spirit
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) is an annual Islamic conference typically held during the winter holiday season in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The first conference was held in 2003, and has since become one of North America's largest Islamic conferences, rivaling the ISNA convention in the United States. The conference has grown from 3,500 attendees in its first year to over 17,000 in 2009, making it the largest Islamic conference in Canada.[1] Conferences have generally been structured around a specific central theme, which have included the life of the prophet Muhammad, Canadian-Muslim identity, and Islamic civilization. While criticism of the event is seen from both anti-Islamist observers and fundamentalist Muslims, organizers maintain that the event as an attempt to revive Islamic traditions of education, tolerance, and introspection.[2]
In May 2010, RIS held its first conference in the United States in Long Beach, California. [3] Since then, the conference has been held in the Long Beach Convention Center on Memorial Day weekend.
Contents |
[edit] Speakers
Each year distinguished scholars from different parts of the world come to the conference to share their knowledge and wisdom through a series of lectures. Two scholars have made an appearance at the conference every year since the start of RIS: Zaid Shakir and Hamza Yusuf. Other notable speakers who have appeared over the years include:
- Sulaiman Moola
- Hamza Yusuf
- Abdullah bin Bayyah
- Zaid Shakir
- Tariq Suwaidan
- Bilal Philips
- Abdul Hakim Quick
- Siraj Wahhaj
- Jamal Badawi
- Muhammad Alshareef
- Tariq Ramadan
- Michael Lerner, Rabbi
- Eric Margolis, journalist
- Robert Fisk, journalist
- Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer
- Attallah Shabazz, eldest daughter of Malcolm X
- Zakir Naik
- Suhaib Webb
- Mark Siljander
- Chris Hedges
[edit] Concert
Although somewhat controversial considering Islam's view towards music, a concert has been held at the end of the conference almost every year, usually consisting of nasheed (Islamic music) or performances by Muslim musicians. Main performers who have headlined the concert include: Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, Najam Sheraz, Raihan, Native Deen and Danish hip-hop group Outlandish.
[edit] Previous conferences
| RIS | Theme | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reviving the Islamic Spirit | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | January 4 - January 5, 2003 |
| 2 | Changing Our Condition | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | January 2 - January 4, 2004 |
| 3 | Legacy of the Prophet | Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) | December 24 - December 26, 2004 |
| 4 | Islamic Civilization | Direct Energy Centre (formerly National Trade Centre) | December 23 - December 26, 2005 |
| 5 | The Neglected Sunnah: Patience in the Face of Rejection | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 22 - December 24, 2006 |
| 6 | Family Matters: The Basis of a Civil Society | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 28 - December 30, 2007 |
| 7 | Answering the Call of God's Messenger: Setting Prophetic Priorities for Muslims in the West | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 26 - December 28, 2008 |
| 8 | SOS: Saving the Ship of Humanity | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 25 - December 27, 2009 |
| 9 | Rules for the Road of Life: Reviving the 10 Commandments in the Modern World | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 24 - December 26, 2010 |
| 10 | Control, Chaos or Community: Three Ways, One World, Our Choice | Metro Toronto Convention Centre | December 23 - December 25, 2011 |
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||
