Accomplishments
Who We Are and What We Believe
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is an independent, open and transparent membership organization that strives to be an exemplary and unifying Islamic organization in North America by contributing to the betterment of the Muslim community and society at large. ISNA is committed to freedom, to eradicating prejudice and to creating a society where Muslims can live peacefully and prosper alongside other Americans from all walks of life and diverse traditions and faith.
ISNA was founded by Muslims in North America for the purpose of establishing an open, pluralistic platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, civic and service organizations and all levels of government. In this endeavor, ISNA is not now nor has it ever been subject to the control of any other domestic or international organizations including the Muslim Brotherhood.
ISNA promotes a pluralistic approach to the diversity of Islam. ISNA is an original signatory to the “Amman Message, (http://ammanmessage.com/) which recognizes the validity of Islam’s different theological and legal schools, including Sunnism, Shiism and Sufism.”
ISNA has always maintained an open, collaborative working relationship with government at all levels, and was very disturbed in May when the Department of Justice named ISNA on a list of “unindicted co-conspirators” in the federal terrorism prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. ISNA has engaged legal counsel to protect its rights and maintain its organizational integrity and credibility by immediate removal of ISNA from this list. We understand that ISNA is not a target in this prosecution or any pending investigation, and that the listing of ISNA was not to imply that ISNA was part of a criminal conspiracy or that it acted with any criminal intent, but rather, it was a legal tactic to permit the government to seek the admission of evidence that would otherwise be excluded. ISNA is confident that its name will be removed from the list so that the organization’s reputation is cleared.
ISNA remains consistent in its rejection of terrorism and violence. ISNA rejects all acts of terrorism, including those perpetrated by Hamas, Hizbullah and any other group that claims Islam as their inspiration. ISNA has encouraged and continues to encourage a just and fair settlement of disputes between Israel, the Palestinians and their neighbors through diplomacy and other peaceful means.
ISNA’s mission and programs are largely supported through the generous donations of its thousands of members and other contributors from across North America, who are committed to the organization’s ideals, through proceeds from conferences and educational programs, and through grants from state and federal government and from various foundations. ISNA does not accept funding from foreign governments. ISNA endeavors to achieve strict compliance with mandatory laws and regulations, as well as voluntary guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury on the receipt and distribution of all donations and other funds.
