IIIT Panels at the 2015 ICNA Convention

Abstract

The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) hosted two consecutive panels at the annual Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) convention on May 24, 2015. Ermin Sinanović (director, Research and Academic Programs) opened panel 1, “Imam & Community Education,” by explaining that IIIT is committed to continuous professional development for imams and community leaders so that they can be effective in the United States. As opposed to the societies from which they come, here they are expected to perform many non-traditional roles, such as Islamic instruction, interfaith participation, counseling, dealing with a pluralistic community, and catering to the community’s needs. All of these expectations and the difficulties that imams face in trying to fulfill them, he remarked, “explains the high turnover we have at mosques.” Several years ago, IIIT and Hartford Seminary designed a joint Graduate Certificate in Imam and Muslim Community Leadership program to train imams in the necessary skills. To “bring the Muslim component to the conversation and instill self-respect and confidence in their students,” IIIT helped Hartford Seminary hire Muslim instructors. Each applicant for this 24-hour credit eight-course program must already possess a BA. The certification provides practical training for counseling in hospitals, prisons, and other settings. Zahid Bukhari (former president, ICNA) acknowledged the huge variation among imams, especially those “imported imams” who have sound knowledge of Islam but cannot relate to American culture and youth and thus end up essentially leading disconnected lives “in an icloud type atmosphere.” He recommended periodic recertification of imams and community leaders so that they can improve their ability to handle contemporary challenges, and expressed enthusiasm for the ICNA-IIIT partnership. Timur Yuskaev (director, Graduate Certificate Program in Imam and Muslim Community Leadership, Hartford Seminary) commented that many ...