From June 30th to July 3rd, the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) attended the 54th Annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention, held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

IMANA was recognized by ISNA in the main session to honor our 50th anniversary. IMANA’s health program offered Continuing Medical Education (CME), educational health sessions that covered taboo and stigmatized topics, and first aid services to attendees at the convention. We also hosted an American Muslim Leadership Breakfast with the only Muslim Super Bowl Champion, Ryan Harris as a special guest.

IMANA’s CME topics were informative and appreciated by our attendees. Our CME meetings began with a session titled, ‘Management of High Blood Pressure’ by Dr. Marriyam Moten. The following session was a 4-hour accredited CME, titled ‘Aging and Healthy Lifestyle,’ by Dr. Bashir Zikria. Dr. Amber Khan discussed the rights of women in the CME titled, ‘What are Women’s Health Right’s?’ Dr. Aasim Padela, Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, and Sheikh Kifah Mustapha; discussed the ‘Debating the Islamic Bioethics of Organ Donation.’ Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to engage with our guest speakers.

ISNA presented IMANA an award during the main session. The accolade highlighted IMANA’s work in the area of medical education, medical relief, and humanitarian aid. Dr. Imran Qureshi, IMANA’s Incoming President, accepted the award from Br. Azhar Azeez, ISNA’s President. Dr. Imran Qureshi spoke about how IMANA will continue to expand, and thanked the entire team of ISNA for their thoughtful acknowledgment, as well as thanked the entire IMANA staff for their hard work.

On Sunday, July 2nd, 2017 IMANA hosted a breakfast for American Muslim leaders. Present in the audience were Imam Mohammed Magid, Mohammed Elsanousi, ISNA’s President Azhar Azeez, ISNA’s Vice President Dr. Altaf Husain, Sheikh Omar Suleiman, and former Superbowl champion from the Denver Broncos, Ryan Harris. Ryan Harris spoke about the digitalization and urged all to leverage it to further their missions. Mr. Rasheed Ahmed started the breakfast conversation with opening remarks and introduced Dr. Imran Qureshi, the soon to be President of IMANA. Dr. Qureshi discussed the contributions of ISNA and IMANA and how we will continue to work together in the future to make a greater impact on society.

Dr. Fahad Khan and Dr. Sarah Syed from the Khalil Center spoke in both sessions titled, ‘Understanding Mental Illness in the Muslim Community’ and ‘The Impact of Islamophobia on the Healthcare Professional.’ The two explained the proper way of seeking therapy and positive thinking. Both sessions were very informative and well-structured.

The 54th Annual ISNA convention was a convention to remember. IMANA’s booth certainly attracted many people, and our volunteers engaged with numerous individuals to give a broad overview of what IMANA has accomplished over the past 50 years. We look forward to the next ISNA convention, which will be held in, Houston TX!

SUPPORT IMANA MEDICAL RELIEF MISSIONS: imana.org/donate

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