ID#: 2421 Jan 29-30 : Houston : Why ISIS is Not Islamic

Risala Foundation

The emergence of ISIS is a crisis. It has forced American Muslims on the defensive and has impelled them to answer questions about whether this organization truly represents Islam. American Muslims are repulsed by this extremist organization. 

During this very important lecture, we will speak with one voice against the violence that this group has unleashed and refute its ideology. We will also place into context what is happening in the Middle East and how different foreign policy decisions have brought us to this point. 

"Never in Our Name - Why ISIS Isn't Islamic" is our attempt at removing any doubt from the minds of anyone that believes Muslims condone of the Islamic State and to show ourselves, above all, that we stand united with humanity to speak with one voice against Daesh.

We are pleased to announce that along with multiple media outlets, we will be honored by the presence of the French Consul General, who will make introductory remarks. 

▲ FRIDAY, JANUARY 29
LECTURE: Never in Our Name: Why ISIS Isn't Islamic
Location: ISGH River Oaks Islamic Center at 7:30 PM
● How We Got Here - Understanding the Origins- Haroon Moghul
● Refuting the Ideology- Dr. Mahmoud El-Gamal
● The Path Forward: Panel Discussion / Q&A  Moderated by Dr. Altaf Hussain

▲ SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
WORKSHOP: Responses to Islamophobia
Location: ISGH River Oaks Islamic Center
● 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM | ING Speaker Training Workshop - Maha Elgenaidi and Nicole Queen
● 2:00 PM- 3:45 PM  | Responding to Islamophobia- Haroon Moghul
● Parallel Youth Session- Maha Elgenaid

For more information, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/112199552481354/

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

HAROON MOGHUL is a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. He is also Executive Director of The Maydan Institute, a consultancy devoted to increasing access to Islam and Muslims for corporate, media and non-profit sectors. He has served as Director of Public Relations for the Islamic Center at NYU (2007-09) and has been selected one of 500 global Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow. His writings have appeared in a variety of media, including Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, Islamica (where he served as contributing editor) and Tikkun; he has worked as an analyst for the Tabah Foundation of Abu Dhabi. Through the Islamic Center at NYU's new media services, his sermons reach over 30,000 listeners per month in approximately 125 countries. Haroon has spoken across the United States and internationally on Islamic history and culture, contemporary politics in the Muslim world, and radicalism and religious identity. Haroon holds an M.A. from Columbia University in Middle East, South Asian and African Studies. He is completing his Ph.D. from Columbia University and focusing on Islamic political thought in colonial India through the political philosophy of Allama Iqbal’.

MAHMOUD EL-GAMAL is a Professor of Economics and Statistics, a Baker Institute Rice Faculty Scholar, and also holds the Chair in Islamic Economics, Finance, and Management at Rice University. He has previously served as chair of the economics department from 2008 to 2011. He also sits on the editorial board of the Review of Middle-East Economics and Finance and serves as a research fellow and on the scientific committee for the Economic Research Forum (Cairo). Professor El-Gamal received his PhD from Northwestern and has previously held posts at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the International Monetary Fund, and the California Institute of Technology. His areas of expertise include international economics and finance, econometrics, behavioral economics, and Islamic law and finance. 

ALTAF HUSAIN is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and his research interests include the integration of immigrant and refugee families, and especially Muslim adolescents, in the United States. Dr. Husain is a former two-term national president of the Muslim Students Association (MSA National), a current executive committee member of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), a faculty member of COMPASS - the state of the art management training program of MSA National, chair of the Leadership Development Committee of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Peaceful Families Project - dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence. Dr. Husain lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Mona, and their two sons 'Omar and Ahmed.