Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention

UNCLAS TORONTO 000479 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC KISL KPAO PREL CA SUBJECT: Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention Sensitive but Unclassified - protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Toronto-based IHYA Foundation is organizing a knowledge retreat for Muslim students, a large convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, and a concert from December 23-31. Organizers expect 15,000 people to attend the convention - about 2,000 of whom will likely come from the U.S. Organizers said none of the people who attended the convention last December reported any difficulties with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers as they attempted to re-enter the U.S. after the conclusion of the convention. Post will informally notify Toronto preclearance as well as Niagara region and Detroit/Port Huron region CBP officials of the upcoming convention. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Toronto-based IHYA Foundation, a not for profit education and advocacy initiative, is organizing its sixth annual "Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention" December 28-30 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The theme of this year's convention is "Family Matters: The Basis of Civil Society." A knowledge retreat for about 500 students (about 100 from the U.S.) will be held in Toronto prior to the convention from December 23-27. A December 31 entertainment night will feature two U.S. musical groups -- Native Deen, and Seven8Six, as well as Middle Eastern chanter Abu Ratib. ¶3. (U) The convention, which 15,000 people are expected to attend, includes speakers from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mauritania, and Kuwait. Prominent American speakers will reportedly include Wallace ¶D. Muhammad (former leader of the "Nation of Islam"),Hamza Yusuf (founder of the Zaytuna Institute in northern California),Zaid Shakir (scholar-in-residence and lecturer at Zaytuna Institute),Dr. Abdul Hakim (Sherman) Jackson (Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan),Mokhtar Maghraoui, Yasir Qadhi, Dr. Jamillah Karim (Assistant Professor of Religion at Spelman College),Pamela Paul, and Qari Sheikh Abdelkarim Edghouch. Additional program details are available at www.revivingtheislamicspirit.com. ¶4. (U) Convention organizers tell us they expect about 2,000 persons to travel from the U.S. to Toronto. They have ads running from this week on Bridges TV and have advertised through a few websites and mailing lists. For earlier conventions in the last couple of years, buses were chartered to transport participants to the convention, though organizers are not aware of any specific charters so far this year. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Organizers said none of the people who attended the convention last December reported any difficulties with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers as they attempted to re-enter the U.S. after the conclusion of the convention. Post appreciates the assistance of CBP last year in providing its border and preclearance officers with background about the convention to ensure that legitimate travelers did not encounter undue difficulties. Post will again informally notify Toronto preclearance as well as Niagara region and Detroit/Port Huron region CBP officials of the upcoming convention. End Comment. NAY