RIS launches 12th Annual Convention
(November 3, 2013) – Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention has announced its theme and unveiled the speakers’ list for this year’s gathering to be held from December 27 to 29th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The theme of the 12th RIS convention is “Changing Our Condition – Rekindling the Light of Faith” and an impressive line-up of international personalities will address the convention.
Prominent Muslim scholars slated to address the convention include Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Habib Ali Al-Jifri, Professor Tariq Ramadan, Amr Khaled, Yasmin Mogahed, Shaykh Muhammad Al Yaqoubi, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Dr. John Esposito, Prof. Zaleha Kamaruddin, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Sr. Dalia Mogahed, Imam Zaid Shakir, Imam Suhaib Webb, Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, Imam Mohamed Magid, Shaykh Zahir Mahmood, Ustad Omar Suleiman, Ustad Nouman Ali Khan, Sr. Alexis Lumbard, and Sr. Yasmin Mogahed
Reviving the Islamic Spirit convention was first launched in 2003 by Muslim youth to tackle the backlash on Islam and Muslims after the 9/11 and to build a bridge of understanding with non-Muslims.
Since its launch, the RIS has emerged as a major platform for some of the leading Muslim personalities from around the world to address one of the largest assemblies of Muslims in the western hemisphere.
Thousands of Muslims from across North America are expected to descend on Canada’s largest city of Toronto over the Christmas holiday for the convention.
The Knowledge Retreat, which, in previous years was held after the convention, will take place in the week preceding the gathering from December 21st to 26th at the Royal York Hotel.
According the organizers the Knowledge Retreat gives ‘seekers of knowledge an opportunity to study traditional Islamic sciences, in contemporary context, with some of the leading scholars of our time.’
Organizers say the RIS convention helps promote a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in North America.
“The message at RIS conferences have helped counter extremism by offering a better understanding of the Islamic tradition in the modern context and this in turn has helped second and third generation Muslims make meaningful contributions as citizens while living a life of faith.”