Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention returns in person

After a hiatus due to COVID-19, the Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention is back in person for the Labor Day weekend.

The 59th annual convention, sponsored by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, was announced Tuesday at the Downtown Islamic Center, 231 S. State St.

“The pandemic is over somewhat, and we can come together in person,” said Abdullah Mitchell, the council’s executive director. “This is a unique opportunity where we extend the invitation to all Muslims — both here, in Chicago, and across the nation — to come join this convention for an exciting time.”

It runs from Sept. 2-5, returning to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. The convention’s theme is Resilience, Hope and Faith: With Hardship, Comes Ease, which comes from the Quran and symbolizes the in-person return.

Convention activities will include youth programming, a bazaar, film screenings and featured speaker sessions.

Hamzah Latif, co-chair of media relations for ISNA, said the organization anticipates pre-pandemic numbers for this year’s convention, with more than 50,000 attendees predicted on each day.