Seminary Makes Impressive Showing at ISNA

Hartford Seminary was well represented at the 50^th annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America in Washington, DC, over Labor Day weekend.  Sohaib Sultan, ’10, now Muslim Chaplain at Princeton University, was Program Committee co-chair for the convention, which drew thousands to the annual offering of lectures on religious, social and spiritual topics, opportunities for networking, and the extensive bazaar of booths populated by educational institutions, social organizations, and merchants.  Many visited the Seminary’s booth, including prospective students. The Walter Washington Convention Center was also the site for the annual convention of the Muslim Student Association, the organization from which ISNA was formed.

Among the Hartford Seminary alumni/ae who made presentations were Marwa Aly, ’11 (“Sacred Space, Where’s My Place?”), Sherry Ra’ufa Tuell, ’11 (“Building the Beloved Community: Providing Quality Care to All in a Hospital Setting”), Asma Hanif, ’12 (“Helping Those in Need in the Beloved Community”), Kamal Abdul-Shamsieh , ’12 (“Providing Spiritual Care Services to Muslims in a Pluralistic Setting”), and Omer Bajwa, ’10 (“Meet the Chaplains: Seeking Guidance”).  An all-Hartford Seminary panel of Bilal Ansari, ’11, Adeel Zeb, ’12, and Tahera Ahmad, ‘09, presented on “Meeting the Chaplains: Confronting Difficult Situations,” and Maggie Siddiqi, an incoming Seminary student, moderated a panel providing a “Practical Guide to Engaging Others on Islam.”

Many others with connections to Hartford Seminary were present, including former Trustees Saleem Bajwa and Fakhri al-Barzinji, and current Trustee Abubaker al-Shingieti. On Saturday evening, the Seminary hosted a dinner at a local Pakistani restaurant for 23 alums and current students. Representing the faculty were Dr. Timur Yuskaev and Dr. Feryal Salem, and from the staff, Tina Demo, Director of Recruitment and Admissions, and Jonathan Lee, ’10, Director of Institutional Advancement