Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) is an annual

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

typically held during the winter holiday season in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The first conference was held in 2001, and has since become one of North America's largest Islamic conferences, alongside the ISNA convention in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The conference has grown from 3,500 attendees in its first year to over 20,000 in 2011, making it the largest Islamic conference in Canada. Attendees and speakers attend from around the world, including the United States,

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

. In May 2010, RIS held its first American conference in Long Beach, California. Following the second U.S. edition at the Long Beach Convention Center on Memorial Day weekend the conference was discontinued.

Overview

The format of the conference typically consists of a series of lectures over three days, generally structured around a specific central theme. Each year distinguished speakers, including both Islamic scholars and non-Muslims, are invited to lecture based on the selected theme of the conference. Previous conference themes have included the life of the

prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

, Canadian-Muslim identity, and Islamic civilization.

Concert

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

has been held at the end of the conference almost every year, usually consisting of

nasheed A nasheed (Arabic: singular ', plural ', meaning: "chants") is a work of vocal music, partially coincident with hymns, that is either sung ''a cappella'' or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within Islam. Nasheed ...

( Islamic music) or performances by Muslim musicians. Main performers who have headlined the concert include: Junaid Jamshed, Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, Najam Sheraz, Raihan,

Native Deen Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

and

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

hip-hop group

Outlandish Outlandish is a hip-hop music group based in Denmark. Formed in 1997, it consisted of Isam Bachiri (born in Denmark and of Berber background), (born in Denmark and of Pakistani background), and (born in Honduras and of Cuban and Honduran desc ...

Criticism and accusation of religious fundamentalism

The conference has invited some figures like

Tariq Ramadan Tariq Ramadan ( ar, طارق رمضان, ; born 26 August 1962) is a Swiss Muslim academic, philosopher, and writer. He was a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at St Antony's College, Oxford and the Faculty of Theology and Religion, Univ ...

and

Bilal Philips Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (born Dennis Bradley Philips; July 17, 1947), is a Canadian Islamic teacher, speaker, author, founder and chancellor of the International Open University, who lives in Qatar.Gerard McManus. (2007-4-4)Radical sheik refuse ...

. Even

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

has participated. Trudeau was criticized later by some media outlets, and other Jewish and Muslim groups, and as well by some members of his own party because they argued that the conference was problematic and had indirect connection with

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...

and that there were aspects of religious radicalism. Among other, there was a sponsor, IRFAN, which was said had sent suspicious funds to Hamas, apparently about 15 million dollars. The sponsor denied the allegations, but decided to withdraw from the conference in order not to cause more controversy. Trudeau himself rejected the criticism.https://torontosun.com/2012/12/14/justin-trudeau-should-respond-to-conference-critics-marc-garneau-says/wcm/da759335-a48a-4ceb-b05d-20d73c2d693b. ”Justin Trudeau should respond to conference critics, Marc Garneau says”. Toronto Sun. Jessica Hume. December 14, 2012.

Notable speakers

Two scholars have made an appearance at the conference every year since it began:

Zaid Shakir Zaid Shakir ( ar, زيد شاكر; born Ricky Daryl Mitchell, May 24, 1956) is an American Muslim scholar"Lonny Shavelson, Fred Setterberg", Under the Dragon: California's New Culture, Oakland Museum of California, Heyday Books, p.64, "Edward ...

and Hamza Yusuf except the 2017 conference, which Hamza Yusuf was unable to attend. Other notable speakers who have appeared over the years include: {, - , valign="top" , *

Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy (born 1970) is a Syrian-born American Islamic scholar, theologian, and medical doctor. He has been listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims in a publication compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centr ...

Mustafa Hosni Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name Mou ...

* Hamza Yusuf * Abdullah bin Bayyah *

Habib Ali Al-Jifri Habib Ali Zain al-Abidin al-Jifri ( ar, الحبيب علي زين العابدين الجفري; born 16 April 1971) is a Yemeni-born Sunni and Sufi Islamic scholar and spiritual educator located in the United Arab Emirates. He is the founder o ...

* Tariq Suwaidan *

Siraj Wahhaj Siraj Wahhaj (born Jeffrey Kearse ( ar, سراج وهّاج), March 11, 1950) is an African-American imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA). Samory Rashid, Black Muslims in the ...

Jamal Badawi Jamal A. Badawi ( ar, جمال بدوي) is an Egyptian-Canadian author, preacher and speaker on Islam. Life Badawi completed his undergraduate studies at Ain Shams University in Cairo. He left for the United States in the 1960s and complet ...

Attallah Shabazz Attallah Shabazz (born November 16, 1958) is an American actress, author, diplomat, and motivational speaker, and the eldest daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Early years Shabazz was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 16, 1958. S ...

, eldest daughter of Malcolm X *

* Eric Margolis,

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

* Robert Fisk, journalist * Karen Armstrong, author *

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

cricketer Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

* Michael Lerner,

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Zakir Naik Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (born 18 October 1965) is an Indian Islamic televangelist and public orator who focuses on comparative religion. He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and the Peace TV Network. In 20 ...

Suhaib Webb Suhaib Webb is an American Muslim imam who converted from Christianity to Islam in 1992. He has previously been the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC). Biography Early life He was born William Webb in 1972 in Oklah ...

Yasir Qadhi Yasir Qadhi (born January 30, 1975), is an American preacher, theologian, and imam. Since 2001, he has served as Dean of Academic Affairs at the Al-Maghrib Institute, an international Islamic educational institution with a center in Houston, Tex ...

Mark Siljander Mark Deli Siljander (born June 11, 1951) is an American author and politician who served as a Republican U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan. He authored the book'' A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman's Quest to Bridge the Muslim-C ...

, former Republican

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Chris Hedges Christopher Lynn Hedges (born September 18, 1956) is an American journalist, Presbyterian minister, author, and commentator. In his early career, Hedges worked as a freelance war correspondent in Central America for ''The Christian Science Mon ...

, journalist *

Nouman Ali Khan Nouman Ali Khan is a Pakistani-American Islamic speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of ...

Linda Sarsour Linda Sarsour (born 1980) is an American political activist. She was co-chair of the 2017 Women's March, the 2017 Day Without a Woman, and the 2019 Women's March. She is also a former executive director of the Arab American Association of N ...

Maulana Tariq Jameel Tariq Jamil ( ur, , Ṭāriq Jamīl; born 1 October 1953), is a Pakistani Islamic television preacher, religious writer, scholar, and a member of the Tablighi Jamaat. The recipient of the Pride of Performance award, Jamil has been named twice i ...

List of conferences

{, class="wikitable" , - bgcolor="#efefef" !RIS !Theme !Venue !Date , - , 1 , Reviving the Islamic Spirit , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , January 4–5, 2001 , - , 2 , Changing Our Condition , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , January 2–4, 2004 , - , 3 , Legacy of the Prophet ,

Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it ...

, December 24–26, 2004 , - , 4 , Islamic Civilization ,

Direct Energy Centre The Enercare Centre, formerly known as the Direct Energy Centre and originally the National Trade Centre, is an exhibition complex located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is used by the Canadian National Exhibition and the Roya ...

, December 23–26, 2005 , - , 5 , The Neglected Sunnah: Patience in the Face of Rejection , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 22–24, 2006 , - , 6 , Family Matters: The Basis of a Civil Society , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 28–30, 2007 , - , 7 , Answering the Call of God's Messenger: Setting Prophetic Priorities for Muslims in the West , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 26–28, 2008 , - , 8 , SOS: Saving the Ship of Humanity , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 25–27, 2009 , - , 9 , Rules for the Road of Life: Reviving the 10 Commandments in the Modern World , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 24–26, 2010 , - , 10 , Control, Chaos or Community: Three Ways, One World, Our Choice , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 23–25, 2011 , - , 11 , Divine Light for Living Right: Prophetic Guidance in the Midst of Modern Darkness , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 21–23, 2012 , - , 12 , Changing Our Condition: Rekindling the Light of Faith , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 27–29, 2013 , - , 13 , He Came To Teach You Your Religion: Prophetic Answers to Angelic Questions , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 26–28, 2014 , - , 14 , Alliance of Virtue , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 25–27, 2015 , - , 15 , The Promise of God: Conditions for Renewal , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 23–25, 2016 , - , 16 , Whither Islam? Rebooting Our Faith , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 22–24, 2017 , - , 17 , RIS Reimagined , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 21–23, 2018 , - , 18 , His Character was the Quran: ''Restoring the Quranic Narrative in Modern Times'' , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 20–22, 2019 , - , 19 , An Unconventional Convention , Online , December 26–27, 2020 , - , 20 , Together in Spirit , Online , December 25–26, 2020 , - , 21 , A Blessed Reunion , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 23–25, 2022 , - , 22 , Where Hearts Meet , Metro Toronto Convention Centre , December 22–24, 2023

References

External links

Reviving the Islamic SpiritRIS TalksIslamicFinder
{{Islam in Canada Islamic organizations based in Canada Islam in Toronto