VZCZCXRO5047
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHON #0479 3521849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181849Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL TORONTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2294
INFO RUCNCAN/ALCAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC

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