See Our Academic Organization’s Activities
Conferences/Symposia in North America
NAAIMS, under its former name of AMSS, created a wider platform for academic dialogue by pursuing academic sponsorship of its annual and regional conferences in the United States and Canada. Attendees at both annual and regional conferences/symposia include students, professors, public officials, and professionals.
These conferences, co-sponsored by widely recognized institutions of higher learning throughout the United States and Canada, have promoted a better understanding of Islam and Muslim societies. They have addressed such global issues as religious freedom, interreligious discourse, conflict resolution, terrorism, academic expression, Islamophobia, cultural and religious tolerance, gender politics, Islamic feminism, economic development, et cetera.
Regional Conferences
June 22 – 23, 2001 – Dallas, Texas:
"Muslim Contribution to Human Civilization."
Co-sponsored by the Muslim Community Center for Human Services and the Islamic Association of North Texas, TX.
September 28, 2002 – Richardson, Texas:
"The Role of Religion in Promoting World Peace."
Co-sponsored by the Muslim Community Center for Human Services and the Islamic Association of North Texas, TX.
April 12, 2003 – Salt Lake City, Utah:
"The Place of Islam in America."
Co-sponsored by the University of Utah, UT.
August 23, 2003 – Arlington, Texas:
"Extremism: A Threat to Global Peace."
Co-sponsored by the University of Texas at Arlington, TX.
November 27, 2004 – Toronto, Canada:
"Inscriptions: Decoding Politics, Gender, and Culture in Epistemologies and Praxis."
Co-sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada.
June 4, 2005 – Dallas, Texas:
"Islamic Medieval Scholars and their Impact on the West."
Co-sponsored by the Muslim Community Center for Human Services and the Islamic Association of North Texas, TX.
November 12 – 13, 2005 – Salt Lake City, Utah:
"Islam, Identity, and Pluralism: The American Muslim Mosaic."
Co-sponsored by the University of Utah, and the Afghan Cultural and Study Center, UT.
November 4, 2006 – Toronto, Canada:
"Islam: Tradition and Modernity."
Co-sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada.
November 24, 2007 – Ontario, Canada:
"Cosmopolitan Islamic Identity and Thought."
Co-sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
April 19, 2008 – Omaha, Nebraska:
"Diversity, Identity and Difference."
Co-sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, NE.
November 1, 2008 – Toronto, Canada:
"Imperialist Wars and Liberal Peace."
Co-sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada.
May 21, 2009 – Ontario, Canada:
"Nation, Citizen and Belonging: Muslim Cultural Politics in Canada."
Co-sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
October 16, 2009 – Binghamton, New York:
"The Obama Administration and US Relations With the Muslim World: Prospects, Progress and Lingering Skepticism."
Co-sponsored by The Institute of Global Cultural Studies, Binghamton University, NY.
Bi-Annual (Virtual) University Lecture Series
ZOOM Webinar Platform - March 8, 2024: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Lecturer: Professor Rudi Mathee, University of Delaware: “A History of Alcohol in the Muslim Middle East.” His lecture is based on Mathee’s book Angels Tapping at the Wine-Shop’s Door: A History of Alcohol in the Muslim Middle East.
University Lecture Series
Under the University Lecture Series, established in 2008 under its former name of AMSS, universities and colleges co-sponsor lectures on topics relevant to the study of Islam and Muslims. The series endeavors to include coverage of past and present geographic diversity and gender issues.
November 13, 2008 – Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada:
Lecturer: Tariq Ali, Novelist and Historian; "Religion and Empire: War and Peace."
May 28, 2009 – University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas:
UTMB co-sponsored a lecture by Dr. Jamal A. Badawi, professor emeritus, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on "End of Life Decisions: An Islamic Perspective." This lecture is part of UTMB's monthly lecture series titled: Religion, Medicine and Culture: Making Life and Death Decisions.
November 15, 2011 – The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA:
The College co-sponsored a lecture on campus by Prof. Chadia Mansour on "The Arab Spring: Tunisian Uprising." The Lecture is part of the College's Global Activism Week promoted by the Virtual Library of Freedom, a college website established in 2010 by students in hopes of creating a unified student voice for peace. Prof. Mansour focused on events that unfolded in Tunisia at the end of 2010 and ignited a revolution known as the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA).
December 18, 2011 – Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada:
Wilfrid Laurier University's Muslim Studies Option Program, Department of Religion and Culture; and Noor Cultural Centre in Ontario, Canada co-sponsored a lecture at the Noor Cultural Centre on "Muslim Experience in North America: Islamic Law and Democracy" by Prof. Mohammad Fadel, professor of law at the University of Toronto. He examined Islamophobia and the Shari'a while addressing such questions as: What kind of obligations does adherence to the Shari'a impose on Muslims in a liberal democracy?; and What are the implications of accommodationist models of pluralism for Muslim citizens of liberal democracies?
International Conferences
As a North American association encompassing the United States and Canada, foreign activities are limited to Canada. In keeping with its mission, NAAIMS may occasionally co-sponsor an international conference beyond Canada with the full approval of its board of directors. In 2006, under its former name of AMSS, the board agreed to co-sponsor the "AMSS International Conference," held in Istanbul, Turkey and organized by AMSS groups in Britain and France. AMSS of North America promoted the Call for Papers and reviewed abstract submissions from the USA and Canada. AMSS of North America was not an umbrella organization; it had no legal connection to nor a financial relationship with any foreign government, organization, or corporate entity bearing the name of AMSS in such countries as France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and/or any other country.
International Conferences: September 1 - 3, 2006 – Istanbul, Turkey:
First International Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists: Annual Theme: "Citizenship, Security and Democracy." Co-sponsored by AMSS – UK; AMSS – France; AMSS North America; and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, Turkey.
Cosponsored Events
These events include conferences organized by recognized institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada on topics that examine opportunities and challenges facing the modern world, including Muslim societies in the global community.
December 4, 2006 – Washington, DC:
AMSS co-sponsored a conference presented by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC. "Islamophobia: Its Rising Threat and Policy Challenges."
March 28-29, 2008 – Cornell University, Africana Studies & Research Center, Ithaca, NY:
AMSS was among symposium co-sponsors honoring Professor Ali A. Mazrui on his 75th Birthday. Symposium Theme: "Reflections on Ali A. Mazrui's Legacy: Global Culture and Africa's Triple Heritage." The Symposium co-sponsors included Cornell University, NY; Binghamton University, NY; and AMSS, VA.
November 12, 2008 – Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan:
AMSS co-sponsored a conference by Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan. "Challenges Facing the New President in the Broader Middle East." Keynote Speaker: Dr. Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
May 27, 2012 – Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada:
AMSS co-sponsored a one-day joint session on May 27th with Wilfrid Laurier University, Muslim Studies Option (WLU), Waterloo, Canada, at the 2012 meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (CSSR). The CSSR meetings were held on the WLU campus on May 26-29, 2012. AMSS's joint session with WLU focused on "Critical Interventions in Canadian Muslim Studies."