ISNA Bids Farewell to Hazem Bata

(Plainfield, IN 4/28/17) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) announces the departure of Hazem Bata as its Secretary General, effective May 1, 2017. Over the past 3 years as Secretary General, Hazem has been a force for progress and growth for both ISNA and Muslim communities throughout North America. “It’s been a great honor to serve as ISNA Secretary General.” Hazem said in a statement. “It’s been a pleasure to work along side our staff and volunteers who have made our initiatives successful and to better serve our communities.” Under Hazem’s leadership, ISNA has:

• established its Masjid Development Initiative focusing on inclusion, growth and best practices
• launched its Statement on the Inclusion of Women in Masjaid which calls upon all masajid to be welcoming and fully inclusive for women
• ensured gender-balanced panels at the annual convention and conferences
• presided over the growth in the number of Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) camps by 300%
• expanded how we communicate with our communities to reach more Muslims through social media and webinars.

In a statement, ISNA President Azhar Azeez said: “On behalf of the ISNA Board of Directors and staff, I want to thank Hazem for his service to ISNA. Under his leadership, ISNA grew in critical ways, spearheading important initiatives in the areas of masjid development, women’s inclusion, outreach and youth. “It was a pleasure to have worked with Hazem and call him a dear friend. He will be missed by the ISNA Board of Directors, staff and members. We are committed to continuing the groundbreaking work he has initiated and are grateful for his dedication to advancing the Muslim-American community.” ISNA remains committed to continuing the initiatives led by Hazem. Sr. Habibe Ali, ISNA Chief Operations Officer who has worked with ISNA for 27 years, will take the helm of the organization as the Interim Secretary General. The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is the largest and oldest Islamic umbrella organization in North America. Its mission is to foster the development of the Muslim community, interfaith relations, civic engagement, and better understanding of Islam. – END – CONTACT: Faryal M. Khatri, ISNA Communications Department, fkhatri@isna.net