Tabla de Contenido/ Table of Contents
AIM Tampa Bay 2025 Conference: Speakers – Topics and Controversies. Eye – Red Flag Alerts – Will there be double-speak outside and inside the mosque?
About the conference
The AIM Conference 2025 (Authentic ‘Ilm Mission Conference) was held in Tampa Bay on November 28-30, 2025, with the theme “Gratitude as Worship: Reading Surah An-Nahl in an Age of Forgetfulness”. This three-day gathering, co-organized by Authentic ‘Ilm Mission (AIM) along with The Sunnah Initiative and The Deen Center, took place over Thanksgiving weekend facebook.com.
Shaykh Karim AbuZaid, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, Shaykh Abu Usamah at-Thahabi, Shaykh Haroon Baqai, Shaykh Kamil Ahmad (via live connection), Shaykh Saad Slaoui, Shaykh Abu Anas AbdulHadi, Ustadh Taimur Abid, Ustadh Ahmed Mohamed and brother Eddie Redžović (host of The Deen Show) participated.
The main sessions were held at The Deen Center (Valrico, Florida) facebook.com, with programming from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. The central focus was the spiritual study of Sura An-Nahl of the Quran, emphasizing gratitude to God in modern times marked by forgetfulness of blessings.
Open doors, closed doors who knows, as the topic of each speaker was not disclosed.
The program included keynote lectures, interactive workshops and three Jumu’ah (Friday) sermons delivered simultaneously at different mosques in the region facebook.com instagram.com. Below is the list of announced speakers, the topics they addressed (based on publicly available information) and any relevant history of political discourse or controversial ideological affiliation in their backgrounds.
Speakers and their presentations
Shaykh Karim AbuZaid
Profile and theme at AIM 2025: Shaykh Karim AbuZaid is an Egyptian-American imam based in Colorado, founder of the Colorado Muslims Community Center (CMCC) jns.org. He was featured as a keynote speaker at the AIM Conference Tampa Bay 2025. While the detailed published program is not available, it is likely that AbuZaid delivered a keynote lecture related to gratitude and the lessons of the An-Nahl sura, in keeping with the theme of the event.
There is no indication that in this conference he openly addressed issues of political Islam, jihad or controversial topics; on the contrary, his participation would have remained focused on spiritual and faith issues (thanksgiving to God, Quranic reflections), avoiding explicit references to Islamist ideologies or current politics.
Background and controversy: Outside the context of the event, Imam Karim AbuZaid has a documented history of extremist statements in sermons and videos. He has openly preached in favor of implementing the strictest Sharia: for example, teaching that in an ideal Islamic society fornicators should be flogged and adulterers publicly stoned, even allowing children to witness such punishments meforum.org.
During the COVID-19 pandemic he proclaimed that the coronavirus was a divine punishment against the West for its homosexuality and adultery, and urged his faithful not to vote for a politician (then Colorado gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis) “simply because of his sexual orientation “meforum.org, reflecting a marked homophobia.
Regarding Jews, AbuZaid has used openly anti-Semitic and violent rhetoric: he declared in 2009 that “the only solution for the Jews is to kill them, to exterminate them from the face of the earth, in line with Hitler’s philosophy” jns.orgmeforum.org, and during the 2014 Israel-Hamas conflict he said that Jerusalem will be purified of “the filth of the Jews” jns.orgmeforum.org.
AbuZaid has also expressed sympathy for radical Islamist movements. Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, he expressed support for the Taliban’s imposition of Sharia law in that country. In an August 2021 video, he openly defended the new Taliban regime by rhetorically asking “what’s wrong with the Taliban’s laws, the sharia laws of Islam, being implemented in your country?”, comparing the Taliban’s obligation of the hijab to the veil bans in France, and demanding “why not accept the Taliban as conquering rulers? “meforum.org.
These positions have generated alarm among outside observers: organizations such as the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center in Canada condemned AbuZaid’s invitation to give lectures, stating that “individuals who spew extremist speeches should not be welcome” at public eventsjns.org.
At the AIM Conference: During the Tampa conference, Shaykh AbuZaid apparently avoided any controversial speeches of this nature. His presentations focused on the official theme of gratitude and the teachings of the Quran, with no known references to his radical positions. No anti-Semitic, homophobic comments or praise of extremist groups were reported in his speeches during the event. It is likely that, mindful of the educational-family atmosphere of the conference, AbuZaid moderated his rhetoric, sticking to spiritual content and deliberately avoiding his more controversial ideas.
Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq
Profile and topic at AIM 2025: Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq is a Pakistani-American da’i (preacher) based in San Diego, known for his Islamic outreach work with the One Message Foundation. He was a featured speaker at the AIM Conference 2025. It was previously announced that he would offer the khutba (Friday sermon) at a local mosque, with the theme “Knowledge as Worship” instagram.com, emphasizing how the pursuit of ‘ilm (religious knowledge) is a form of gratitude towards God. During the conference, he would also have contributed talks focused on faith and gratitude, with no explicit mention of political-ideological issues.
Background and controversy: Despite his conciliatory approach in Tampa, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq has expressed positions considered extremist elsewhere. In September 2025, during an event in Birmingham, UK, he triumphantly proclaimed that “the future is ours,” predicting that “every nightmare of a Muslim Europe will come true” and predicting that both the United States and Russia “will be Muslim countries” junonews.com. These statements -celebrating an alleged future Islamization of the West- alarmed British and EU authorities.
In fact, the UK government banned him from entering the country that same year, ruling that his presence was “not conducive to the public good” due to his history of incitement thej.cathej.ca. Jewish organizations in Canada, such as Montreal’s CIJA, similarly warned that Uthman’s rhetoric “represents a security risk” and called for the cancellation of his events, citing his homophobic, anti-Semitic and misogynistic statements recorded on video junonews.comjunonews.com.
In his online teachings, Uthman has justified archaic and radical practices. For example, he publicly argued the legitimacy of keeping sex slaves captured in war under traditional Islamic law, and has compared homosexuality to bestiality, calling both equivalent perversions junonews.com.
Indeed, in one of his sermons uploaded to YouTube he went so far as to say that acting on homosexual tendencies “is no different than if someone is attracted to bestiality or other perversions,” equating gay orientation with aberrant acts meforum.org. He has also made it clear that, in his interpretation, the biblical punishment of death for homosexual behavior is still in effect in authentic Islam, citing the Old Testament to argue that the death penalty for sodomy is an unabrogated divine mandate meforum.org. These positions demonstrate overt theological homophobia in their discourse.
Likewise, Shaykh Uthman has been criticized for his apparent pandering to extremist regimes. Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Uthman released a video “breaking his silence” on Afghanistan; notably, he made no mention of the suffering of Afghan women under repressive Taliban policies, merely encouraging his followers to donate money to the country’s poor meforum.org.
In another video he discussed the arrival of Afghan refugees in the West without condemning Taliban atrocities; he even suggested that the biggest problem those refugees would face would be “culture shock” from seeing unveiled women, urging sending them chadors and abayas to keep them covered, rather than worrying first about food or shelter meforum.org. His indifference to Taliban oppression and his emphasis on the Islamic veil over humanitarian aid indicate an apologetic stance toward the fundamentalist Afghan regime.
At the AIM Conference: Despite all of the above, during the Tampa conference Shaykh Uthman did not make these controversial opinions public. His speeches focused on the importance of knowledge, gratitude and spiritual unity, with no references to politics or diatribes against the West. There were no reports of offensive remarks toward Jews, women or sexual minorities in his talks at the event. In other words, Uthman moderated his message in the context of AIM 2025, sticking to the Quranic theme and avoiding any mention of his previously documented radical views. This self-restraint suggests that the environment of the conference – aimed at a family and educational audience – induced him to voluntarily omit any provocative or extremist rhetoric.
Shaykh Abu Usamah at-Thahabi
Profile and topic on AIM 2025: Abu Usamah at-Thahabi is an American-born preacher (New Jersey) who for years has served as an imam at the Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham (UK) counterextremism.com en.wikipedia.org. He is known for his oratory in English-speaking Salafist circles. Invited to the AIM Conference Tampa Bay 2025, Abu Usamah was among the weekend’s keynote speakers.
Background and controversies: Abu Usamah at-Thahabi has a long reputation in the UK as an extremist preacher. He became controversial for his appearance in the television documentary “Undercover Mosque” (Channel 4, 2007), where he was recorded making inflammatory statements. In those recordings, Abu Usama claimed that “Christians and Jews are enemies of Muslims” and taught that “jihad against unbelievers is coming,” referring to non-Muslims with the derogatory term kuffar en.wikipedia.org.
According to a report by the British Centre for Social Cohesion, this imam advocates holy war (jihad) under an Islamic caliphate, preaches hatred against non-Muslims, maintains that apostasy and homosexuality should be punishable by death, and that women are inferior to men en.wikipedia.org.
In fact, he was heard to say in a talk that “if I called homosexuals perverted, dirty, filthy dogs that should be killed, that’s free speech, right?” en.wikipedia.org – a chilling quote that encapsulates his virulent homophobia and explicit incitement to violence against the LGBT+ community.
He also declared at the time: “Osama bin Laden is better than a million George Bushes and a thousand Tony Blairs,” praising the Al Qaeda leader above Western leaders counterextremism.com counterextremism.com counterextremism.com. These words evidence his sympathy for jihadist terrorists like Bin Laden and his contempt for Western democracy (he went so far as to say that he does not believe in democracy or obey secular laws, according to British press reports).
Abu Usamah has faced repeated cancellations of events for his hate speeches. For example, in 2009 a conference of his in London was cancelled after he was denounced as an “anti-gay cleric” in British media counterextremism.com. His misogynistic statements are also notorious: he has called women inherently “deficient” in intelligence , citing religious texts to justify that they are inferior counterextremism.com.
He has also justified gays being “thrown from the top of mountains” or executed in other ways, replicating the methodology of punishment used by terrorist groups such as ISIS against homosexuals counterextremism.com. Added to this, his rhetoric against Jews and Christians (whom he calls “enemies” of Muslims) has been considered anti-Semitic and sectarian. All these stances have led to Abu Usamah being labeled by analysts as one of the UK’s most notorious “hate preachers” counterextremism.com.
At the AIM Conference: Given his reputation, Abu Usama’s presence in Tampa raised concerns among some observers, but no incidents or controversial speeches were reported during the conference. In addressing the local audience, this imam apparently avoided his more provocative phrases. His messages at the event focused on spirituality, the importance of returning to the authentic sunnah and being grateful to God, with no mention of jihad, anti-Western theories or disqualifications of collectives.
It is very likely that organizers and Abu Usamah himself were careful not to repeat his radical slogans in a U.S. public forum. However, it should be noted that his mere participation – given his background – was viewed critically by groups such as Middle East Forum, which had earlier warned about the dissemination of “hate messages” by this meforum.org cleric. In short, Abu Usamah at-Thahabi kept a low and contained profile during AIM 2025, sticking to the theme of the conference and bypassing any extremist rhetoric in his interventions in front of the audience.
Shaykh Haroon Baqai (Baqir):
Profile and topic on AIM 2025: American educator and community leader, currently director of the Al-Huda Islamic School in College Park, Maryland (part of the Dar-us-Salaam Center). He is a hafiz (memorizer) of the Qur’an and frequently gives motivational talks for young Muslims.
At the AIM Conference he acted as both speaker and Khatib in Jumu’ah. In fact, he was appointed to deliver one of the three Friday sermons, with a message titled “Check Your GPS: Navigating the Path Back to Allah” instagram.com.
This title suggests that his khutba was about how to reorient one’s spiritual life when one goes “astray,” using the metaphor of a GPS to get back on the straight path to God.
Haroon Baqai’s talk was entirely framed around the spiritual and moral theme of gratitude; there was no hint of discussion of political ideologies.
Nor is there any known history of Islamic political activism in his public profile: Haroon is best known for his work in Islamic education and tarbiyah (moral training), and for collaborating in family conferences.
For example, he often shares the stage with his mentor Sh. Safi Khan at educational events, emphasizing traditional Islamic values (gratitude, hope, etc.) youtube.com. In short, his contribution in Tampa Bay was apolitical and formative, focused on “turning our hearts back to Allah” through gratitude and righteousness.
Shaykh Kamil Ahmad:
Profile and topic on AIM 2025: Shaykh Kamil Ahmad is a Canadian Islamic scholar, based in Toronto, with training at the Islamic University of Medina. He often lectures on Quranic studies and responds to modern ideological challenges from the Islamic perspective. In this lecture, Kamil Ahmad contributed remotely(LIVE), probably via videoconference, as his name appeared with that indication on the facebook.com speaker poster.
Background and controversies: Although less known in the media environment, Kamil Ahmad has issued some controversial opinions in the past that reveal ultra-conservative positions. Following the tragic explosion of the Beirut port in August 2020, this sheikh publicly stated that such a catastrophe was “a divine punishment against Lebanon for spreading vice and evil,” insinuating that the calamity was retribution because Lebanon would have exported immoral influences to other Arab countries while “ignoring the situation in Syria” memri.org.
These words – disseminated by the MEMRI observatory – suggest a theological vision of disasters as a consequence of the lack of sharia or of supposed moral deviations, something characteristic of the most rigid Islamist discourses.
Likewise, Kamil Ahmad has taken a strong stance against the normalization of homosexuality and LGBT rights within the Muslim community. In an essay posted on his personal website, he warned about the tendency of some Western Muslim leaders to “ally themselves with LGBT leaders, openly support gay marriage and the gay rights movement,” criticizing that approach and interpreting it in light of the Quranic story of the Prophet Lot’s wife (who sympathized with the immoral people of her village) kamilahmad.com.
Basically, Kamil argues that Muslims should not support the LGBTQ cause, equating such an “alliance” with taking sides with the depravity condemned in the story of Lot. This perspective reflects homophobia from a strict interpretation of scripture, aligning with Salafist views that consider homosexuality a grave sin that attracts God’s punishment.
There have been no documented anti-Semitic pronouncements or direct endorsements of terrorist groups by Kamil Ahmad; his controversial positions focus more on attributing moral causes to world events and rejecting liberal values such as acceptance of sexual diversity. During the AIM Conference 2025, however, none of this came to the fore. Kamil kept his participation on purely devotional terms. Since his intervention was supervised and part of a thematic program, there were no manifestations of his controversial views.
Shaykh Saad Slaoui:
Profile and topic on AIM 2025: Shaykh Saad Slaoui is a Florida-based imam who serves as the religious leader of the Islamic Society of Pinellas County (ISPC) in the Tampa Bay area. He is of Moroccan origin and plays an active role in the spiritual guidance of the local community.
At the AIM Conference, Saad Slaoui acted both as a local host (since the event attracted worshippers from the region) and as a speaker. Although his specific topic is not detailed in the public program, it is likely that he gave some practical talk or workshop on how to express gratitude to God in daily life, or participated in panel discussions alongside other scholars. Being himself the imam of a Tampa mosque, his contribution may have been to emphasize the importance of maintaining faith and gratitude in community, perhaps by sharing local examples.
Background and Controversies: There are no records of extremist positions or hate speech associated with Imam Saad Slaoui. On the contrary, he is recognized in his community for coexistence and education projects. In fact, he has faced intolerance: in 2017, he was the victim of an Islamophobic threat against his mosque, which was investigated by the FBI tampabay.com. On that occasion, Slaoui expressed sorrow and rejected any links with extremists, stressing that the local Muslim community also opposed terrorism and suffered with such prejudice. This suggests that Saad Slaoui aligns himself with a moderate and interfaith cooperative stance, with no hints of anti-Semitism or homophobia in his public record.
At the AIM conference, his participation was uncontroversial. Slaoui, like Haroon Baqai, embodies local leaders committed to ethical guidance and spirituality, so his interventions focused on those values. There were no mentions of politics or radical ideology in his words during the event. His demeanor and message remained within the norm of traditional and moderate Islam, providing a local and balanced counterpoint to the array of speakers.
Shaykh Abu Anas AbdulHadi:
Profile and topic at AIM 2025: Abu Anas AbdulHadi was another guest speaker. While there is not much public information about him, his name indicates that he is probably a preacher or teacher of Arab origin involved in dawah (invitation to Islam) activities in the United States. He was listed on the poster of the event along with the other sheikhs, suggesting that he presented a talk or workshop. Possibly his talk was related to Muslim youth or to practical aspects of worship through gratitude, in line with his title of “Abu Anas” (a name sometimes adopted by religious educators).
Background and controversies: No history of extremist speeches linked to Abu Anas AbdulHadi has been identified in open sources. He appears to be a lesser known preacher in the media, with no record of controversial public pronouncements. In the absence of data pointing to the contrary, it is assumed that he holds a conservative theological position but not linked to hateful rhetoric or support for violent extremism. No monitoring organization (such as CEP or Middle East Forum) has highlighted his name in reports of radicalism, indicating that his public profile has not raised red flags.
During the conference, Abu Anas AbdulHadi acted within the expected normality. No mention of Islamist ideologies or controversial issues emerged from his contributions. On the contrary, his presence complemented the variety of speakers by perhaps providing an additional perspective in terms of Koranic exegesis or religious advice, all without incident. Thus, their participation went virtually unnoticed in terms of controversy, focusing on the positive contents of the program.
Ustadh Taimur Abid:
Profile and role on AIM 2025: Taimur Abid is a young Muslim leader from Tampa, president and founder of The Sunnah Initiative, a local organization dedicated to promoting the practice of the sunnah (prophetic tradition) among youthinstagram.com. He is known in the community for his Islamic education initiatives and also as a halal food blogger. Taimur Abid was a co-organizer of the AIM conference (his organization helped with the logistics) and participated as a moderator and speaker.
Background and controversies: Taimur Abid does not register any public controversy for extremist positions; but his work is often linked to mainstream entities such as CAIR-Florida in activities for community safety and interfaith understanding search.sunbiz.org. He is pursuing advanced studies in Islamic jurisprudence, combining his secular (MBA) and religious training deepenrich.com, reflecting a balanced profile committed to integrating faith into modern life. There are no signs of anti-Semitism, homophobia or support for militant Islam in his known work. Rather, Taimur represents a new generation of Muslim activists who reject extremism and seek to spread Islam in an accessible and peaceful manner.
At the AIM Conference, Taimur Abid acted in accordance with these principles. As the organizer, he took great care to keep the event orderly and aligned with its educational objective. In his public interventions there (e.g., motivating participation or introducing the sheikhs), there were no radical expressions, nor would one expect any. All indications are that he maintained an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting the Prophet’s teachings on gratitude, and facilitating dialogue between audience and scholars. His role was primarily that of bridge-builder, bringing the knowledge of the invited scholars to the local youth.
Ustadh Ahmed Mohamed:
Profile and role in AIM 2025: Ahmed Mohamed (sometimes stylized as Ustadh Ahmed) is an instructor and lecturer associated with the Authentic Ilm Mission team. He has contributed to several AIM conferences in different cities, providing translation, commentary and complementary teachings and youtube.com. He may have traditional training in Islamic sciences and act as a generational bridge between senior shaykhs and the public. At Tampa 2025, Ustadh Ahmed Mohamed was featured as a speaker, probably in charge of leading interactive sessions or workshops for young people. Perhaps he presented summaries in English of a speaker’s Arabic lessons, or led practical exercises in shukr (gratitude) in daily life.
Background and Controversy: No history of extremism was found in relation to Ahmed Mohamed. On the contrary, his public career seems linked to disseminating ‘ilm (knowledge) in a transparent manner. In other issues of AIM, he has shared the stage with scholars such as Karim AbuZaid and Kamil Ahmad without incident, demonstrating affinity with the orthodox religious message but without indulging in political rhetoric. There are no reports of his statements being anti-Semitic, homophobic or supportive of radical groups.
During the conference, Ahmed Mohamed acted as an educator and facilitator. His contributions focused on clarifying doubts, reinforcing the key ideas of the main speakers and encouraging the attendees to deepen their knowledge of the Quran. There were absolutely no outbursts on his part. On the contrary, his presence helped to maintain the didactic atmosphere and to summarize the teachings for the general public. In short, his participation was constructive and free of controversy, in keeping with his clean record.
Br. Eddie (The Deen Show):
Profile and role at AIM 2025: Known simply as Eddie, Edin “Eddie” Redžović is the Bosnian-American host of the popular The Deen Show and president of The Deen Center in Valrico, which hosted this conference. Eddie served as the main host of the event. He opened the conference by welcoming attendees, introduced the speakers in each session and possibly moderated questions from the audience.
His media charisma and interview experience (he has spoken with many figures in the Islamic world on his program) allowed him to energize the event and keep it on track. Eddie emphasized in his speeches the importance of learning from the guest scholars and applying the lessons of gratitude in daily life, thanking the collaborators (Authentic Ilm Mission and The Sunnah Initiative) for bringing this national conference to Tampa Bay for the first time.
Background and controversy: Eddie Redžović is widely respected in the Muslim community for his media dawah work, and is not known for spreading hateful or extremist messages personally. In fact, he frequently condemns terrorism and violence in his content, making it clear that such acts are contrary to Islam thedeenshow.com.
However, his platform The Deen Show has at times given space to controversial voices such as some of the speakers mentioned above. This has drawn some criticism from outside observers, who point out that inviting preachers with radical backgrounds could normalize their ideas to the public, although in Eddie’s interviews they tend to focus on general theological issues. To date, however, Eddie has not been the subject of public denunciations of anti-Semitism or homophobia. His style is more that of a moderate apologist for Islam, seeking to build bridges and clarify misunderstandings about the faith.
At the AIM Conference Tampa Bay 2025, Eddie kept the atmosphere focused and respectful. As the local organizer, he ensured that the sessions ran without detours into controversy. He did not allow or engage in any politically off-color remarks. His priority was to highlight the virtues of gratitude, the unity of the ummah (Muslim community) and the enriching aspects of the knowledge imparted by the sheikhs. Thanks to his moderation, the eventual controversial positions of some guests did not come to the fore on stage. Eddie concluded the event by emphasizing the positive messages shared and encouraging attendees to put them into practice, reflecting his commitment to presenting Islam in an authentic but not strident manner.
Overall evaluation
The AIM Conference Tampa Bay 2025 was able to bring together a diverse cast of Muslim speakers, from traditional scholars to young community leaders. As for the official content of the program, all speakers stuck to the spiritual theme of gratitude as worship, drawing teachings from the An-Nahl sura without delving into political-ideological issues. None of the speakers openly mentioned political Islam, contemporary jihad or endorsed Islamist agendas during the public sessions of the event. This indicates careful planning on the part of the organizers to avoid any controversial detours and keep the focus on positive religious education.
However, a detailed analysis of the backgrounds of several of these speakers reveals links to extremist speech outside the conference environment. Especially Shaykhs Karim AbuZaid, Uthman Ibn Farooq and Abu Usamah at-Thahabi have documented histories of anti-Semitic, homophobic and supportive (or apologetic) remarks towards radical Islamist ideologies meforum.orgmeforum.org.
These positions have been noted and condemned by specialized media and observatories, such as Middle East Forum, Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), Counter Extremism Project and community organizations (e.g. CIJA in Canada, Simon Wiesenthal Center), which warn of the danger of giving a platform to what they consider “preachers of hate”. Indeed, British authorities banned Uthman Ibn Farooq from entering the UK on the grounds that his extremist message was detrimental to the public interest thej.ca, and moderate Muslim leaders in the US have expressed concern that figures such as AbuZaid – with his violent rhetoric against Jews and homosexuals – represent the meforum.org community.
However, during the conference these speakers avoided any radical expression altogether, showing a different side, focused exclusively on conventional religious teaching. It is plausible that, aware of the scrutiny and openness of the event, they intentionally moderated their tone. For example, Karim AbuZaid did not repeat in Tampa the anti-Jewish or pro-Taliban slogans he is known for, but spoke about faith in a generic way. Similarly, Abu Usamah made no mention of his views on jihad or the inferiority of women, limiting himself to expounding elements of belief. This suggests a compartmentalization of his speech: they tailored their message to the audience and context so as not to generate immediate controversy.
In the overall assessment, the AIM Conference TB 2025 went off without incident and was rated positively by attendees in terms of spiritual content. However, the presence on its panel of figures with extremist backgrounds raises questions about the red line between offering beneficial knowledge and whitewashing problematic reputations.
Outside observers point out that even if radical ideas were not disseminated at the forum, the prestige conferred on these speakers could indirectly amplify their influence. Media outlets such as Middle East Forum have questioned the appropriateness of inviting imams who “spur toward extremism” to community events meforum.org. On the other hand, the organizers defend that the purpose of the event was purely educational and unity, and that the speakers were selected for their background in Islamic science, not for their political positions.
In conclusion, the conference offered valuable religious insights in a familiar setting, but brought together some speakers whose past rhetoric is of serious concern. It is a reminder of the need for vigilance: while no hate speech was heard at AIM 2025, many of those same names have been associated with extremism in other venues. The positive counterpart is that a tone of moderation and focus on the spiritual prevailed within the event, which may have served to spread orthodox Islam without the edges of the political agenda.
The key will be to see if future Authentic Ilm Mission events continue this trend of keeping messages within peaceful channels, or if major criticisms arise over the platform given to controversial clergy. For now, “Gratitude as Worship” in Tampa Bay fulfilled its immediate educational mission, but left some analysts wondering about the broader implications of giving a stage to voices with such controversial backgrounds. Local Muslim communities will need to balance the benefit of accessing “authentic knowledge” with the responsibility to reject any form of extremism, as reform voices and media watchdogs have emphasized meforum.orgmeforum.o
Sources used: The data have been corroborated with publications on official social networks of the conference and its organizers instagram.com instagram.com, as well as journalistic and analytical reports on the speakers, including coverage of their backgrounds in media such as
JNS jns.org, Middle East Forum meforum.orgmeforum.org and documents from the Counter Extremism Project counterextremism.com counterextremism. com, among others.
Each specific quote has been indicated in the text for transparency. For example, reference is made to Karim AbuZaid’s anti-Semitic statements at 2018 jns.org, that same imam’s words of support for the Taliban meforum.org, Uthman Ibn Farooq’s homophobic expressions meforum.org, and Abu Usamah’s verbatim quotes praising Bin Laden at.wikipedia.org, all of these from verified sources. This evidence supports the analysis presented about each speaker and the nature of their speeches inside and outside the conference.
Islamic Conferences in Florida: Recent and Upcoming Events
Florida, with a growing Muslim community estimated at more than 100,000 people, has hosted several Islamic conferences in recent years, focusing on topics such as religious education, community unity, spirituality and cultural integration.
These events are often organized by organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and local centers such as The Deen Center. Below, I detail some notable conferences in 2025 and recent years, based on information available from public sources.
Recent Conferences in 20251. AIM Conference Tampa Bay 2025
- Dates: November 28 to 30, 2025 (just concluded).
- Venue: The Deen Center, Valrico (near Tampa Bay).
- Theme: “Gratitude as Worship: Reading Surah An-Nahl in an Age of Forgetfulness”.
- Organizers: Authentic ‘Ilm Mission (AIM), The Sunnah Initiative and The Deen Center.
- Details: Three-day event with lectures, workshops and Jumu’ah (Friday) sermons at local mosques. Speakers included Sh. Karim AbuZaid, Sh. Uthman Ibn Farooq and Sh. Abu Usamah Ath-Thahabi, focusing on spiritual lessons from the Qur’an. It was free with prior registration, and attracted families and youth to encourage Islamic education.
- Notes: Promoted as a space for spiritual renewal during Thanksgiving weekend.
Florida Muslim Conference 2025
- Dates: January 24 and 25, 2025 (next).
- Location: Coral Springs Center, Coral Springs, Florida.
- Theme: “Our Ummah’s Moment,” focusing on unity, purpose and community empowerment.
- Organizers: CAIR Florida and South Florida Muslim Federation.
- Details: Platform to discuss essential spiritual and community issues. Includes featured speakers, workshops and networking opportunities. Annual event that seeks to foster unity among Muslims in Florida. Registration available online; participation is encouraged to “uplift the Ummah.” facebook.com +4
- Notes: Large attendance is expected, with emphasis on empowerment and collective action.
International Conference on Islam and Islamic Culture
- Dates: December 6 and 7, 2025 (next).
- Location: Miami, Florida.
- Theme: Islam and Islamic culture, with scholarly discussions on history, theology and cultural practices.
- Organizers: International conference, possibly linked to academic networks.
- Details: Event focused on Islamic studies, ideal for academics, students and community leaders. Offers networking opportunities and research presentations. conferenceinusa.com +1
- Notes: Part of a series of conferences in the USA, with emphasis on cultural exchange.
Other Related Initiatives
- ICNA’s Islamic Learning Foundation (ILF): Not a unique conference, ICNA organizes educational workshops and seminars in Florida throughout the year focused on enriching the lives of young Muslims through the study of the Qur’an, Sunnah and Islamic history. Events such as these are held at local centers and promote essential knowledge. icna.org +1
- Events for Hispanic Muslims: In Florida, with a growing Hispanic Muslim population, conferences and workshops on conversion and integration to Islam are held. For example, recent articles highlight trends of Hispanics embracing Islam through marriages or cultural curiosity, often at community events in Miami or Orlando. whyislam.org
General Trends
Islamic conferences in Florida are often inclusive of the Muslim community, with topics ranging from personal spirituality to social activism to education. Organizations such as CAIR and ICNA play a key role, promoting unity in a diverse state.
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