A summary report from the 37th MSAPSG Convention In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful The MSAPSG which has been in existence for over 40 years, held its annual seminar. This seminar which was its 37th gathering, took place during December 27-30, 2007 (Thursday night through Sunday afternoon), in Chicago. The MSAPSG organization was established by the able hands of one of the symbols of piety and knowledge, Martyr Mostafa Chamran and his associates and has continuously strived to continue its activities on the straight path of following Islamic teachings. This is due to the pure intentions and warm breath of its founders whose presence is still felt among us. MSAPSG has always believed that the most complete intellectual, social, political, and educational teachings are found in the principles of Islam, and furthermore, MSAPSG has always followed and pursued these teachings to the best of its abilities. This seminar brought together three generations of brothers and sisters of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nearly, 1,000 individuals participated. These individuals traveled from various locations such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Maryland, Virginia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Boston, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Houston, Austin, Milwaukee, Detroit, Dearborn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Kent (Ohio) and other cities in the United States and Canada, as well as from Tokyo. After registration, on Thursday night, the participants took part in the congregational prayer and Du'a Komail. On Friday, the first full day of this year's gathering, the seminar as usual started with the recitation of Holy Quran. Afterward, the opening session continued with reading the important and inspiring message of Dr. Haddad Adel, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament). The daily congregational prayers were held throughout the seminar and these prayers were lead by ulama such as Huj. Mesbahzadeh, (the renowned poet, calligrapher, and astronomer). In addition, on Friday, which was also the Eid-e-Ghadeer, Du'a Nodbeh was recited after the Fajr prayer. The Friday prayer which was lead by Imam Muhammad Al Asi was of particular interest, as in years past. Simultaneous programs for various age groups and interests (General, University, and Teenage sessions) were held. There were Quranic and Farsi competitions for our younger participants. The subject of this year's seminar was "One Ummah - One Nation". This subject was in line with the declaration by Esteemed Leader Ayatollah Uzma Khamenei of this year to be "the year of national unity and Islamic harmony". A number of our brothers and sisters from other schools of thought were present and actively participated. Among the distinguished lecturers and speakers were Prof. Mahmoud Ayoub, Huj. Amir Mukhtar Faezi, Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, Huj. Abbas Mesbahzadeh, Huj. Suleiman Abedi, Dr. Irfan Khan, Dr. Abdullah al-Ahsan, Imam Muhammad Al Asi, Sheikh Hashem Alauddeen, Dr. Mansour Ansari, Sister Anisa Abd el Fattah, and Imam Abdul Alim Musa. These individuals covered a variety of topics from the unity of Muslims, virtues of Imam Ali (AS), and the event of Ghadeer, particularly from the viewpoint and perspective of other schools of thought. One of the most notable points of this seminar was the very active participation by our high school and university youths. The seminar came to conclusion on Sunday afternoon with the prayers. The closing remarks included the remembrance of the great Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini (RA) and prayers for the continued success of the Esteemed Leader and all brothers and sisters serving Islam.