UMAA
The Universal Muslim Association of America (UMAA) is a non-governmental organization that works on social, political, religious, and humanitarian issues. UMAA has held annual conventions since 2003 in Washington DC and Toronto, Canada. UMAA is a Shia Muslim organization, yet has established notable relationships with other sects of Islam. History. The first convention held by UMAA was in Washington DC in May 2003, and was attended by approximately 3,000 individuals of the Shia Muslim community. Subsequently the convention was held annually on Memorial Day weekend in Washington DC, until 2011, wherein it was held in Toronto, Canada. In  2013, the convention was scheduled to be held in Dearborn, Michigan. Mission statement. According to the UMAA website, the mission statement of the organization is as follows: Conference of Ali. In 2013, the convention was renamed "The Conference of Ali" to emphasize its new style, location, and differences political viewpoints from previous years.