 ISNA holds an annual national convention which is generally regarded as the largest annual gathering of American Muslims to discuss their role in society, politics, public media, activism, educational institutions, etc.ISNA traces its origins to a meeting of several Muslim student organizations in 1963, at which the Muslim Student Association of the U.S. & Canada ("The MSA") was formed in January 1963.ISNA regards the MSA's 1963 convention as its first one, held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.