Dr. Ingrid Mattson is a Canadian activist and scholar who is known for her work in Islamic studies. She is currently the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada.
Early Life and Education
Ingrid Mattson was born on August 24, 1963, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She was the sixth of seven children and spent her childhood in Kingston, where she attended Catholic schools. She credits the Catholic women who educated her with providing “a fantastic education” and “a place to explore and develop this early, youthful spirituality”.
Mattson earned a BA (hons) in Philosophy and Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo in Ontario in 1987. She then moved to the United States to study at the University of Chicago, where she earned a PhD in Near Eastern Language and Civilizations in 1999.
Personal Life
Mattson was raised as a Roman Catholic but left the church as a teenager. She developed an interest in Islam as a young adult and converted at age 23. She spent more than a year in Pakistan after graduating from the University of Waterloo, where she worked with Afghan women refugees and met and married a fellow aid worker.
Career
Mattson is a former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and was described as “Perhaps the most noticed figure among American Muslim women” in a 2010 New York Times article. She was elected vice president of ISNA in 2001 and served as president from 2006 to 2010. During her tenure, she was the first woman, the first person from a non-Islamic country, and the first convert to Islam to hold the position. She made frequent appearances on television and radio programs and gave public lectures, making her a highly visible figure.
Mattson was a professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary, where she developed and directed the first accredited graduate program for Muslim chaplains in America. She is currently the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada.
Mattson’s writings focus on Quranic studies, theological ethics, and interfaith engagement. She is a senior fellow of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman, Jordan, and has served on many boards, including the Interfaith Taskforce of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the Council of Global Leaders of the C-100 of the World Economic Forum, and the Leadership Group of the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project.
The Hurma Project
The Hurma Project is an initiative founded by Dr. Ingrid Mattson. The project is committed to upholding the sacred inviolability of each person who is present in Muslim spaces by elucidating the ethical and legal principles that govern Muslim conduct. The project conducts research, education, training, and protocols for professional oversight for imams, chaplains, and mosque boards.
The Hurma Project has produced a podcast series that features interviews with Muslim leaders and scholars on various topics related to the project’s mission. For example, in Season 1, Episode 3, Imam Muhammad Abuelezz discusses the role of imams as counselors, and in Season 1, Episode 5, Salma Abugideiri discusses healthy boundaries.
The Hurma Project has also partnered with Bayan Claremont Graduate School to develop a certificate course dedicated to gender-based violence. The course aims to provide imams and chaplains with the knowledge and skills necessary to address gender-based violence in their communities.
Dr Ingrid Mattson on Social Media
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