A Message of Appreciation and Hope

The past two months have been challenging for our community.

I have witnessed the community members organizing themselves, putting tremendous time and effort towards the reinstatement of the imam movement. Throughout the community has illustrated a high level of talent, civility, creativity, intelligence and team work. To my community there are no words that I can express for how much I appreciate your dedication and the tireless work that you put into this campaign. Your overwhelming support has been a constant motivation for me and my family.

I want to make it clear that I did not choose to leave my position as the Imam of IAGD. For me, it was not merely a job, it was the fulfillment of the trust that Allah swt has entrusted scholars to spread His word and introduce His guidance to people. Although I have received many generous offers in the past years, I preferred to continue to work with my community that I always considered my extended family.

The outcome of this campaign may not appear to be the best, however, we should never forget that our ultimate goal should always be pleasing Allah swt in everything we do in our life. There are unlimited opportunities to serve good causes and stand for justice. We should not cease to use our talent to serve.

I will always be available for you, pray for you and hope to be together in Allah’s paradise.

May Allah swt continue to bless you and your families and may He strengthen our genuine brotherhood.

Imam Aly Lela
November 10, 2019

Spoken from the heart

Dear luminaries and leaders of IAGD
Once upon a time we enjoyed conformity
We laughed together with great harmony
We prayed in-sync with tranquility.

Dear founders and leaders of IAGD
There was a time you enjoyed great dignity
We looked forward to new possibilities
We embraced each other on festivities.

What just happened that made us estranged
Broken, empty, reclusive, deranged.
As if the lights went out in our hearts,
The rituals remain but the essence departs.

For twelve years serving us with dignity
He bonded as family with the community
You turned to him to pray for our loved ones
Whenever our families faced adversity.

You prayed behind him you cried with him,
In Ramadan or tahajjud when lights were dim.
For interfaith meets he spoke for us.
You counted on him to raise funds for us.

We can't fathom what made you come to it,
Trampling on imam -- once your favorite.
Yes, he was not perfect in every sense
We thought you were humane to forgive offense.

And now we're at each other's throat,
"It's fitna you create", as someone wrote.
If I didn't mention I would be remiss,
Our mothers raised us better than this.

We hate to fight it out against our brothers
We dislike very much to accuse the others.
Without any choice, you left us tattered
We looked up to you, but all that's shattered.

Heartbroken as we are, we long to return
To the life of peace that's all we yearn
Is there any compassion left in your heart
to reinstate the imam despite slipping apart?

Please take a deep breath and you may blink,
Our Prophet could be proud if you just think.
Set aside differences and form great vision
A thriving community with love, no division.

Pleasure is derived by pleasing someone
Your community would be the grateful one
We all have bigger challenges to face
We can't get ahead by dividing our base.

When you would come to the end of your life,
And the death would call your affairs aside,
Would you be able to turn from your life with a smile?
Would you still think it was all worth the while?

Kindly reflect before it's too late
Make bold amends that would dissolve hate
Show your generous side to your community
Surprise them with display of your humanity

Your magnanimity would mean so much to them
They would look at you with new admiration
Trust me you would not lose your face
But you would become heroes in grace

Dear luminaries and leaders of IAGD
You must avail this opportunity
Bring back imam, your brother in faith,
It's not too late, it's not too late.

-Zaki Akmal

Listen to your conscience

IAGD leaders look into your hearts and reflect on your actions
What hearts beat in your chests that let you humiliate and hurt a scholar?
What justice do you adhere to that says it's fine to end the livelihood of an Imam just as he returns from the birthplace of Prophet (PBUH)?
What mercy allows you to put children’s sustenance in peril?
Where is your intellect which lets you make decisions that creates so much disillusionment in your own community?
Is there a place for unity in your world?
Why such a haste?
Where are you running to and what are you running from...

By Dr. Jukaku Tayeb

Sticks and Stones

It seems that some members of IAGD’s BOD are upset about things that are being said about them on this site.  They think that they are being unfairly attacked.  The words expressed on this site have hurt their feelings.  To those fragile victims, step outside of your personal misery and ask yourself the following questions:

• Did anything written on this site jeopardize your livelihood?
• Did anything written on this site jeopardize the health insurance coverage for you and your family?
• Did anything written on this site require you to face the prospect of uprooting your children from their schools days before the new school year?

These are questions that you failed to consider before “not renewing” Imam Aly’s contract.  By the IAGD President’s own admission during the September 8, 2019 BOD meeting, the decision to terminate the Imam was being considered for several weeks.  Yet, not one word about his imminent termination was uttered to him by any of you.  No effort was made to inform him that he would be out of a job without notice, warning, or the opportunity to find another position before being dismissed.  Had he been told at least as early as April of 2019 that he would be let go at the end of August, both he and the community he served for 12 years could have made a more smooth emotional transition.  He could have saved face and sought another position without the negative perception that he was fired.  His family could have relocated during the summer with less disruption to his children's education. 

I sincerely hope that your response to this is NOT:  “We didn’t do anything!  He’s the one who signed the contract and he should have known that it expired at the end of August.”  If you expect us to believe that, you insult us in a way that is far worse than anything we could ever say about you on this site.  If you yourselves believe that, ask the man whose orders you follow these questions:

• Were the Imam’s previous contracts seamless where one expired the next would immediately begin?
• NO?  Did gaps occur between contracts more than once?
• YES???  How long were the gaps between his contracts?
• Up to 18 months???  Did he continue receiving a salary and benefits during the periods where he had no contract?
• He did???  Was it ignorant of us to take issue with his characterization that he was ambushed when we told him on August 21, 2019 that as of THAT DATE--without prior notice and 10 days before the expiration of his contract--that he was no longer Imam at IAGD?

Do you see the problem yet?  This is not how you treat people.  You've convinced yourselves that it is we who are not behaving up to the standards of our faith while you conveniently ignore the irrevocable facts recited above.  You do not have the luxury to regard us as a “cult” of Imam Aly.  Many of us know that he is not perfect.  We know that his return to IAGD is untenable.  We know that people change jobs and that no position is permanent.  The one thing that unites all of us who are supporting Imam Aly--each in his/her own respective way--is that we stand against injustice.

There is a way that this could have been done.  A way that would have preserved Imam Aly’s dignity and respected the connection that he shared with the community.  Your desired result could have been achieved without this mess, but that wasn’t enough for one of you.  I’m talking about the one from whom the rest of you take your orders.  This individual, who thinks he is so clever, needed to see Imam Aly suffer.  This individual needed to see Imam Aly humiliated.  This individual has a long memory.  He needed to punish Imam Aly for taking a principled stance against this individual’s dictatorial actions from three years ago.  This individual created the present situation and, without a sense of irony, dispatches you as his loyal foot soldiers to accuse others of causing fitna.  This is where it is helpful for you to know your history because we are repeating it.

There was a meeting in the social hall six years ago that marked a low point for the community.  The individual mentioned above was forced to deal with a BOD and a GB majority that he did not control.  The BOD attempted to conduct the meeting with civility, but several in the audience, including some of the founders of IAGD, screamed at them.  The individual sat in silence and let his unhinged allies scream for him.  When chaos took over and people had to be restrained from physically attacking one other, I looked at this individual expecting him to step in and bring order and be the leader that his minions believe he is.  The individual said nothing.  He looked upon the chaos and smiled.  I am not making this up.  Only after it was too late and the social hall devolved into a fighting pit did he take the microphone in a meaningless gesture to speak empty words that were drowned out by the mayhem.

I do not doubt that this individual has the capacity for good, but being surrounded by "yes" men who agree with his every bad decision prevents him from being his best self.  It was not uncommon for the Prophet's (SAW) companions to challenge his decisions.  They would ask if his decision was based on his opinion or revelation.  If it was the former, the companions would offer an alternative course and our beloved Prophet (SAW) had the humility and wisdom to hear and heed their counsel.  What is it that prevents the companions of IAGD's leader from helping him make better decisions?  When those who think of themselves as his friends stand silent and say NOTHING in the face of his behavior they are not truly his friends.  A true friend would tell you when you err.  A true friend would try to help you do what is just.  Those who stand in silence saying nothing or assist in carrying out unjust orders are, at best, enablers and, at worst, accomplices.

Facts and history matter.  The anger over Imam Aly’s dismissal did not occur in a vacuum.  It has been brewing over the past few decades in an ongoing cycle of injustice after injustice.  You would do well to educate yourselves to better understand which side of history you are on instead of wasting time feeling sorry for yourselves over being told the truth.  Perhaps then you may understand why it is absurd for you to feign innocence and claim that you were not part of a history when the author of that history has made you his instrument.

Losing Imam Aly Lela would be a HUGE loss to IAGD

• A scholar who speaks with authority, knowledge, wisdom and eloquence.
• An imam who's cool on the outside, but who burns for the community on inside.
• A leader who's not afraid of telling the truth even if it hurts.
• A scholar with traditional roots with courage to critique our dark history.
• A likeable imam who engages people from various races, ethnicities and nationalities.
• A rare imam among few in US who combines knowledge of Islamic traditions and understanding of the western context.
• A distinguished imam with rare academic credentials from al-Azhar, Cairo University, Wayne State University and Oxford combined.
• An imam who's active outside the masjid as well, well respected by all imams and Muslim communities.
• A visionary who understands the real challenges faced by American Muslims, especially the youth.
• An aalim with empathy who prefers making things easy for folks within shariah.
• Our trustworthy bridge to the vast legacy of Islamic thoughts and Arabic literature.
• A pleasant face of our faith you could be proud of for interfaith dialogs.
• An affable personality liked by non-Muslim visitors and dignitaries.
• A professor not afraid of speaking on controversial side of Islam.
• The privilege of listening to beautiful qira'a with tajweed every day.
• A self-motivated leader who created useful activity programs.
• The privilege of short enlightening discourse after every maghrib/isha salah.
• The popular Hearts and Minds program preparing our youth for their times.
• The tradition of morning azkaar in Ramadan you probably memorized thanks to the imam.
• The prospect of learning tajweed from an expert with 3 ijaazaat of high reputation.
• The prospect of useful workshops and seerah conference every year we have taken for granted.
• The enlightening jumua and eid khutbahs that have been uniquely relevant and creative.
• A teacher who enlightened us with fiqh classes, making understanding of ibadaat easier for us.
• A teacher who tried bringing us closer to Allah through Imam Ghazali lecture series.
• An aalim who's not shy of saying "I don't know" when he doesn't know.
• A counselor who spent hours and hours of personal time settling disputes within community.
• A community healer, who didn't carry aspirations for power in community politics.
• An imam you always felt comfortable approaching, asking to pray for your loved ones.
• An excellent soccer player who plays with our youth regularly despite his distinct religious status.
• A sincere leader who went extra mile without getting due appreciation.
• An imam who went beyond the contractual responsibilities of an employee.
• A compassionate man who embraced this community despite its shortcomings.
• A humble person who never presented himself as superior to others.
• A PhD scholar who could go and be welcomed anywhere, but prefers to call this community home.
• An imam who always spoke against injustice, but was denied due process himself.
• An imam who served at IAGD with dignity and generosity for 12+ years.

THE COWARDS OF IAGD

What do you call people who know and see the truth and are blinded by selfishness, self-importance and bigoted self-interest and deny it? Cowards and deniers, of course!

What do you call people who fire a highly respected Imam and do not give him any reasons for their actions when directly asked by him in a face to face meeting and then venture to slowly leak the presumed fabricated reasons for their unjustifiable actions by assassinating his character in public, while making every effort to hide the real reason which was revenge for the positions that Imam Aly Lela took, in the past three to four years, calling them out for their bad behavior when he contradicted and challenged them for their unjustifiable actions? They had no defense for themselves, so they fired him.

What do you call people who do not hesitate to conceal and hide the truth and mislead the community and hide from facing the community, like the BOT, who refuse to face the community and talk to and listen to the community and insist on holding closed door secret meetings and make secret decisions, which are often unknown even to the BOD. Why are they scared to face the IAGD community?

What do you call people who, we definitely believe, understand simple language such as “Special General Body Meetings can be called by the BOD or not less than one-third of regular members”, and yet deny the right of the members when they have faithfully completed all requirements of the IAGD constitution, and even instituted more honest and strict regulations to obtain signatures for the online petition and call for a SGBM at the time and location of their choosing with an agenda that they have determined, that is their constitutional and moral right?  This simple language is clearly understood by even the young children, yet they deliberately misinterpret and misrepresent statutes of the IAGD constitution, by citing unrelated clauses and harass the community to promote a self-serving agenda.

What do you call people who fraudulently amend at least one portion of the constitution, without the due process, and display it on their website, which they have exclusively controlled for many years, and do not have the decency to even remove the fraudulently added clause, when clearly warned in writing?

They promised before the IAGD community on October 13, 2019, they will give to the membership committee the authority to reach a consensus between the BOD and the petitioners, to have an equitable method of verifying and validating the online petitions. When the membership committee by a majority decision, disagrees with the BOD’s insistence to send by mail letters to all online petitioners, which was considered unacceptable to the representatives of the petitioners, they proceed unilaterally to impose their self-serving terms on the petitioners, completely bypassing the membership committee that the BOD themselves appointed. What do you call such people who reject all the fair, equitable, sound and justifiable methods offered by the petitioners, who did everything by the rules truthfully?

What do you call people who repeatedly make promises and commitments and never make any effort to deliver those, leaving the members of this community to indeed doubt and question their intentions?

What do you do when such people impugn the honesty and integrity of law-abiding good Muslims and consider them as liars and fraudsters for signing the petition online, simply because they cannot accept the reality that indeed the community has taken a righteous stand against their arrogance and despicable behavior? They have to know that the reason that some of them are seated in the BOD is purely as a result of buying votes, which is illegal in this country and indeed in any civilized modern society? What do you call such people who think that they are “holier than thou”, yet openly break the laws and all norms of decent Islamic behavior and see all the good people around them in their own reflection as transgressors and dis-obeyers of laws?

What do you call people who harass innocent people and sue them to gratify their own delusions of grandeur, of being rich and powerful? What do you call people who bring in armed security guards into a Masjid in 2016, to evict the youngsters of this community, who decided that they have seen and heard enough and want to put an end to their distasteful methods? They then change the locks and lock up the social hall to stop a perfectly legitimate SGBM that was prearranged to be held there. They sign an MoU and deliberately fail to deliver most major commitments, and show no remorse, 3 ½ years later.

What do you call people who transfer all assets and properties of an Islamic religious association to a foundation that they secretly create and name themselves as its lifetime owners? What do you call people who consider themselves as owners of a Masjid, a house of Allah SWT.

What do you call people who blatantly break the laws that they themselves wrote in the IAGD constitution and do not feel any obligation to abide by the laws that give IAGD the 501(c)(3) nonprofit status that they are required to follow, thereby exposing IAGD, a non-profit religious organization to serious peril? That despite being warned in writing. They certainly consider constitution and all applicable laws as an unnecessary impediment in their most important agenda, which is to keep complete control of IAGD, for the balance of their lives and then pass it on to their hand-picked successors. Do they ever feel the need to tickle their conscience and evaluate themselves and feel accountable for their transgressions and unethical practices?

What do you call people who do not abide by any constitutional mandates and accepted long standing procedures of this organization and create self-serving rules to falsely claim authority to govern a religious Muslim institution, which claims to be guided by the Quran and Sunnah? 

What do you call people who consider themselves as the only people who can do and have done good for IAGD while completely disregarding the services of many sisters and brothers, who quietly served and supported IAGD, “Feesabillah”? These are definitely signs of ungratefulness and self-promotion.

What do you call people who behave like fascists and dictators, and completely disregard the wishes and desires of a community that they claim to represent, trampling on the process of “Shura”, that is required in governance of Muslim societies? What do you call people who are willing to compromise their conscience to please other human beings, who they consider as their mentors, and indeed displease Allah SWT, in that bartering of favors?

The Prophet Mohammad SAS said “When honesty is lost, then wait for the hour”. How will honesty be lost O Allah’s messenger? The Prophet said “When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the hour”.

Abusing power and authority is not permissible in Islam. Allah knows all and sees all. Actions speak louder than words. They may think that they are not being observed by other humans or Allah SWT.

Any one that disagrees with them is called a trouble maker, a divider in the community and is creating a “Fitna”. The real Fitna is what they have done for many years. They have treated this organization as their personal enterprise and have bought votes to get elected and evicted our children from the Masjid for peacefully protesting and have harassed and sued people, signed an MoU and disregard it and have deliberately trashed the IAGD constitution, and indulge in self-serving deceitful methods of governance.  They have the audacity to call out people who are tired of their immoral behavior and distasteful actions, as Fitna. This has to end, for the good of IAGD in the long run and for IAGD to be successful and flourish in the future, Insha’Allah.

Such are the leaders of IAGD. They lack courage and integrity and indeed are cowards and deniers and sooner or later will be held accountable for their misdeeds. It is never too late for them to make an effort to seek the right path. May Allah SWT guide them and help them in coming to the realization that Allah SWT indeed forgives those who repent and reform themselves and seek His pleasure and not focus on gaining name or fame or power while harming the very fabric of a civilized Muslim community, that is aspiring for unity and fair Islamic governance. Ameen.

Syed Mahmood Ali Khan
October 31, 2019

Oct 27 Letter to BOD: Call for SGBM

October 27, 2019
Subject: General Body Call for October 27, 2019 SGBM
To: Fasahat Malik, Rehmat Awan, Majeed Bhatti

Assalaamu ‘alaykum,

This is official notice that the IAGD GB (General Body) petitioners do not recognize the IAGD BOD (Board of Directors) sham of a petition validation, we will not accept its results and condemn all efforts to date to thwart a valid call for a SGBM (Special General Body Meeting). The purpose for the called October 27, 2019 SGBM was to allow the IAGD GB to vote for Imam Ali Leyla’s reinstatement.

Reinstatement is being requested as the BOD unilaterally decided to not renew Imam Ali Leyla’s contract and the IAGD Constitution provides no process for raising grievances or conflict resolution. Thus, the SGBM is the only remedy available for the GB under the IAGD constitution.

You will recall that the request for SGBM was made on October 2, 2019 when the petition was delivered to you containing 380 GB signatures. 380 signatures represent roughly 38% of the GB which is more than the IAGD constitutional requirement of 33%. The methods used to gather petition signatures far exceed common norms in place today for gathering petition signatures. In addition, petitioner methods far exceed the integrity of the methods currently employed at the IAGD. The petition and call for SGBM are valid. Attendance at the SGBM whereby a 1/3 quorum of the GB must physically present to proceed with a simple vote to reinstate the Imam, is the next step. To a reasonable person, the ability of the GB petitioners to meet the 1/3 quorum requirement at a SGBM is the validation to the broader GB and BOD that the petition signatures were valid.

To date the BOD has stonewalled, questioned the validity of the GB’s ability to call a SGBM and questioned the validity of the online petitioners. The BOD has and continues to assert itself as champions to validate the GB’s petition. The IAGD Vice President, who happens to be the head of the Membership Committee, wants to count the ballots, which demonstrates bad faith because it is riddled with Conflict of Interest.

To remind the BOD a conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates to situations in which the personal interest of an individual or organization might adversely affect a duty owed to make decisions for the benefit of a third party.  [Wikipedia].

Not only does the BOD not have any ethical standards to avoid the appearance of a COI, you insist on actively engaging in COI!

As it stands today a paid membership to the IAGD only allows one to participate in a flawed election process and provides no real means to overturn decisions of the Board. The IAGD Board has demonstrated no integrity to date and should resign as they have failed to meet the basic responsibilities of an Officer in a non-Profit, much less an Islamic religious organization.

Dr. Jukaku Tayeb & Anver Aftab, IAGD members

Petition for Imam Aly Lela: 10/22 Meeting Update

In the October 13th, 2019 BOD meeting, the membership committee was given the task to come up with the details of verification process of online petitioners by BOD President. In an effort to reach the consensus a meeting was held on October 22nd, 2019 between BOD and the petition representatives along with representatives from membership committee.

Unfortunately, no mutually acceptable, fair, and reasonable due diligence validation plan could be agreed between the two parties because the BOD dogmatically stuck to their plan of mailing letters to all online member petitioners and insisted on only including those people in the 1/3 petition count who returned the letter in a certain time frame. This was totally unacceptable to the petition representatives as it meant that 100% of the online petitioners had to corroborate in a certain time period that they in fact did sign the petition.

Petition representatives explained several checks and balances that were meticulously implemented in the process of collecting online signatures, to minimize the chances of forgery and duplication. Additionally, petition representatives provided examples of how validation could be done statistically with a very high confidence level. However, BOD flatly rejected all these alternate proposals.

The BOD refuses to accept the online petition submissions despite its full legitimacy self evident in 7 different ways:

• Diverse IP addresses
• Unique email requirement
• Immediate confirmation sent by system to the email address submitted
• Collection of home addresses
• Recording of date and timestamp
• Comments freely submitted by 1/3 that were obviously genuine
• 97% of petitioners digitally hand-signed their names using finger or stylus

In collecting the online signatures, the Petitioners went several steps ahead of other well-known online petition systems, such as change.org, that don't even require home addresses or scrawled signature. In addition, about 60 online petitioners have subsequently emailed the BOD further confirming their signatures.

Incongruously enough, IAGD does not enact proper processes and does not even require a signature for someone to become a member or for BOD nominations. In sharp contrast, the BOD suddenly wants to impose unreasonably strict standards and demands on the petitioners.

It is clear the IAGD BOD continues to ignore and disregard the overwhelming will of the community. The BOD continues to defy reason and imposes its own unilateral decisions even if it hurts the community.

Timeline of events: Imam Aly Lela termination and petition to reinstate him

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

8/22/2019: BOD email informed the IAGD General Body (the membership) of their decision to not renew Imam Lela’s contract.

8/24/2019: An online petition was started requesting IAGD BOD to reinstate the Imam. This petition was signed by over 375 IAGD members and community members.

09/02/2019: Petitioners requested time on September 08, 2019 BOD meeting to discuss reinstatement of Imam Aly Lela.

09/04/2019: A second online petition was started with the demand for an IAGD Special General Body Meeting for reinstatement of Imam Aly Lela to be held on October 27, 2019.

09/08/2019: A clear majority of members at the September 8, 2019 BOD appealed to the BOD to change their minds on this matter. Their voices were ignored.

10/02/2019: Petition submitted by more than 1/3 of the IAGD membership to IAGD President calling for a Special General Body Meeting on Oct 27, 2019 to reinstate the Imam. This action is in full compliance with the IAGD constitution. This founders of the IAGD constitution ensured there is a mechanism in the constitution that allows the membership to override the BOD if they do not “Carry out the policies & decisions of the General Body”

10/04/2019: IAGD BOD Secretary informs the petitioners that BOD will discuss the petition members verification process at the regularly scheduled BOD Meeting on 10/13/2019.

10/04/2019: IAGD BOD VP (also Membership Committee chairman) emails to petitioners stating that final membership list will be submitted to BOD Secretary by 10/13/2019 and will then be shared with the petitioners.

10/05/2019: Petitioners reply back to BOD expressing concerns over unnecessary delay on the part of BOD in moving the SGBM petition process forward.

10/13/2019: BOD President stated that Membership Committee will determine the process of verification.

10/17/2019: Petitioners receive confirmation from Membership Committee that 38% of the membership signed the petition, thus required 1/3 quorum for SGBM is achieved.

10/22/2019: Meeting was held between BOD and Petitioners' representative to reach the consensus on verification process. BOD rejected all proposals by Petitioners' representative and insisted on sending verification by mail to all online Petitioners that has to be returned to BOD in a specific time frame.

ANTICIPATED:

11/3/2019: Community to attend BOD meeting and demand answers and right to hold a Special General Body.

FAQ: IAGD Petitioners requesting an SGBM vote for Imam Aly Lela reinstatement

 FACT   The membership has the constitutional right to call for a Special General Body Meeting (SGBM) - Article VII Section d of the IAGD Constitution

 FACT   The IAGD Constitution requires the BOD to “Carry out the policies & decisions of the general body” – Article XI Section 2c of the IAGD Constitution (Duties & Responsibilities of the BOD)


Q1.  I am neutral or don’t care whether Imam Lela is reinstated.

A.  You should care that proper processes and regulations are being followed. The next time there could be a BOD action that you don’t like. You will not be able to stop it if this authoritarian attitude of BOD/BOT is not resisted now.

Q2.  Is the call for an Oct 27, 2019 SGBM legitimate?

A.  Article VII d of the IAGD Constitution states “Special General Body Meeting may be called by the Board of Directors or not less than one-third of regular members.”

Q3.  I thought only the BOD can call a Special General Body Meeting?
 
A. No. The BOD calls the Annual General Body Meeting (held in December) where elections are confirmed, annual reports reviewed, and any other business conducted.

Q4.  How does the SGBM differ from the Annual General Body Meeting?
 
A.  By seeking a petition with a specific action to be approved by the General Body of IAGD and signed by not less than one-third of regular members, the IAGD regular members may call a SGBM, on a date and time of their choosing.

Q5. Why did we ask for an updated membership list?

A.  We asked to receive a membership list from the BOD within 48 hours of petition submission OR to use August Newsletter membership list to validate the names in the petition to ensure fairness and transparency. There have been past allegations of impropriety in the compilation of membership list, we wanted to avoid this controversy.

Q6.  Why do we want Br. Rahmat Awan (Membership Committee Chairman) to be excused from the activity to validate names in the petition?

A.  Br. Rahmat Awan (Membership Committee Chairman) is also the BOD Vice-President. We are requesting that he should be excused from participation in the membership validation process because of conflict of interest, or appearance thereof, as he was a party to the decision to not renew the Imam’s contract.

Q7.  What is the deadline for the BOD to send out notice for the Oct 27 SGBM?

A.  Article II b of the By-Laws states – The notice of a General Body Meeting shall be mailed to each member at the address shown on the mailing list not more than 30 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting”.

Q8.  Is it mandatory for the BOD to implement the petition once the motion is approved in the
SGBM?

A.  Yes, if quorum is achieved and the resolution is approved by the majority of the members in a SGBM, it becomes mandatory for the IAGD administration, to enforce it. Article XI Section II c states - Board of Directors shall “carry out the policies and decisions of the General Body”.

Q9.  What is the role of BOT in the IAGD constitution as it relates to a SGBM?

A.  The BOT have no designated role in the IAGD Constitution in any matters related to the SGBM or the Annual General Body Meeting. If a 1/3 membership quorum is achieved on 10/27 at the SGBM and the majority present votes in favor to reinstate Imam Lela, the BOD must accept the will of the General Body BOD and should then meet with the BOT to “confirm the appointment and sign a contract” for Imam Lela, per IAGD constitution.

Q10.  What rights do members have at IAGD?

A.  Among other rights, IAGD Members can:1) Vote in the annual BOD elections. 2) Contest in BOD Elections. 3) Call SGBM. 4) Vote in SGBM.

Q11.  Are we creating Fitna by challenging the IAGD BOD?

A.  No. On the contrary, to unite behind injustice is contrary to the teachings of Islam. It is our IAGD constitutional right to call for a SGBM, as we know that we have gathered more than 1/3 of membership signatures. Many non-members, who regularly come to IAGD, also signed the petition as they also believe that Imam should be reinstated.

Q12.  What is different this time vs. the last time a SGBM was called and armed security was hired to intimidate the membership and the locks to the IAGD were changed to the doors to prevent access to the IAGD?

A1.  The last call for a SGBM (May 2016) was submitted to a BOD who the petitioners considered to be the rightful, while BOT did not recognize them as such and did not accept the validation that BOD conducted in reviewing the signatures to the petition. The petitioners at that time were seeking to dissolve both the Boards. No such controversy exists now and the current BOD is recognized.

A2.  The last call for a SGBM (May 2016) was calling to dismantle both BOD and BOT. This call for SGBM has a single issue to be voted on (reinstate Imam Aly Lela or not), and is in full compliance with the IAGD constitution.

Q13.  What are the responsibilities of BOD regarding holding a SGBM?

A.  The constitution requires the BOD to:

1. Complete the petition members verification activity in a timely fashion
2. Send out SGBM notice to membership at least 10 days before the meeting
3. Facilitate the holding of SGBM for the singular purpose of voting on the petition. The parliamentary procedures clearly indicate that there shall be no discussion on the petition motion, since the motion is on the floor purely for seeking a vote.

The Expiration of Morals and Ethical Behavior at IAGD

Imam Aly Leyla served as the religious leader of the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit (IAGD) since 2007.  He was the spiritual leader during a period of turmoil when insurgent candidates were elected and took control of the IAGD Board of Directors (BOD) in late 2012 based their opposition to what they and the majority of the IAGD General Body (GB) perceived as an expensive and wasteful expansion plan of the masjid driven by the Board of Trustees (BOT).  The insurgent candidates represented the voice of the GB members of IAGD who did not appreciate the unelected BOT’s unilateral decisions regarding the scope, design and cost for the expansion project without the GB’s consent.  Understanding the circumstances behind this conflict is essential to understanding why Imam Aly Lela was unceremoniously dismissed on August 21, 2019. 

In late 2012, the BOT made public statements about their willingness to work with the new directors, but privately met with city officials to push their expansion plan through. During the next election cycle, the BOT publicly supported the democratic process, but privately attempted to subvert the process by buying votes. When their vote buying scheme was thwarted by the insurgent BOD (iBOD), the BOT sued IAGD and members of the iBOD in their personal capacity.  The court immediately threw out the BOT’s case because under the Eccleastical Abstention Doctrine, the courts are not permitted to make rulings on the internal management of religious organizations.  Thus, the BOT’s reliance on their poorly conceived and completely inadequate IAGD Constitution and Bylaws--that lack dispute resolution procedures (among countless other provisions)--finally backfired.  Nevertheless, the BOT publicly agreed to participate in a dispute resolution process through arbitration, but privately made the decision to resolve nothing except to drag out the process for 2.5 years until they could implement a four-part plan to reestablish control over IAGD. 

Part 1:  Tricking the iBOD into Closing the Arbitration.  First, they convinced the iBOD to close the arbitration proceedings for which the BOT obstinately refused during the entire 2.5 year process to produce a single document, respond to a single question or provide a single witness.  The BOT, who did nothing but stonewall during the entire arbitration, told the iBOD that the process is going nowhere and convinced the iBOD to agree to end the proceedings.  The iBOD, having made a good faith effort by actually producing documents, responding to questions and providing witnesses, reluctantly agreed.  Immediately after the proceedings were closed, the BOT sent a communication celebrating the end of the conflict and declaring that the iBOD’s terms had expired and that new elections would be held to replace them.  The BOT finally revealed their tactic and the iBOD was stunned.  The BOT never intended to participate in the arbitration process in good faith.  They only wanted to drag the process along until they could declare the iBOD’s terms as expired.  The BOT’s action was contrary to a court-ordered stand-still agreement that effectively froze all the terms of the elected officers.  The iBOD could have fought the BOT over this deception, but neither they nor the GB were interested in prolonging the conflict.   

Part 2:  Transfer of all IAGD Property to Four BOT Members.  Next, four of the BOT members secretly established a new organization on May 4, 2016 called IAGD Foundation.    The foundation members named themselves sole members for life and transferred all IAGD property to themselves.  The IAGD Foundation members and their surrogates may claim that all filings for the foundation were made publicly.  This is a deceptive statement because their Foundation could only be discovered if one were to search for it in the Rochester Hills Register of Deeds.  Did the four foundation members inform or seek the consent of the IAGD General Body?  No.  Did they inform or seek the consent of the IAGD BOD?  No.  They had no intention of revealing this masterstroke to anyone because all they cared about was maintaining control over IAGD, regardless of the wishes of the GB, by any means necessary.

Part 3:  Suing the iBOD (again) to force them to bend to the BOT’s will.  Less than three weeks after secretly transferring all IAGD property to themselves, the BOT filed another lawsuit against the iBOD May 23, 2016.  Recall that the first lawsuit brought by the BOT against IAGD and the iBOD was because the iBOD prevented them from buying votes to influence the outcome of the IAGD elections.  This second lawsuit brought by the BOT was for the iBOD spending IAGD’s money defending against a lawsuit that the BOT themselves initiated—for spending IAGD’s money pursuing evidence that the trustees themselves actively blocked.  Recall that the BOT sued the iBOD AND IAGD, yet the BOT took issue with using IAGD funds to defend IAGD in this lawsuit brought by the BOT.  The BOT used this second lawsuit as leverage against the iBOD to force them to agree to the BOT’s terms during negotiation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to finally resolve the conflict between the boards.  The message was simple:  “Agree to our terms or we will force you to defend yourselves against another frivolous lawsuit.”    

Part 4:  Fraudulently procuring “unity” through the MOU.  In June 2016, the BOT, knowing that they secretly transferred ownership of IAGD to themselves, pretended to participate in drafting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to once and for all put the dispute with the iBOD to rest.  As mentioned above, despite the secret leverage the BOT gave themselves with the IAGD Foundation the BOT compromised on almost nothing.  They held the baseless lawsuit they recently filed over the iBOD’s heads threatening the iBOD that they would push forward with the suit if the iBOD failed to agree to the BOT’s demands.  Among the things on which the BOT refused to compromise was any change to the IAGD Constitution that would prohibit buying votes to win elections.  The weary iBOD agreed and the BOT won their meaningless “unity.”

Having secured an agreement and established so-called unity through fraud, the BOT planned a fundraising dinner to celebrate the fake unity and raise money to continue their vanity expansion project.  Days before the fundraising dinner, members of the iBOD learned of the IAGD Foundation.  The iBOD President privately met with the BOT Chairman to let him know that the iBOD knew about the Foundation and gave the BOT Chairman the opportunity to explain his actions.  That deserves repeating:  Despite twice being sued by the BOT Chairman, being tricked into closing the arbitration proceedings, and being forced to agree to the unjust terms of the MOU, the iBOD president did not immediately run to the community and tell them about the BOT Chairman’s secret foundation.  The iBOD President gave the BOT Chairman the opportunity to secretly close the foundation that he secretly opened and maintain his dignity.  The President told the Chairman that if he did not dissolve the Foundation that he would have to inform the GB.  The Chairman refused and iBOD sent a message to the community informing them that all masjid property is now owned by the four trustees who sold it to themselves for one dollar. 

Imam Aly Lela was outraged.  He avoided taking sides during the 3-year conflict, but he could remain silent no longer.  He publicly denounced the Foundation and declared that IAGD had become a dictatorship.  The BOT, concerned how the Imam’s response to their actions might affect attendance and donations for their fundraising dinner, immediately met with Imam Aly privately to remonstrate with him.  Imam Aly would not budge.  He refused to assent to the trustees secretly forming the Foundation and transferring IAGD property to themselves.  He unequivocally demanded that the foundation be dissolved or he would no longer serve as Imam at IAGD.  The BOT reluctantly gave their verbal assurance that they would dissolve the Foundation to ensure that Imam Aly would be present and endorse their fundraising event. 

The BOT, however, did not keep their word and failed to immediately dissolve the Foundation as they had promised.  Imam Aly kept asking them repeatedly if they had shut down the Foundation and the BOT would repeatedly let him know that they were about to do it.  Imam Aly’s pestering the BOT to do the right thing set the wheels in motion for the BOT to have him removed.

At the time the issue of the Foundation was raised, Imam Aly did not have an active employment contract.  The BOT will likely argue that the Imam’s contract was in the hands of the iBOD and lay the blame for the lack of a contract on the iBOD president.  Anyone who has any experience working with the IAGD leadership over the past four decades knows that the founders of IAGD and the man they empowered who served as the BOT Chairman had exclusive control over the Imam’s contract.  They would never let anyone other than themselves have any authority over such an important matter.  The IAGD founders and the Chairman count on the GB’s ignorance and it has served them well.

Firing the Imam when he didn’t even have a contract would prove difficult for multiple reasons.  First, the optics of having him removed shortly after he denounced the IAGD Foundation would obviously appear retaliatory.  Second, having just successfully vanquished the iBOD who were elected by the will of the GB, the BOT’s support within the community was, at best, tenuous.  Third, without a contract, the BOT did not have any clear grounds for removing Imam Aly from his position.  Thus, the BOT determined that the least provocative way to have the Imam removed would be to draw up a new contract with the Imam and not renew it after the contract expired.  The Imam did not suspect a thing because along with repeatedly asking about the dissolution of the Foundation, he also repeatedly asked the BOT when they would finally provide him with a new contract.  By giving Imam Aly a new contract, the BOT found a way to kill two birds with one stone.  It gave the BOT the means to both shut the imam up about his lack of a contract and to dispose of him when the contract expired.  Imam Aly’s new contract had an effective date of September 1, 2017 and would expire on August 31, 2019. 

Many rumors circulated about the reasons for Imam Aly’s termination, including his conflict with the youth director, his conflict with the Director of Quranic Studies (DQS), his failure to adhere to the terms of his contract, etc.  To those circulating such rumors, ask them a few simple questions:  1) Were the Imam’s purported shortcomings ever formally documented and presented to him during a performance review?  No.  2) Did he ever receive a formal performance review?  No.  3) Did he ever receive any formal feedback on his self-evaluation that he performed as required under his contract?  No.

 

Given the IAGD leadership’s disregard for governance, it should come as no surprise that they do not take employment contracts seriously.  In fact, Imam Aly was without an employment contract for at least 3 years during the 12 years he served as Imam at IAGD.  His not having a contract or the contract expiring in the past meant nothing.  He was expected to continue serving in his position regardless of whether or not a contract was in place.  In fact, the DQS operated without a contract for a decade receiving a salary and benefits with no contractual obligations.  But now that the IAGD leadership wanted to get rid of Imam Aly, they suddenly started taking contracts seriously. 

On August 21, 2019, about one week after Imam Aly returned from Hajj, he was summoned to attend a meeting with the BOD, BOT and Imam Liaison Committee (ILC).  The ILC includes an “at large” GB member who happens to be the former BOT Chairman and lifetime member of the Foundation that Imam Aly publicly denounced.  Was this meeting to welcome Imam Aly back from Hajj?  No, but he brought dates for them anyway.  Was it to provide him a formal performance review for the first time in his 12 years as Imam at IAGD?  No.  It was to tell him with 10 days remaining on his contract that his services were no longer needed and his contract would not be renewed after it expired.  It was payback for the public denunciation from three years earlier.  It was payback for repeatedly asking the at large GB member if he dissolved the Foundation like the at large GB member said he would. 

One day after informing Imam Aly that his services were no longer needed at IAGD, the leadership sent a message to the GB informing them of the same.  This message sparked shock and outrage from the IAGD community.  Late that same evening, concerned about what Imam Aly might say about them during the Jummah qutba the next day, the IAGD leadership sent Imam Aly an email stating that as of August 21, 2019, they no longer considered him Imam at IAGD and that he was to no longer lead prayers, which was his primary obligation as imam.  Thus, the IAGD leadership was not content to simply let his contract expire as they claim.  With 10 days remaining on his contract, Imam Aly was terminated from his position.

The IAGD President stated during the BOD meeting on September 8, 2019 that the decision to terminate Imam Aly was considered for several weeks.  Yet, this decision was sprung on Imam Aly 10 days before his contract expired.  As mentioned above, this was not the first time the imam’s contract had expired.  Previously, the gap between the imam’s contracts was one and a half years.  Based on the disorganized, chaotic manner in which the IAGD leadership conducted its affairs, the Imam had nothing to be concerned about because of the impending expiration date of his contract.  The IAGD leadership had proven time and again that they care little for such formal processes.  Also, as mentioned above, the Imam had never received a formal performance review from the IAGD leadership.  The leadership kept secret, like they did with the formation of the IAGD Foundation, that the day Imam Aly signed his contract on September 1, 2017 that they would use that as a basis to terminate him when the contract expired.  They knew, like they did when they entered Arbitration with the iBOD, that they would wait for a period of years to spring their trap against their victim.  They did not want Imam Aly to have a dignified transition out of his position where he could find another without a dark cloud hanging over his head affecting his future prospects because he was fired.  They wanted to punish him for his insolence in speaking out against injustice.  They wanted to shame him in front of the IAGD community and the larger Muslim-American community by leaving it to everyone’s imagination as to why he was terminated because they would not provide reasons to him nor anyone else.  They wanted to destroy his reputation to keep him from securing another position while they innocently shrug their shoulders saying that they simply let his contract expire.  They could have told Imam Aly of their decision months earlier and given him the opportunity to have a runway to search for and find a new position with dignity.  Instead they pulled the rug from under him dismissing him immediately in the most humiliating manner.  Yet, the IAGD leadership has the hubris to accuse Imam Aly’s supporters of hurting his future prospects by expressing their displeasure and outrage while it was the IAGD leadership that robbed the imam of his dignity.  This is classic gaslighting. 

To any organizations looking for an Imam to guide their community, Imam Aly Lela was not terminated for alleged poor performance.  He was terminated for taking a principled stance against injustice.  To any individuals looking to become involved in a vibrant community led by principled leaders, do not waste your time with IAGD.   

The IAGD leadership will argue that there is another side to the story.  What is the other side to their four-part plan to destroy the iBOD?  What is the other side to their giving selective importance to employment contracts?  What is the other side to their using baseless lawsuits to force others to bend to their will? 

Make no mistake, the August 21, 2019 meeting with Imam Aly was an ambush.  When public humiliation of the community’s imam is allowed to be treated as routine process by an organization, our silence makes us as guilty as the IAGD leadership that we empowered.

The Ultimate Constitution

The terms of the IAGD Constitution and Bylaws have proven time and again to be completely ineffective for governing the organization and allow the IAGD leadership to enjoy no accountability for their actions—at least in this world.  Fortunately, however, the IAGD leadership incorporated a higher authority into the constitution wherein The Preamble states:  "The Islamic Association of Greater Detroit unequivocally affirms Quran and the Sunnah as its eternal and ultimate constitution."  The Quran and Sunnah as the “ultimate constitution” provide clear guidance regarding the behavior of the IAGD leadership for which the IAGD Constitution is otherwise silent.  To those who claim to be governed by the "Ultimate Constitution,” be careful what you ask for.       

●     Financially benefiting from cash donations that they did not make:  Ghaus Malik and his partisans claimed cash donations that they DID NOT make for a tax benefit that was not theirs to claim, which resulted in their illegally increasing their wealth.  Taking money that is not yours to enrich yourself is the definition of theft.        

○     Under the Ultimate Constitution:  “And (as for) the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut off their hands as a punishment for what they have earned, an exemplary punishment from Allah, and Allah is Mighty. Wise. But whoever repents after his inequity and reforms (himself), then surely Allah will turn to him (mercifully), surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah al-Mā’ida 5:38-39).  They can keep their hands if they repented, but unfortunately for them, the IRS will not be as forgiving. 

●     Transferring ownership of IAGD property to themselves in secret: On May 4, 2016, four trustees secretly created an organization naming themselves members for life and transferred all IAGD property to this secret organization for one dollar ($1.00).  The four trustees will claim that these records were publicly filed, but did they tell anyone about this transfer besides those who aided and abetted in this scheme?  No.  Did they inform or seek approval from the General Body for this transfer.  No.  Did they inform the IAGD Board of Directors of this transfer?  No.

○     Under the Ultimate Constitution:  "Woe to those that deal in fraud those who when they have to receive by measure from men exact full measure. But when they have to give by measure or weight to men give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account?" (Quran-83: 1-4).  Apparently not.

●     Buying votes to influence the outcome of BOD elections:  This practice was an open secret commonly used to defeat candidates that Ghaus Malik did not control.  Partisans of Ghaus Malik never denied this practice and instead shot back with the unconvincing defense, "Prove it!"  Unfortunately, one of Ghuas Malik's partisans failed to understand that the "Prove it!" defense was intended to place the burden on those who were opposed to the vote buying scheme.  This clever man, who is currently serving on the BOT, helpfully "proved it" when he admitted on the record of actively participating in the vote buying scheme during a BOD meeting in 2016.

○     Under the Ultimate Constitution:   The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes bribe. (Abu Dawoud).

○     There is also the catchall that applies to many of these charges:  "Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us." (Saheeh Muslim).

●     Using deception to trick others into entering agreements and breaking those agreements.  After deceiving the insurgent BOD and tricking them into closing the Arbitration in 2016 only to subsequently declare that the insurgent BOD terms expired despite a court-ordered standstill agreement and subsequently entering a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the insurgent BOD and "Neutral Group" for which Ghaus Malik and his partisans characteristically breached the agreed upon terms of the MOU to which both the insurgent BOD and Neutral Group can attest.

○      Under the Ultimate Constitution:   “Four traits, if found in an individual, then he will be a complete hypocrite (munafiq), and if an individual possesses one of these four, he will have one portion of nifaq: When he is given a trust he breaches it, when he speaks he lies, when he makes an agreement (ahd) he is guilty of treachery and disloyalty (gadar), and when he disputes he is fouled mouth.”  (Sahih al-Bukhari). 

●     Using armed guards to keep youth from entering masjid:  On the day of the ironically named "Unity Dinner" in July 2016 that followed a fraudulently procured truce mentioned above, Ghaus Malik and his partisans hired armed security guards to prevent IAGD youth, who were upset by the many deceptions employed by Ghaus Malik and his partisans, from entering the masjid.  This was particularly concerning because it is likely that the youth were not aware that the security guards were armed.

○     Again, under the Ultimate Constitution:  "Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us." (Saheeh Muslim).

●     Continuing to support Ghaus Malik despite the many injustices he orchestrated only a few of which are mentioned above.  Among those to whom this point is directed is our former Imam and current guest Imam who is filling in for his former student and friend, Imam Aly Lela, who was unceremoniously fired for committing the sin of publicly denouncing the second point mentioned above.  Imam Muneer Fareed, to claim no knowledge of the above-mentioned behavior cuts against the person of intelligence we know you to be.  We hope you have a reasonable explanation for openly supporting this paragon of injustice.  As to others, another open secret is that many of Ghaus Malik's supporters mortgaged their dignity in exchange for favors or assistance to further their careers and/or financial interests.  To those, we remind you that the qibla is Mecca, not the corner of Square Lake and Squirrel Rd.  You know who you are and so do we. 

○     Under the Ultimate Constitution: "O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted."  (Surat an-Nisa 4:135).  The ignorant souls who shout, “Fitna!” when the injustices described in this document are uttered would do well to read this ayat until they can distinguish between telling the truth and shouting down those who try to tell the truth with their fitna accusation.  Perhaps they will rethink their position when they realize that they sound like Republicans who obstinately refuse to consider impeachment because they pretend to care about unity. 

There is a Special General Body Meeting scheduled for October 27, 2019.  The injustices mentioned above and violations of the Ultimate Constitution will be addressed and those who perpetrated them will at long last be held accountable.  The IAGD leadership is interested in following neither the actual, useless IAGD Constitution nor the “eternal and ultimate constitution.”  It is time to throw out the IAGD Constitution and replace it with one with unequivocal provisions that provide clear guidance based on best practices of well-run organizations.  But if stealing money, misappropriating masjid property, buying votes, breaking agreements and using armed guards against our own youth constitute behavior that you consider acceptable, stay silent.  If these are qualities that you admire in your leaders, stay home and yell at the television about the demagogue who is ruining the country and continue being willfully blind to the demagogue who has ruined your community. 

[Satire] CAGD is hiring!

The CAGD (Chaos Association of Greater Detroit) Board is looking to fill an open position.  If you have the right qualifications and agree to the following terms, we would like to hear from you:

• Your job title will be "Imam".
• You must be a religious scholar of high distinction.
• Even though you’d be the Imam, you agree to be treated worse than an employee.  You’d technically be a contractor with renewable term limits.  We can call you an employee if that makes you feel better.
• Must be willing to sign a contract drawn by the board, for the board, and heavily in favor of the board, leaving you with very little protection or benefits in the event of an almost certain sudden termination.  To make us look humane, instead of the harsh word “termination”, we’d simply refer to it as “not renewing” your contract.
• Must be willing to go without medical benefits for extended periods of time.  On the brighter side, we do have some healthcare professionals on the board who can dispense advice or free OTC medicine samples if you or family fall sick.
• Must be willing to serve as a "yes-man" for the board, even for the most ridiculous ideas or demands.
• Must be willing to not call out the board that has no problem bending the rules in its favor when it suits.
• Must be willing to suppress your rightful indignation or the truth especially when truth can hurt some folks.
• Must be willing to put up with folks on the board who sometimes think they know more than a scholar or are at a higher pedestal than you.
• Must be willing to serve for maybe a decade, and then get fired without notice or decent severance benefits most likely just as you'd arrive fresh from Hajj.
• Must be willing to make sincere dua in Arafat for the very same people and their families who, unbeknownst to you, would be the ones conspiring to terminate you upon your return.
• Must be willing to get accused of not fulfilling contractual obligations without the due process of written periodic performance evaluations.
• Must not go above and beyond in trying to protect the reputation of the institution or young minds.  Must not protest the invitations sent behind your back to controversial online sheikhs to visit and lecture the youths.
• Must not think outside the box to help the community navigate through the challenges of western and current landscape. Must not deliver scholarly talks on virtues of the “other” fiqhi opinions, unless you want to alienate a whole bunch of, shall we say, members set in their own rigid ways.
• Must be willing to maintain a smile and work, especially with a tiny faction who profess to be your friends in front of you, not realizing they would back-stab you or turn against you at the first opportune moment.
• Must not talk about the secretive CAGD Foundation, or about who ultimately legally owns the CAGD land and property.
• Must avoid, at all cost, bringing up CAGD Foundation during fundraisers or the 401j speeches.
• Must not get tired of hearing, time and over again during fundraisers, the glorious mentions of the “founding fathers”, or of the sisters as “the backbone” of the community who never asked for or needed a mezzanine in the first place.
• Must not talk about the past un-islamic and unethical act, of buying bulk memberships to get favorable votes, by someone who got rewarded with a 10yr position on the board.
• Must be willing to look the other way from the unscrupulous nepotism prevalent in the board ranks.
• Must be willing to, at behest of the board, conduct long motivational fundraising during Ramadan, despite repeated protests from the wary congregants.
• Must not become too popular among the community, or as they would say “too polarizing”.
• Must be willing to not complain about the sub-standard compensation and non-competitive benefits.
• Lastly, must be willing to agree to the totally unrealistic and impractical laundry list of expectations from a 21st century imam, as illustrated here:
  
  

If you can't agree to all of the above, too bad your standards aren't at par with ours. If you can, the board would gleefully welcome your application.  Good luck, and may the best yes-man land the job!

Rather unfaithfully yours,
CAGD Board

The above post is intended for a mature, sophisticated and discerning audience.  Any resemblance to the truth, persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental or is intended purely as a satire, parody or spoof of such persons and is not intended to communicate any true or factual information about that person.

An Appeal to the IAGD Community

BISMILLAH AR RAHMAN AR RAHEEM 

AN APPEAL TO THE IAGD COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN IAGD AFFAIRS AND GOVERNANCE

INTRODUCTION 

My name is Syed Mahmood Ali Khan. I have been part of the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit (IAGD) community since 1979 and have had the honor of volunteering in IAGD, and serving in many positions, including Board of Directors (BOD) and Board of Trustees (BOT). I have also served in many committees. My wife, Bibi Hajra Ali Khan, was the first lady to be elected to the BOD in IAGD. Our two daughters grew up as IAGD children.

Due to my long association with IAGD, I have been blessed by Allah SWT with a unique opportunity to closely observe the evolution of the personalities, policies and politics in IAGD.

After a long period of soul-searching and discussing with other community members, I have decided to directly communicate with the IAGD community with a truthful analysis of the unethical actions of a group of IAGD leaders in the past several years that have adversely impacted IAGD. I hope, that by laying out the verifiable facts in front of you, I can hopefully raise your awareness and motivate the community to more actively participate in the affairs of IAGD. This can facilitate the changes needed to restore the integrity of governance and to help in reuniting this divided IAGD community.

“Amr Bil Ma’roof, wa Nahi ‘Anil Munkar” – Ordain and establish that which is good, and forbid and stop, that which is bad” -is a moral and social obligation of every Muslim. Seeking a pathway for moral awakening and self improvement in a society cannot be accused of being a “fitna”. Constructive criticism in an attempt to reform cannot be allowed to be labeled as “trouble-making”. For generations now, the Muslim Ummah has generally opted not to “stir the pot”, for fear of revenge and reprisal by those in power, and for fear of being accused of creating “fitna” and being labelled as “trouble-makers”. No one should be afraid to speak and seek the truth.

I will, Insha’Allah, attempt to elaborate on the above broad observations by dividing this document into several sections, each dealing with a specific topic.

I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF IAGD CONSTITUTION AND ITS ABUSES BY SOME IAGD LEADERS 

IAGD was founded in 1978. Until 1985, the BOD was the only body, directly elected by the General Body and managed all the affairs of IAGD. The BOT was created in January 1985 after the constitution was amended in late 1984. The BOD is still the only body directly elected by the General Body while the BOT is indirectly elected by the BOD. The current IAGD Constitution does not consider one body to be either superior or subservient to the other, rather it considers both as co-equal bodies with different duties and responsibilities. The BOD is the only operating body authorized to make all the administrative decisions and execute the daily operations of IAGD. The BOT can approve or disapprove any transaction of real estate, including selling, buying, financing and construction when properly prepared and submitted by the BOD. 

THE IAGD CONSTITUTION HAS NO PROVISION FOR THE BOT TO UNILATERALLY INITIATE ANY ACTIVITY OR TAKE CHARGE OF ANY PROGRAM OR PROJECT THAT THE BOD HAS NOT SOUGHT ITS APPROVAL FOR. 

The BOT has spent millions of dollars from the asset accounts for the expansion project without the required allocation and approval of expenses by the BOD in 2017 and 2018 budgets. This deviance from the proper procedure will likely also continue in 2019. The BOT must take full responsibility and be held accountable for the public resources at IAGD that it has illegally spent, in serious violation of the IAGD Constitution. 

II. SOME SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES IN THE IAGD CONSTITUTION EXPLOITED BY THE BOT AND ITS ALLIES 

The following is a brief summary of some serious deficiencies in the current IAGD Constitution that were exploited by the BOT and its allies to cause serious harm to IAGD and its governance and reputation.

i. No provision to resolve differences or conflicts between the BOT and the BOD:
This weakness in the IAGD Constitution caused serious damage to IAGD when the BOT filed a lawsuit against the BOD and the Election Committee in 2013. The most ironic part about the lawsuit was that the BOT named IAGD as the first defendant. IAGD had paid a heavy financial cost at that time to defend itself against the lawsuit and continues to pay an even a higher price to date, in the form of a divided community and decline in financial support.
ii. No safeguards against any conflicts of interest to prevent nepotism:
There is a possibility of collusion between related members in both the Boards. This has been happening in IAGD for a very long time.
iii. No provision of term limits for BOT/BOD members:
This has enabled the BOT members to remain there for decades, without giving the opportunity of infusion of new blood and new ideas into the Association. This reflects a mind-set of maintaining control, as the first priority of many in the BOT.
iv. No provision to take action against BOD Members who deliberately abstain from or boycott BOD meetings: 
At the behest of the BOT, 4 BOD members deliberately boycotted BOD meetings from 2013-2016 to prevent the establishment of a quorum and completely disrupted the normal operations of the Association. They got away without any punishment. This is indeed disgraceful!
v. Weaknesses in establishing/approving membership eligibility:
Many similar Islamic organizations have strict requirements of verifying identification documents, including proof of residence/payment of membership dues by none other than the member. Some organizations allow voting rights to those residing in certain geographic zones. The BOT and its allies have perceived enough ambiguity in the current IAGD Constitution regarding the membership regulations to perpetrate election fraud in the BOD Elections by their “vote-buying” schemes. They consider such unethical actions permissible as they believe that only the ends justify their means. However, in Islam, righteous means alone can justify a proper end, that pleases Allah SWT.

III. GRADUAL DISMANTLING OF THE IAGD CONSTITUTION AND EFFECTIVE TAKEOVER OF IAGD BY THE BOT THROUGH THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS 

Some of the background to this development has already been covered in Sections I and II. I am summarizing below the following past actions taken by the BOT, in collaboration with the BOD, to gradually dismantle the IAGD constitution and effectively take over the Association. These actions are continuing to this date.

i. Manipulating the BOD to appoint BOT’s chosen candidates as Trustee, often based on nepotism: 
Latest 2019 Trustee appointee has no record of service and has not volunteered at any level in IAGD.
ii. Seizing control from the BOD regarding appointment to its committees: 
At the beginning of each year, for the past three years, the BOD President has presented a fully prepared and completed roster, apparently by the BOT, of all committees to the BOD. All that was asked of the BOD was its endorsement and approval.
iii. Denying the BOD Treasurer access to IAGD asset accounts and seizing his check-writing powers in 2011- 2012:
This is a serious violation of the IAGD Constitution.
iv. Filing of lawsuit against 5 majority BOD members in September 2013 for their constitutional action to set an election schedule:
 The 2013 BOD majority, based on Article XI, Section II.g, took action to stop an election fraud and were sued by the BOT. The serious damage caused to IAGD by this action of the BOT has already been described in detail in Section II.i.
v. Engaging in massive election fraud by buying votes starting in June 2013, and in every subsequent election since then:
Verifiable data is available proving all the following practices. These vote buying schemes include:
a- Serialized money orders/cashiers’ checks used for membership dues of people from different localities.
b- Third party checks to pay for the membership dues for another person.
c- Paying others to become IAGD members. One such person acknowledged in a BOD Meeting (duly recorded in the BOD Meeting minutes) that he spent $20,000 of his own money to pay others to become members.
d- Small business owners pressurizing their Muslim employees/extended families to become members and instructing them to hand over their voting ballots.
vi. Attempting to take over the entire IAGD organization in April 2016:
Following withdrawal of its illegitimate lawsuit against IAGD and the majority members of the BOD, by claiming to dismiss the BOD; closing the bank accounts that BOD had access to and were being used to run the normal operation of IAGD; bringing in armed guards and changing locks throughout the building to stop BOD and volunteers from carrying out their duties.
vii. Blocking a completely constitutional “Special General Body Meeting” from being conducted on June 4, 2016:
By locking the Social Hall and employing armed guards, in a show of brute force.
viii. Not honoring most of the commitments the BOT made in June 2016 MOU:
These included: (i) Not allowing the 2016 BOD to run the organization for the balance of 2016; (ii) Creating parallel BOT-controlled Membership and Finance committees; (iii) Ensuring the lack of a quorum at the BOD Meetings by orchestrating the deliberate absence of minority BOD members (the allies of the BOT; (iv) Not honoring the appointment of a Trustee by the 2016 BOD, and other broken promises and violations, that are not mentioned here.
ix. Creating a secret “IAGD Foundation” in May 2016 without knowledge, consultation, or approval of the General Body:
Transferring all the assets of IAGD to this unconstitutional Foundation, and appointing themselves as life-time members of this clandestine “IAGD Foundation”.
x. Failing to honor their promise to the community to dissolve the IAGD Foundation (2016) and creating a new “IAGD Foundation” (December 2018/January 2019):
In December 2018 BOD Meeting, the BOD President presented the proposed new “IAGD Foundation”. This document presented to the BOD was prepared by the same lawyer who had prepared and incorporated the “IAGD Foundation” in May 2016. Since this matter was never discussed in the past BOD meetings, it is apparent that this proposal was created by the BOT. The BOD unanimously approved this new “IAGD Foundation” in its January 2019 meeting. The current IAGD Constitution does not authorize either the BOT or the BOD to start any new or subsidiary organization(s) with its/their own IRC 501 (C) (3) non-profit status. The BOD can start a committee, but not a corporation. No such organization can hence be a part of IAGD. The “IAGD Foundation”, approved in January 2019, is illegitimate and unconstitutional, just like its predecessor that was established in May 2016. The May 2016 “IAGD Foundation” still exists. It has never been dissolved despite the promise made to the community more than 2 ½ years ago. Both these foundations must be dissolved immediately. 
xi. Starting a huge construction project in 2016 without consultation and approval of the General Body. 

IV. FAILURES OF THE BOD SINCE JANUARY 2017

The IAGD Constitution has assigned the responsibility of running the daily operations of the Association to the BOD. Since January 2017, the BOD is allowing the BOT to interfere with and control the organizational functions that the BOD should be carrying out, thus willingly participating in the process of surrendering to the BOT, the BOD’s autonomy and authority vested to it in the IAGD Constitution. The IAGD Constitution has entrusted the BOD with the duty “to implement the constitution”. (Article XI, Section II b). Following are some of the unconstitutional and unethical actions of the BOD that have seriously damaged and will continue to damage the proper governance at IAGD:

i. Relinquishing their fiscal duty to prepare a complete yearly budget for IAGD:
Without allocating funds for the construction project, IAGD budget presented by the BOD to the BOT in the last two years is incomplete and unconstitutional. Any expenditure, not proposed by the BOD but nevertheless incurred by the Association due to the unilateral, unauthorized actions of the BOT, is unethical and unconstitutional. (Section I above). The BOT and the BOD must both be held accountable for these illegally incurred expenses to the Association.
ii. Allowing the BOT to control the committees “appointed” by the BOD:
At the beginning of each of the past three years, instead of deliberating the composition of the committees, the BOD President has presented a fully prepared roster of all committees which has included names of people whom he himself admitted to not knowing. The person appointed as Constitution Committee chairman was one of the 4 minority BOD members who, at the behest of the BOT, boycotted the BOD meetings between 2013 and 2016. From 2017 through 2019, the Membership Committee Chairmen were appointed based on nepotism, thus seriously damaging the credibility of the committee. 2018 Election Committee Chairman had no prior record of service at IAGD.
iii. Appointing an undeserving person as a Trustee:
The latest appointee as a Trustee has never participated or volunteered at any level in the affairs of IAGD. His kinship with one or more of the Trustees is well known and appears to be reason for his selection. It is a disgrace that the BOD appointed such an undeserving person as a Trustee, particularly because there was a choice before its members to select a more deserving nominee.
iv. Creating a new IAGD Foundation, while IAGD Foundation of 2016 is still viable:
This has already been detailed in section III.x above.

V. WHY HAS IAGD LOST THE SUPPORT OF MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS? 

i. The current administration’s policy of non-inclusion, lack of transparency, not engaging the community in the “Shura” process, being intolerant to even the slightest difference of opinion and not catering to the needs and expectations of this community are the main reasons for the declining support for IAGD projects.
ii. Many other deserving Masajid and Islamic organizations have come into being in the immediate vicinity of IAGD and are providing much needed programs for children, youth, men, women, and senior citizens. As a result, the volunteer efforts and financial support of IAGD community members are now going elsewhere.
iii. With its obsession of pursuing the unpopular expansion project, which has “zero” input of the IAGD Community and is a brainchild of only a handful of individuals, the IAGD leaders are ignoring the known preferences of this community to provide many programs that the community members have been seeking.

CONCLUSION: HOW WE CAN MAKE IAGD BETTER - APPEAL TO THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE 

Participating in organizational affairs, being vigilant about the activities and decisions of its leaders, and asking them the required questions, will be the beginning of a desirable and a long-overdue change in the structure and governance at IAGD. My appeal to the fellow IAGD community members is to please do the following:

i. Please attend the monthly BOD meetings that are open to all members. Please ask questions and stop the BOD from making unwise decisions that they are making due to absence of community oversight. To ensure transparency and accountability, your participation is required now, more than ever before. Absence of participation and oversight have emboldened the current leadership to override the community’s sentiments.
ii. Please demand that, in order to ensure transparency, the BOT meetings be open to IAGD members to attend. IAGD Constitution does not specifically allow for secretive, closed-door BOT Meetings.
iii. Please demand that, going forward, minutes of the monthly BOD and quarterly BOT meetings be published regularly. Please demand that both the Boards provide access to any of their previous minutes, to appraise yourself of their decisions that have directly affected you. (IAGD Constitution, By-Laws, Article IV, Section I).
iv. Please demand immediate dissolution of the unconstitutional new “IAGD Foundation” and the May 2016 “IAGD Foundation”. Please demand from the IAGD leaders that promises made have to be kept indeed. 
v. Please demand the following information related to the expansion project: (a) Total estimated cost, based on detailed professional estimates; (b) Current balances in IAGD Asset Accounts ; (c) Money already spent on the project; (d) Projected completion timeline; (e) Explanation of plans to generate adequate funds to complete the project and (f) Explanation of plans to generate additional revenues for the increased payroll for more employees, utility bills and maintenance cost of the future larger structure, while the Association is experiencing difficulty in balancing the budget for the current, much smaller facility.
vi. Please demand a transparent effort by independent IAGD members to properly amend the IAGD Constitution. A strong, fair, and equitable constitution will ensure future stability and success of IAGD.

May Allah SWT guide the IAGD Community to do what is right and what He expects each one of us to do to seek His pleasure alone. Ameen.

Your Brother in Islam
Syed Mahmood Ali Khan
February 2019