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.