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BCMA SGM CALL: Lets Unite To Save BCMA for Our Children
1-28-2026
Mosque governance is an honour and a trust bestowed upon individuals from Allah. Those who have been granted this great responsibility need to understand and acknowledge that every action and every decision of theirs, they are accountable before Allah.
In modern day mosque management it may seem like a routine appointment or trust people have placed in certain individuals to run the affairs of their mosque through some democratic election process, or collective selection by group of community members.
It is not. It is from Allah and Allah alone. It is a test from Allah, and it is our belief that those who pass it will be rewarded beyond one’s imagination. Therefore, it’s a matter that must be taken seriously.
The Quran is abundantly clear about the qualities and descriptions regarding individuals granted with the honour of maintaining Mosques. In Surah Tawbah, verse 9, Allah Says, “The mosques of Allah should only be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and fear none but Allah. It is right to hope that they will be among the ?truly? guided.”
Equally, the Quran is also explicit about those who should not be granted the maintenance of the house of Allah. In Surah Tawbah, Verse 107, Allah Says, “There are also those ?hypocrites? who set up a mosque ?only? to cause harm, promote disbelief, divide the believers, and as a base for those who had previously fought against Allah and His Messenger.1 They will definitely swear, “We intended nothing but good,” but Allah bears witness that they are surely liars.”
With all due respect, we are sharing this information for self-education purposes and a reminder to our community members at large that it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we entrust the maintenance of those houses of Allah. We will be equally held accountable if we fail to discharge our obligation towards Allah.
Collectively, as a community when we feel that many questions are being raised, and our legitimate questions are not being responded properly by those who we have entrusted and empowered to maintain our cherished institutions – Our Masajids – than we have collective responsibility to hold them to account.
Over the past two years, questions are being raised about the transparency and accountability at the BC Muslim Association (BCMA). One of the largest Islamic organizations in Canada, worth over $100 Million, built over six decades by thousands of volunteers with their blood, sweat, tears and financial contributions. Thus, it becomes our collective obligation to ensure to hold those who we have entrusted to run the affairs of it.
Never in its sixty-year history have so many concerns and fears raised about the future of the BCMA as it has been in past few years.
Concerned members of the community are calling for the SGM to get some clarity over from the executives who are seemingly trying to avoid accountability.
This SGM is needed and participation from the entire community to be present and ensure that the community gets the answers they deserve.
If there is a smoke, there must be a fire. We as a community need to identify the causes of the fire and ensure that this fire does not burn down the sixty years of blood, sweat, tears and financial investment the community collectively built for our children and our future generation.
First our spiritual leaders, the Imams of our Masajids started resigning in summer.
To summarize the concerns community has because over the past year or so there has been widespread allegations of bullying, harassment, and intimidation. These are not the traits of individual who fear Allah.
Then, the election committee resigned citing the above conduct by the executives.
The membership committee also cited similar allegations.
The repot by the Ad Hoc Committee which the membership was not aware when it was appointed and who was on it.
This Ad Hoc Committee apparently did not take up “bullying, harassment and intimidation concerns.”
This leaves the membership and community members wondering if there is a widespread coverup. If the ad-hoc investigation committee did discover such behaviour by BCMA officials, then why was it not brought up in the report? Was it to protect certain individuals? The best way to clear the air is an SGM with the facts in front of membership. Individual members have openly seen BCMA Executive, yelling, screaming, pointing finger and talking down to election committee officials at the Masjid. We are not talking about bullying, harassment, and intimidation behind closed doors. We are talking about such conduct in the parking lots of our Masajids.
Make matters worse. Since the election committee and membership committee resigned.
The executives appointed a new election committee.
The new committee announced election dates.
The new election committee postpones the elections, and four members of the new election committee also resigns.
It seems like no God-fearing individual is willing to work with the individuals whom the community has entrusted to maintain our Masajids.
Most recently, Maulana Khalid Sidat has informed the community, the reason for his resignation from the election committee. “I pray that this message reaches you all in the best of health and steadfastness of Iman. At the request of respected brothers from within the Muslim community, I agreed to join the election committee with a singe and specific objective: to assist and in facilitating and expediting the election process so it would be completed prior to the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan. As an Imam, Ramadan is a period marked by significantly increased religious, pastoral, and community responsibilities, requiring sustained focus, and availability in service of the community.”
“Despite my sincere efforts and intentions, it became evident after joining the committee that the election process was not progressing in a manner or timeframe consistent with this objective.”
The executives have apparently been calling the SGM signatories asking them to remove their names the lists.
At this point we request the community members to stay on top of the news, demand the executives to call an in-person SGM immediately to clear the air over countless allegations levelled against them.
The most important thing is, whenever the BCMA Executives muster the courage to face the community to by calling the SGM, please make sure to attend the SGM so we can put our community affairs in order and safeguard one of the largest Sunni Muslim association in Canada (BCMA) for our children and our future generation.
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