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BCMA Executives Shut Down SGM, Call Police on Members
2-25-2026
Community members were aghast at seeing some videos making rounds on the social media where Surrey Police were called to diffuse tension during a BCMA Special General Meeting (SGM) at the Surrey Masjid on Sunday, February 22,2026. One of the social media pages, with unknown admins, had posted a cherry-picked, 46 second, sound-byte, clearly intended for creating sensationalism, and to undermine the truth behind the outrage.
BCMA is a publicly funded, democratically elected, non-profit society, registered under the BC Societies Act. Accountability and transparency are the corner stones to maintain public’s trust in the association. The members are the supreme authority, and the executive body has a legal, moral, and ethical obligation to be as transparent as possible, and respect the rights of the members to disclosures when requested.
Problems arises when this trust is tarnished. Currently, most of the BCMA members have lost faith in the current executive board members due to their lack of transparency and demonstrating absolute disregard to the grievances brough forward by the members over the past few months. BCMA, once envied for its inclusiveness and respected for its democratic processes has now seemed to have transformed into an authoritarian dictatorship. This is neither good for the association, nor is it beneficial to the Sunni Muslim community of BC in the long run. The community members need to take a stand to safeguard and protect our cherished institution for our future generation to benefit from.
There is a clear disconnect between the membership and current BCMA Executive Board members. The gap has been widening since summer 2025, when prominent BCMA Imams resigned.
The series of resignations continued. In September the independent election committee resigned citing harassment, intimidation, and bullying as well as membership committee members raised serious issues.
The council requested the executives to appoint an independent investigation committee to investigate the committee members allegations and present it before the council within thirty days. This apparently was never carried out, and instead the executives appointed an “ad-hoc” committee. The “ad-hoc” committee apparently investigated and seemingly failed to validate the allegations.
The executives adamantly refused to make the report public and only provided a summary of the investigation report prepared by the “ad-hoc” committee.
On January 7, 2026, on behalf of the community members, Al Ameen Post’s managing editor, Mr. Jafar Bhamji, requested the BCMA executives for an immediate release of the full investigation report into the Election committee resignation and related allegations. The BCMA executives adamantly refused to make the report public.
The only legal avenue the BCMA members were left with was to exercise their rights by requesting a Special General Meeting (SGM).
On January 24, 2026, concerned members of the BCMA delivered the SGM Resolution to the BCMA head office.
The signatories to the SGM (petitioners) wanted to address serious governance violations. Specifically, the systemic failures and specific breaches of the BC Societies Act and the BCMA Constitution & Bylaws as documented in the evidence provided.
1. Breach of Fiduciary Duty & Personal Conduct. The Violation: Evidence of a “toxic environment,” “bullying,” “intimidation,” and “harassment” directed at independent committees (Election and Membership).
2. Membership Fraud & Portal Interference. The Violation: Unauthorized access to the digital membership portal and the processing of 41 “bulk” memberships in Richmond by bypassing constitutional vetting. Allegations of fraudulent use of nominator names.
3. Financial Opacity & Failure of Accountability. The Violation: Persistent failure to produce audited branch financial statements (specifically for Burnaby) despite repeated member requisitions.
4. Failure to Maintain Constitutional Timelines (Election & AGM). The Violation: The 2024 and 2025 AGMs and elections were delayed beyond mandatory deadlines of September 30, 2025 effectively “freezing” current leadership in power without a mandate.
The BCMA Executives have disregarded every request from the membership to address their grievances and every opportunity to demonstrate their obligation to accountability and transparency.
It was evident. The BCMA executives had no sense of urgency to deal with the SGM.
The meeting was scheduled for 10 AM, on Sunday, February 22. The registration commenced at 930AM. That too, with only two people at the registration desk. There was no accommodation or arrangement made to expedite members in wheelchair, senior with walking aids or sisters. Members were waiting in line for over 45 minutes to sign up. The management also tried to break the line and put the members that were waiting for over 30 mins back behind those who came late and in the process the chair who was appointed by the executive council had the privilege to bypass the line in with members calling it out as unfair to which he obliged and went back in the line.
It was also evident the BCMA executives were in no mood to listen to the petitioners and BCMA members to resolve their concerns. Those in attendance had witnessed that the executives were seemingly employing delayed tactics.
Around 11 AM, the president declares that the meeting will not commence until everyone is registered. This would require another few hours. The executives were simply expecting community members, senior citizens to sit and wait around while they kept calling people on the phone to come to the masjid and clearly trying to prolong registration process.
The executives were finally reminded considering the legislation that they need to start the meeting as minimum quorum required to commence the meeting had been met.
Add insult to injury, as required, the executive’s announcement of the so-called “independent chair” is what infuriated the members who were present at the meeting. Clearly to the petitioners and members at large the appointed chair had a clear conflict of interest as he is the chairperson of a branch, in active litigation with a member of BCMA in BCMA matters and who was one of the reasons the election committee resigned.
The executives could have lowered the temperature by being conciliatory rather than being confrontational. Unfortunately, the executives categorically opted not to take the higher moral ground. Instead the president abruptly adjourned the meeting, creating an utter chaos, and someone amongst the executives or the trustees or the Branch directors called the police.
In the aftermath of that regrettable scene, the responsibility now rests with both leadership and membership to step back from confrontation and return to principle. The BC Muslim Association was built on Shurah (consultation), constitutional governance, and the trust of its members — not on procedural maneuvering or public spectacle. Police presence at a masjid meeting should be a moment of deep reflection for all involved. The way forward is not through adjournments but through transparency, independent review where warranted, and genuine dialogue rooted in respect. If the Executive believes it has acted properly, it should welcome scrutiny and allow the membership to decide through a fair and orderly process. And if members seek reform, it must be pursued with dignity, discipline, and adherence to the Constitution and the law. Institutions endure not because they avoid crisis, but because they confront it with integrity. The community deserves nothing less. It is essential to restore trust, accountability, and unity before irreparable damage is done. The future of BCMA depends on leadership that serves, not suppresses, its members.
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