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Bravo to the outgoing BCMA Election Committee
2-26-2014
The cornerstone of a democratic institution may it be a country, or an organization, lies within the perimeter set or a degree of independence given to its “Independent” election committee to oversee and manage the election process by the administration.
The BC Muslim Association, BCMA, prides itself to be not only the largest but also the only independent democratic Muslim organization in BC, among many, to achieve this milestone.
In our editorial we would like to recognize the immeasurable services provided by the BCMA outgoing Independent Election Committee, for their dedication and commitment to uphold the tenets of democracy and delivery of services without prejudices. May Allah reward you all for your sincere efforts and commitment to ensuring free and fair election process.
We would also like to briefly enlighten our readers about the mandate of the committee and kind of energy and resources required to fulfill its mandate.
By far, this committee had its work cut-out. Many see them as just coming to their respective mosques on the Election Day, setting up tables, booths, ballot boxes and counting ballots, at times less than hundred votes per branch or chapter. However, the reality is that the past two elections in the BCMA history has been the most complex in its four decades. The outgoing committee deserves to be recognized for their hard work and due diligence in ensuring free and fair elections for BC’s Largest Muslim Association, representing 60,000 Muslims of BC.
We affirm, it is much more than setting up tables, voting booths, ballot boxes and counting, The Committee appointed on three year mandate, consisted of cross-section of local community members from Fiji, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They are, Brs: Usman Ali, Shiraz Khan, Nour Ahmed, Syed Vajahat Ali, Muhammad Khalid Shergar, and Sr. Fatima Ali.
The team under the leadership of Br. Usman Ali, Chair, and Shiraz Khan, Secretary, for the past two elections, 2011, and 2013. The Committee provided unbiased services, while upholding the BCMA Constitution, in scrutinizing the candidates, shortlisting and qualifying candidates, issuing appropriate candidates lists, election notices, and holding the elections in a timely and fashionable manner.
The community has certainly grown. It is no longer the homogenous mixture of the past, with candidates predominantly from South Pacific, Fiji, and South East Asia, Indo-Pak region, mostly located in BC’s Lower Mainland.
BCMA is no longer what it used to be. It has branches and chapters across BC, from far North, Prince George, to the Vancouver Island, Victoria and Nanaimo, to the BC interior, Kelowna.
Adding to the geographic dimension there is also an addition of vast multicultural components of candidates coming from different backgrounds, from the Middle-East, to Africa, to Asia and beyond. Although the rapid growth in Muslim community is not reflected in terms of membership increase, but there is an increase, in some branches and chapters more than anticipated.
All I’s needed to be dotted and every T’s crossed when qualifying candidates in terms of minimum three year membership qualification, ensuring that the candidate is not part of a board in other Muslim organization, and much more.
The tasks of Committee’s Secretary, Br. Shiraz Khan has been the most difficult and at times arduous, which is, isolating himself from a person or persons and deciding on the merits of an individual and his or her qualifications. It included, at times, rising above the petty differences among candidates seeking disqualification of opponent, trying to isolate the branch or chapter’s internal petty politics, investigating, cutting to the chase, getting to the truth of the matter, or discourse, and recommending a fair and unbiased course of action to the committee when best qualifying candidates suitable to running the affairs of the BCMA mosques, a very tall order by any feat.
Based on our knowledge the Committee had their work cut out in past elections; whether it was Surrey/Delta Branch, or Surrey East. The BCMA Victoria Branch presented a host of issues, which until the end seemed to have been facing the most contested election requiring careful scrutiny. This is where the list of candidates started out at healthy thirty, and eventually after careful vetting reduced to fourteen, and eventually eleven, the magic number acclaimed without any contest.
The committee’s long hours do not just start few days before the elections and end shortly afterwards. In fact it’s a three year constant struggle from preparation to filing of report to the BCMA Council.
Currently, the committee’s term has ended. The BCMA Council will be appointing the next committee on a three year mandate. The outgoing committee will be submitting their report to the council. We encourage the community members to provide their feedback to the current committee to strengthen the BCMA Election process, which is vital to its providing continuing services in an effective manner while ensuring accountable and responsible management of the association and its public assets.
We also encourage members of the community, who are members of the BCMA in good standing to step up to the plate and take the challenge by becoming a contributing member of a sound democratic process for the leading Muslim organization in BC.
In the end once again we would like to thank the BCMA’s out-going Election Committee for all their hard work, contribution, due diligence, impartiality, devotion, and sacrificing long hours away from their families in protecting the integrity of the association and its free and fair election process. A model none can match. BCMA would not have been able to laud itself as the leading democratic Muslim association in BC without your contributions, hard work and efforts. May Allah Bless you all.
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