Global Intifada

Seems like MSA National has made some progress the last time a hub-hub was raised by Mujahideen Ryder, Maniac Muslim, Muslim Matters, and myself.

Alhumdulillah, MSA National sent out an e-mail reminding people about a feedback survey that was posted on December 25th, 2007. I filled out mine, although I felt that the questions in the survey were conveniently written persuasively to advertise what “MSA National” HAS done, rather than a means for proposing what MSA National SHOULD do. I would strongly encourage people to fill out the survey and post their thoughts. Click on the link above and send out your thoughts. Once you’ve filled out the survey, post on your respective blogs, myspace pages, or facebook accounts some thoughts on MSA National. What do you think is its historical purpose? How has it succeeded in fulfilling that purpose? How does MSA National differ from other MSAs or other National Organizations? What do you think can be done to improve MSA National? Let’s create an open discussion through Mashwarah of our national institutions in order to develop a marketplace of ideas that can be used to improve them.

In terms of suggestions, here are mine:

1. First and foremost, publish the results of the survey so everyone knows what people think about MSA National. This information is important because it promotes an honest view of what people think about MSA National and it shows that the organization is mature enough to handle criticism, whether written in Uncle-style like me or constructive. Post the results of the survey on your website.

2. Come up with a comprehensive list of what MSA National has accomplished independently of assistance from other organizations. This is to answer the question “Do we need MSA National or do they need us? If they require more labor, capital, and involvement from MSA National, then they should open up their organization to allow popular participation. In other words, if you seek to exploit MSAs, then you must share the goods: power and money. Think of this is as “No Taxation without Representation.”

3. Post a list of projects that MSA National will be working in. This will allow people to understand what’s being done and how they can help out. Instead of saying “Volunteer for project” be more specific and state what tasks need to be done. If you need help with marketing, then instead of sending out mass e-mails to every MSA, develop specialized listserves for that purpose so the people who have the skills for such projects are contacted. This is what we call “Division of Labor.” I know its a capitalist idea, but even I, the indebted student who despises this ideology, must recognize its usefulness. In fact, why not start by giving each taskforce its own sub-listserve to start networking people who are specialized in this regard. Also, perhaps a “listserve” is not the proper term, it should enable two-way communication so that people can suggest ideas instead of having an authoritarian decision making structure. The free market of ideas will be useful in promoting creativity. Again, you can call this “democratic” or “shura” but either way, its necessary and part of the Sunnah.

4. Allow for elections of Zonal Representatives AT the zonal conventions since this is when most people interact with the potential zonal representatives. After all, since MSAs organize the Zonal Conferences and more people attend the zonal conferences than the continental conferences, it will create more visibility and integration between MSA National and local MSAs. Perhaps you can make it like a primary election or a caucus and allow the candidates to debate on various issues. This would encourage people to vote on real issues and not just vote for the sake of voting or just voting for their friends. This would create more competition and result in an evolutionary process where better candidates are selected (think of it as the survival of the fittest).

5. Form a NATIONAL COUNCIL comprised of all of the regional/state councils in order to create a truly NATIONAL organization. MSA National’s Executive Leadership is comprised of a tiny number of people. Even if they were not students, they could simply not travel all over the country to assist local MSAs for various programs. Since the state/local councils do all of the real “heavy lifting” and have just as much experience as the MSA National Leadership does in performing various tasks, why not form a COUNCIL of these people? This way, someone from Boston can network with someone from Miami or New York or Chicago or Houston or San Francisco DIRECTLY instead of INDIRECTLY through the middle man of the National Executive Leadership. This will stream line the deliberative process.

6. Improve Publicity. The National Leadership should come off as a national leadership. Post up pictures of yourself on the website. Get interviewed by non-Muslim media. Develop connections with people in power. Speak out in the media. One of the major reasons why the average Muslim feels disconnected from MSA National is that it is COMPLETELY invisible other than a handful of projects. Local MSAs that participate in programs such as Fastathon, Islamic Awareness Week, are almost entirely run by local MSAs with very little interactions with MSA National. If you increase publicity, people will become aware of the services you provide. Then they will use those services. Then they will be like “Oh duh! There’s MSA National! They helped me out! I like me some MSA National.” As opposed to the current state which is more like “Huh? What’s MSA National?” Better publicity = local MSAs using more services = more involvement with MSA National = Stronger Organization. Thus, the circle becomes complete and the institution as a whole grows in an organic fashion instead of in a jerky fashion where MSA National goes through bursts of activism, then dies down, then goes through bursts of activism, and dies down again. This will result in consistent growth. In terms of practical steps to improve publicity: (a) ally yourself with major organizations that get good media coverage , (b) don’t be afraid to engage in some theatricality [think Rosa Parks-style imagery targeting Islamophobes, (c) use the blogosphere. Maybe give each MSA exec or zonal rep a blog so they can highlight the projects they’re working on. They can link up with local MSAs and advertise various projects, (d) use facebook. I see that most of the leadership has been added as admins to the facebook group. Make posts in the group so people know you’re alive.  Don’t just use e-mails and your website to send out messages, also use facebook and myspace and take the time to post on forums.

7. Increase your transparency and accountability. Most of the people who have negative views of MSA National feel like that the organization takes advantages of local MSAs by using their work and labor but attributes the success to MSA National. People feel that the decision making is opaque and run by a secret cabal of people. Some people think that MSA National is run by Ikhwan al Muslimeen. In order to rebut the conspiracy theories, why not create more accountability. Here are some suggestions: (a) Each local MSA has the right to FULL DISCLOSURE of whose REALLY involved in MSA National. If there is no ‘cabal’ running the show, then you have nothing to hide and should post that information. Specifically, people should know how decision making occurs in MSA National. Now that we know there’s a board of advisors and who is on it, how do they affect the decision making process of the executive leadership? (b) you have a Constitution, but no by-laws. Develop them and post them so people know how the daily decision making process occurs. This way, if MSA National violates its own rules, people can correct it. This ensures that MSA National’s leadership is operating on the RULE OF LAW and not on whims and desires. This is a perfect way to combat nepotism. In fact, it would be prudent to detail the election process in permanent form. E-mails are NOT effective. (c) Post up your MINUTES so people know that you are alive and actually make decisions, (d) post a list of affiliated member MSAs and who has paid and who has not and when their membership expires so that we know who can vote or not vote in elections so that there are no “Election surprises” where people’s votes get discounted.

8. Develop Objectives and Give Yourselves a Report Card at the end of the year. Develop Yearly Goals and Objectives and Post an HONEST Critique of yourselves to see if you fulfilled those objectives. For example, in January 2008, you can say “Our goal by the end of the year is to increase membership by 10% and promote Fastathon with MSAs from 200 organizations, to 400 organizations.” At the end of December 2008, you can review what you accomplished such as “We only increased membership by 8%, but we got 413 MSAs to participate in Fastathon.” Instead of saying “We promoted program x, y, and z” show how your organization DIRECTLY contributed to the development, expansion, and refining of such a program. These goals should not be abstract, but concrete and both quantitative but also qualitatively scrutinized. More importantly, you should do this yourself.

9. The Internet. Alhumdulillah, MSA National heeded the naseehah of blogger Mujahideen Ryder and redesigned its website and held a logo contest. I applaud you for taking these first steps, but we need to build on these successes. In order to physically unite all of the MSAs into an effective body, the technology needs to be there to make such a unification possible. If you use the MSA National website to host the websites of local MSAs and create council and regional forums, you will greatly improve the interaction between Muslims at the local, state, regional, and national level. This will produce the free market of ideas that are necessary to promote creativity, networking, and volunteerism that will make MSA National into a force to be reckoned with. Like Voltron.

10. Create an Advisory Fiqh Council from Traditional ‘Ulema. This will have the effect of infusing the grass roots with Islamic knowledge and create more unity. You promoted the Unity pledge, great. Now live up to it. Get these ‘Ulema to move from the era of “promises” to the era of “functional agreements.” Don’t just preach unity, live it. This advisory board should function as a JUDICIARY with no EXECUTIVE OR LEGISLATIVE POWER (neither the power of the WORD or the PURSE). Any MSA member (local, state, regional, zonal, or national) who has a fiqh question will submit them to this board to issue legal verdicts. When their is consensus, MSA National and its subsidiaries will be BOUND by it. This promotes the development of consistent FIQH rulings and increases the Barakah of our actions. If there is ikhtilaaf, the opinions become PERSUASIVE not MANDATORY so that each person will follow the opinion according to the methodology that is most sound. This may increase the danger of “picking and choosing rulings” but this is a necessary side effect. More importantly, it teaches every American Muslim the advanced nature of fiqh and usul al fiqh while also teaching them to respect ikhtilaf, which is necessary to combat the sectarianism that rifts our communities apart. It would have a trickle down effect on the community. If you get all of the MSAs to participate in this, you target the most dynamic segment of our community: the youth. When these people grow up and become Masajid leaders or social or political activists or humanitarians, they will become carriers of Islamic knowledge to their communities and society as a whole. After all, MSA National relies upon these ‘Ulema to give speeches, why not take fatawa from them? Don’t just use them for your own purposes but not reciprocate communication. Think of contacting: (a) Zaytuna, (b) Lamp Post Productions, (c) the ALIM Institute, (d) Al Maghrib, (e) Zam Zam Academy, and (f) Sunnipath. This way you represent a diverse body of scholarship. This will also have the positive side effect or reducing Salafi-Sufi, Traditionalist-Intellectual bashing that has become prevalent. People are far less likely to promote negative material when they will be held accountable to other people or the person who they are criticizing is sitting in front of them. This will create a constructive environment.

Lastly, I think the top priority for MSA National as a NATIONAL as opposed to a LOCAL or REGIONAL organization is to focus on NATIONAL ISSUES. A perfect opportunity is the upcoming 2008 elections, which will be one of the most hotly contested elections in history. The Muslim vote may play an INSTRUMENTAL role on the future of American foreign and domestic policy. MSA National and other American Muslim National Organizations such as ISNA, ICNA, MAS, MYNA, CAIR, et al, should develop a PRAGMATIC NATIONAL ELECTION STRATEGY.

CONCLUSION:

Whether you agree or disagree with this post, please fill out the survey. If you have problems with the survey, e-mail suggestions to them.

If you would like to share your thoughts on this issue, feel free to either post a comment here or on your blog and just shoot me an e-mail so I can add the links in this pot. Lets get some Mashwarah going on this!

May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) grant MSA National success in this matter, in all matters, and especially matters of the Akhirah and may He raise up a leader amongst us who will end the Fitnah and unite our Ummah. Ameen.

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