Thursday, September 08, 2005

History of MYNA - Part 13 1999-2002

1999 -Ahmed ElHattab says he comes up with the position of “ISNA Youth Activities Coordinator” with MYNA national advisor Riyad Shamma. The position is to “coordinate youth work/activities with MYNA, MSA.” And that they get the 50K budget prepared and approved. The position is advertised in Islamic Horizons. Muzammil Siddiqi’s term still. - M. is East Zone Representative.

1999 -In Region 2 - MYNA NY - there is an attempt at new outreach to NY State area including the NYC project, which is a plan to build a foundation in NYC for MYNA work there and a council. Amer Al-Shawa is named advisor. Arif Rafiq, is MYNA New York Rep. An umbrella council is planned to be formed. There are also events in Region 3 and 4, 7 and East Zone Canada (mentioned in the year)

Early 1999 - The MYNA website at jannah.org MYNA East Zone Site is last updated with news items. At the time the structure described for MYNA is that the US has 3 zones and Canada has 2. Each zone has a youth representative that is elected by other youth in the zone at either the continental winter leadership conferences or at a zonal event. Each zone also has an adult advisor that works with the representative. 5 zonal representatives along with the secretary, treasurer, and chairperson constitute the MYNA executive committee. The zonal advisors along with a chairperson of advisors constitute the MYNA advisory committee. Zones are further divided into regions, with their own representatives and in some regions, they are again divided into metropolitan councils as well as local units. Canada East Zone has 1 contact. Canada East Zone has 1 contact. US Central Zone has 19 contacts. US East Zone has 19 contacts. US West Zone has 11 contacts. The website includes articles from the East Zone MYNAret newsletter which is at the time based at Herndon Virginia, PO Box 212, Herndon, VA 20171. The editor asks for submissions.

Jan./Feb 1999 - Islamic Horizons features it’s LAST actual separate article to date on a MYNA event with the four paragraph ISNA matters story “East Zone Muslim youth meet,” about the 1998 East Zone conference held in Thanksgiving weekend. It mentions M. and Naeem Muhammad as East Zone Rep (a typo, they meant Rep and Advisor) and mentioned an upcoming MYNA New York conference on spring break. Mentions Arif Rafiq as MYNA New York Rep.

Jan. 1999 - As of January 1999 MYNA Toronto is listed online as a division of the Muslim Youth of North America. 22200 South Sheridan Way Mississauga, ON, L5J 2M4 Phone: 905-829-2477, fax: 905-829-8598. MYNA_TORONTO@hotmail.com.

Jan. 1, 1999 - Region 3, meaning MYNA-NJ, have a Family Dinner on a Friday during Ramadan at Darul-Salah in Teaneck, NJ. They have food catered and sell MYNA T-shirts, MYNA Raps tapes and some scarves.

Feb. 12-15 1999 - MYNA Region 7 holds Annual Regional Olympics in Orlando. The MYNA Olympics take place. Jacksonville sends a girls team for the first time, says a community newsletter there. It’s also mentioned on the MYNA East Zone website news section.

Feb. 13, 1999 - MYNA Region 4 says they have been very bus and had a video seminar and activity at the Temple University Campus on Saturday at the Temple Student Activity Center. The seminar features a Hamza Yusuf tape doing a speech about youth and local masjids and there is pizza afterward.

March/April 1999 - An article in the “Islamic Education in America” issue of Islamic Horizons entitled “Protecting the Future of Islam in America” by Fahhim Abdulhadi, former AMC communications director and MSA member in Virginia, cites some important parts of the long-term strategy for the American Muslim community with regards to its youth. He says that “involvement in such groups as the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) and the MSA allows participants to learn practical skills in leadership and organization.” And that being told how to organize a dinner or talking about inaccuracies in a public school text book is much different than organizing one or getting that book removed. Also calls for Islamic forms of entertainment for students. Encourages a full-time paid staff person for youth work and national/local liaisons in Islamic orgs.

April 2-4, 1999 - MYNA New York Region (Region 2) has its annual regional conference during spring break. To register and volunteer youth are told to contact Arif Rafiq, MYNA New York Rep on mynany@aol.com. (This was mentioned in the Jan./Feb. Horizons issue MYNA EZ Con story.)

July/Aug. 1999 - Islamic Horizons features an advertisement for the “ISNA Youth Activities Coordinator” in the ISNA Jobs section. It says “ISNA JOBS; The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) requires the following staff…ISNA YOUTH ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR; ISNA requires a national Youth Activities Coordinator to work with organizations such as the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) and the Muslim Students Associations (MA) affiliates and assist the youth in coordinating efforts at a national level. The application must possess the academic qualifications and professional experience working with youth. The successful candidate will have strong administrative, communication and writing skills. The Coordinator will organize training conferences and programs, maintain a database of youth organizations and be a source of information for youth in North America.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.” This job was drawn up by Ahmed ElHattab along with Riyad Shamma, says ElHattab, and the funding for it was approved by the Majlis in the order of $50,000, which they worked to get approved and were successful on.

Aug-Sept. 1999 - ISNA Convention held at spread-out McCormick Center in Chicago, IL, with different programs far apart from each other, including the MSA and MYNA programs. Or, “The expanse of the McCormick Center allowed the various programs to continue at their own momentum,” as Horizons says. MYNA program is organized as usual with the committee set-up. Riyad is advisor, most likely (as he is for national MYNA).

- No mention of MYNA Canada in 1999 Annual report. MAYA mentioned in Annual report but no MYNA. Majlis members not listed and MYNA rep to Majlis not listed.

-Meanwhile at the 1999 Convention, “Reinventing MYNA” is re-submitted by Mustafa/Mir/Rahman to MYNA/Shamma at a meeting at the Convention. Shamma again calls in whichever ex-MYNA Active youth, advisors, position holders who are around, including Asad and Sadaf Siddiqui of Miami, to review the document, which they all do and discuss. This time it calls for the creation of a new adult-run wing of MYNA called MYS or Muslim Youth Services, and the continuation of the youth structure but on a smaller and much more local scale. This is basically the start of the meeting of MYNA alumni and advisors that will eventually become the new Advisory Council that goes to the ISNA Majlis in 2002. The basic idea it promotes is that MYNA needs full-time adult staff to function. [Why does it take that long?]

Nov./Dec. 1999 - Islamic Horizons Convention issue features cursory mention of the MYNA and MSA programs but at least give them their own section of the report entitled “Youth Programs - The expanse of the McCormick Center allowed the various programs to continue at their own momentum. The MYNA and MSA programs provided a treat for their respective participants.” It mentions Muslim professional athletes on-hand at the convention who give pro-youth messages like Tariq Abdul Wahad of the Sacramento Kings who is quoted as saying “Now, today, we are dealing with American Muslims. The Muslim youth of America went to American schools, and they’re the ones who are going to take Islam to the next level.” It also mentions the new Raihan release and what a big hit it was in Malaysia and that it’s been released in America. And that’s it.

2000 - Riyad Shamma represents MYNA on the ISNA Majlis as listed in Annual Report as the 1999-2000 Majlis section. Naeem Muhammad was East Zone adviser and says by this point Shamma is running the show as far as MYNA National is concerned, although the East Zone continues to function largely autonomously. Another Muzzamil Siddiqi year. MYNA Activities not listed or outlined in Annual report. MYNA not mentioned and ISNA Canada doesn’t yet mention MYNA activities as part of its section.

2000 - No information about MYNA in the annual report. Shazia Ahmed is East Zone rep. The Zone will continue to have representatives through 2001. Riyad Shamma asks Shazia Ahmed to be MYNA National President, Shazia says no. He asks (11) Hanaa Unus, daughter of Iqbal Unus, who was then MYNA East Zone Region 5 Rep, who says ok and takes on MYNA president job, leaving behind being East Zone Region 5 Rep job, says Naeem.

March/April 2000 - Islamic Horizons March/April issue features an ad for “ISNA First Community Development Conference” to take place April 21-23. It lists amongst its programs: “Youth Programs; Do you have effective programs that are utilizing the talents of your youth in your Islamic centers? Do you have partnerships with your local MYNA and MSA groups in your area? Is your nonprofit organization helping your local youth become strong and effective Muslims? These and many other youth issues will be dealt with in this dynamic session.” Shows that the Headquarters does not realize that there are not hardly any MYNA groups left out there, and the session is geared toward adults. No MYNA or MSA programs are part of the conference, which neither overtly fits into ISNA Regional or Zonal structure.

April 21-23, 2000 - The First Community Development Conference happens in Arlington Heights, Il (Chicago suburb). Has a youth program for adults dealing with youth issues. No youth program.

May, 2000 - The ISNA Central Zone Conference takes place in Wichita, KS, and draws a then-record 500 attendees (it will be dwarfed by the 2003 conference which will have over 1,500). There is a MYNA program, which is said to have gotten “rave reviews from the kids, ages 12-18, who enjoyed listening to speakers, especially (Altaf) Hussain and (Ruqaiyyah Waris) Maqsood (a Muslim British writer). The overall program netted survey totals of about 90 percent who thought it was excellent overall, and approximately 8percent who thought it was fair overall (of the whole regional conference).”

July/Aug. 2000 - Islamic Horizons has a newsbyte about the ISNA Central Zone Conference which mentions the MYNA Program (see info in May, 2000 item).

Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2000 - Annual ISNA Convention occurs with usual MSA and MYNA programs accompanying it. Organized in the old fashioned committee way. No figures on attendance.

Sept. 23, 2000 - MYNA Miami holds general body meeting.

Sept./Oct. 2000 - Islamic Horizons has a Chicago Convention pre-story that mentions the MYNA conference as part of the upcoming Convention. Just mentions the name once as usual.

Oct. 21, 2000- MYNA Miami hold general body meeting. Their treasurer reports that they have $363 in their account after raising $103 at a Jumuah sale.

Nov./Dec., 2000 - Islamic Horizons’ Nov./Dec. issue features a convention report written entirely by Omer Bin Abdullah which completely ignores the MYNA program except for a cursory mention of its existence alongside the MSA program amidst “several complimenting conventions.” No actual coverage aside from that.

Nov. 4, 10, 11, 2000 - MYNA Miami has three small local events/get togethers.
Nov. 23-26, 2000 - Last MYNA East Zone Conference held in Hagerstown Maryland. Advertised online at MYNA website (which is really the East Zone Website). “Take Your Faith to the Next Level!” is the theme. It says to contact the East Zone Representative at 443-801-3931. Youth are required to write an essay to participate (reminiscent of the old MYNA Standards days). mynaezusa@muslimsonline.com is the email given. “Early registration is $85 and must be submitted with your essay by November 4. Late registration is $100 and must be submitted with your essay by November 20. Financial Aid is available. There will be NO on-site registration. Each participant needs to bring a Quran, sleeping bag, and extra money if you are interested in purchasing snacks from the snack stands.”
Dec. 17, 2000 - MYNA Miami holds general body meeting and elections, elects new board. Group continues to function till today and has a website updated through 2002.

Dec. 23, 2000 - MYNA Miami goes to a nursing home.

Dec. 29, 2000 - MYNA Miami holds a Jumuah sale of cholay, donuts and soda at the Miami Gardens Masjid (an old ISNA affiliated center that the group has been affiliated with on and off throughout its history).

2001-2002 - Shaikh Nur Abdullah, ISNA President. Sayyid Syeed ISNA General Secretary. ( 11) Hanaa Unus is MYNA national president. Some known regional officers include: Hina Farooqi as East Zone Representative through 2001, Naeem Muhammad is her East Zone Advisor, and MYNA Canada Executives listed as Representatives (probably MYNA Canada East Zone Reps) Ahmad Munawar and Yomna Khatib, Treasuer Fiyyaz Jaat and Secretary Nada Khatib. Riyad Shamma is still MYNA national advisor, presumably. The East Zone has regional representatives through the year 2001. It all starts dying out says Naeem Muhammad, though it had started by 1999, he says. MYNA Raps 5 “For the Cause of Allah” comes out. An East Zone Conference is planned to try and reactivate the Zone and to elect new officers as Hina’s term is coming to an end. Sept 11th will cause the event to not be cancelled, thus ending the continuous chain of MYNA East Zone representatives and leading to the final wiping out of what had been the strongest of MYNA’s Zones for over a decade. With the chain of elected zonal officers, the human resources, already slim, are not renewed and are not until 2002 and the new Advisory Board looks to redesign the structure and doesn’t act to fill in the old positions. East Zone Canada continues to function though and has Representatives listed.
Some regional and local MYNA groups still exist. The East U.S. Zone’s Region 7 continues to have Regional representative in infrequent contact with the regional advisors. In Miami, FL the local officers include: the MYNA Miami Chapter Cabinet, made up of Zahra Qureshi (Ameera), Faaiza Basit (Vice Ameer), Adila Nazir (Treasurer), Najam Wahid (Brothers Secretary), Humera Ali (Sisters Secretary), and Advisors (and ex-MYNA youth and now MSA active students) Shehzad Mehmood and Omer Subhani. Their website says the age limits are 12-19 and “To join MYNA in your local region contact MYNA NATIONAL at (513) 985-9806 and find out the MYNA Chapter nearest you.” In all likelihood these are some of the very last official-in any way-MYNA Youth left in the country. Region 7 has a beginning stages website that never gets much further.

Jan./Feb, 2001 - Islamic Horizons Jan./Feb. 2001 issue features an ad for ISNA’s 2001 (Headquarters’ organized) Conferences, including the Second Annual ISNA Community Development Conference which, interestingly has a listing amongst its various programs for a “Program for MYNA Aged Muslim Youth (Under 18 Years of Age)” instead of calling it a MYNA program or saying it directly has anything to do with MYNA, similarly instead of an MSA program it says “Program for college-Age Muslim Youth.” It says for the youth program the goals are to 1. Identify the needs of local youth. 2. Start a local youth organization. 3. Creating and funding a program. 4. balancing deen and dunya. On paper, this clearly seems to be clear proof of the Community Development Department, apparently trampling over the past existence of MYNA by creating redundant programming/efforts which ignore what’s come before and don’t take advantage of it’s resources. (A problem which will definitely come up later in the Headquarters’ hiring of the ISNA Youth coordinator independent of the MYNA committee in 2003.)

Jan. 13 or 14, 2001 - MYNA Miami goes bowling on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as the Olympics which usually take place on that weekend have been moved to February this year.

Feb. 16-18, 2001 - MYNA Region 7 Olympics in Tampa Florida. Miami takes a full 57 seater bus up for the event which consists of the usual Football and Basketball for boys and Soccer and Volleyball for girls. Dinner for the event held at the Tampa masjid. Cities from throughout the region attend. Jacksonville sends a team too which talks about the Olympics in the masjid newsletter there.

March 2001 - “The Guild” MYNA Toronto Newsletter published. Said to be the very first “the Guild” ever published in the Annual report, but this seems unlikely as the Guild was mentioned in an earlier Annual Report.

April 13-15, 2001 - Second Annual Community Development Conference in Chicago-area. Again features an adult “youth program” meant at, as advertised, instead of “working with and helping MYNA” groups, as the first Community Development Conference’s ad seemed to suggest, but more building new youth groups. It implies more directly a lack of local youth work. No MYNA (or MSA) programs accompanying. Sort of a realization of the new reality, but also a giving up on the old structure/system on ISNA’s part, it seems.

April 28, 2001 - MYNA Miami visits a nursing home.

May 20, 2001 - MYNA Miami 4th Annual Basketball Tournament at Florida International University gym.

July/Aug. 2001- Islamic Horizons July/Aug. 2001 issue features a convention ad with a shot of the convention poster which of course mentions the MYNA program to take place there.

Aug. 2001 - Annual Report released. MYNA Representative to the ISNA Majlis not listed in Annual Report, but for the first time MYNA Canada mentioned/projects outlined in the 2001 Annual Report in the ISNA CANADA section under its own heading for the first modern time (this continues till today) and MYNA Canada website is made www.mynatoronto.com, now defunct. It lists the MYNA Canada Executives as Representatives (probably MYNA Canada East Zone) Ahmad Munawar and Yomna Khatib, and Treasurer Fiyyaz Jaat and Secretary Nada Khatib. It says the very first MYNA Newsletter, “the Guild,” was published in March 2001 (seems unlikely as the Guild was mentioned in an earlier Annual Report).

Aug. 2001 - a link to “The Truth: MYNA Central Zone Newsletter” is put up at MYNA Raps.com link page. (http://www.xnet.com/~murad/myna/truth/http://www.xnet.com/~murad/myna/truth/, it’s now defunct)

Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 2001 - 38th Annual ISNA Convention in Chicago at the Rosemont Convention Center. “MSA, MYNA and children’s programs” held as usual, organized by old-fashioned committee way. No figures on attendance.

Sept./Oct. 2001 - Islamic Horizons Sept./Oct. issue features an article by Freda Shamma (Riyad’s mother and old MYNA patron) on Muslim youth in America issues. It mentions MYNA as a given. “Muslim youths have worked to establish their own identity. Their organization, Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), reflects this. They see themselves as Muslims of America.” It talks about the generation gap and kids being more Islamic than parents (old mainstay topics where this issue is concerned). It’s ironic that she mentions MYNA as an organization as a given, given that her son is almost all that’s left of the old organization’s national structure at this point.

2002 - MYNA Region 7 website announces (in 2001) plans to hold the 2002 MYNA Region 7 Olympics in Miami renamed as the Region 7 “MYNA Games,” but says it has been postponed. It will eventually be cancelled altogether. It’s likely the 2002 Olympics didn’t happen, but they’ll be revived in 2003 in Tampa. There is no East Zone representative.

April 2002 - MYNA Canada (Toronto) holds its annual fundraising dinner.

May 19, 2002 - MYNA Miami 5th Annual Basketball Tournament at FIU gym.

May 18-19, 2002 - 28th Annual ISNA Canada Convention in Toronto features a MSA and MYNA programs which are both addressed by “the main speakers and such youth leaders as Altaf Husain, Dawud Wharnsby Ali, CAIR-Canada’s Riad Saloojee, MSA Canada VP Sarah Attia and EZ Canada Rpresentative Amir Al Shourbaji” (says the Horizons report in July/Aug.).

May/June, 2002 - Islamic Horizons May/June issue has a Washington Convention pre-story that reminds readers that the convention will be held in conjunction with MSA and MYNA annual conferences. Just one name mention.

July/Aug. 2002 - Islamic Horizons has a mention of the MYNA program in the article about the ISNA Canada Convention in May.

Aug. 28-Sept. 1, 2002 - ISNA Annual Convention in Washington DC has MSA and MYNA programs again. MYNA program chair is Esa Syeed (little brother of Afeefa and son of Dr. Syeed) and his program chair is Najeeba Bade (little sister of Sameer and daughter of Abdullah). They organize through the traditional system of committees. It mentions that there is a basketball tournament, workshops after fajr, such as tajwid and karate, and a 2-hour fashion show for the sisters as part of the program. The basketball and fashion show are explained/justified as being a way to interact more than just in sessions (in the later Horizons article).

Nov. 17, 2001 - MYNA Miami visits a nursing home.

Nov.-Dec, 2002 - ISNA Annual Convention report in Islamic Horizons mentions MYNA program at briefly in intro to section on sister organizations, which is what it’s called to ISNA, and then elaborated upon for a couple of paragraphs at the end of the article. It is mentioned again in another session about Muslim students refreshing bonds, but that focuses on the MSA.

2002 - 2003 - Shaikh Nur Abdullah ISNA President. Sayyid Syeed General Secretary. Monem Salam Central Zone Advisory. (12) Hanaa Yunus, MYNA chairman 2002-2003 (listed as such in the most recent 2002 Annual Report which includes a listing of Majlis and Executive council members.) - MYNA continues to have programs as part of the ISNA conferences and conventions and solicitations for the MYNA scholarship fund continue on convention programs. - MYNA Canada programs through 2002-2003 again outlined in 2002 Annual Report under a separate special MYNA heading. “The Muslim Youth Guild” is now described as a magazine. (Most of the activities described appear to be related to MYNA Toronto specifically.) No position holders are listed this time. There was an annual fundraising dinner in April 2002 and MYNA participated in the 28th Annual ISNA Canada convention distributing their magazine. They resumed their weekly recreational nights at the ISNA Islamic Center of Canada in May 2002. in August 2002, MYNA held their annual summer camp in Minden Ontario.

March (or April), 2002 - The MYNA Olympics take place in Atlanta, Georgia. (Note: they may have been called the MSA Sportsfest by this point.) A team from Miami goes representing the MYNA Miami chapter (Fawad Siddiqui is the coach).

Oct. 2002 - Monem Salam, Hanaa Unus, Lubaba Abdullah and Riyad Shamma present the idea of freeing up the MYNA funds, creating a new MYNA advisory board, and ask that the board be sanctioned to hire a full-time MYNA Coordinator to reinvigorate MYNA to the ISNA Majlis at their bi-annual Oct. meeting. The project is approved and the new MYNA committee is sanctioned to hire on a new MYNA/Youth Coordinator to, preferably but not necessarily, work out of ISNA Headquarters in Plainfield. The MYNA funds collected over the course of the past recent MYNA programs at the Annual Convention are released for use by the committee to hire the position. They assemble the new committee (or rather, their committee takes many different forms, with Monem and Riyad adding various people and other dropping out) and start the search for the position. Meanwhile, after a delay, the position is eventually put up online on www.isna.net and inquiries start coming in to ISNA HQ about the position, as well. - Naeem Muhammad says he was technically East Zone advisor up till all this new stuff started. He had been East Zone advisor since 1998 or 1999, helping to organize 3 East Zone Conferences. Before him was Mehmood Kazmi.

Dec. 2002- The ISNA Winter Conference in Orlando, FL, takes place with a MYNA program set to take place as part of the program (but no MSA program, I believe). Because of organizational breakdowns between ISNA and the local Orlando community leadership (Imam Musri) the conference is poorly attended by a few hundred people, mostly ISNA mainstay families from outside, but the youth program goes fairly well and draws some local youth. Imam Magid, Imam Musri, and Fawad Siddiqui are included among the speakers. Asad Siddiqui was contacted by Zubaid Kazmi to organize the program when Zubaid couldn’t do it anymore. Monem Salam and Hanaa Unus also come to organize the youth program, as well as Altaf Hussein. Monem, Hanaa and Altaf are then on the MYNA Committee (as per the last Majlis meeting). At a meeting in Orlando at the Winter conference of this partially assembled MYNA Advisory Board/reorganizational committee, Asad Siddiqui is added to the MYNA advisor board and weekly conference calls are started amidst the board, Altaf Hussein and Hanaa Yunus leave the board soon after. And are replaced by other MYNA alumni and new-comers. They use the Mir/Mustafa/Rahman “Reinventing MYNA” document as a guide for their planning and considerations, while remaining open to some discussion on the issue of a youth structure for the group, they clearly soon start to favor the idea of a paid-adult staff actually running the organization, as “Reinventing MYNA” suggests.

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