History of MYNA - Part 2 MSA to ISNA

MSA Graduates to ISNA, takes Youth Committee along for the ride

1979-1980 - M. Naziruddin Ali is MSA president. MSA Headquarters is built in Plainfield, Indiana (it may have been completed in 1982 or 1983.) [It will go on to host many youth camps, conferences, training programs, executive council and advisor meetings, the Youth Committee chair's desk, a MYNA office, the MYNA cubicle, the MYNA cabinet, and eventually the current ISNA/MYNA youth director.]

1981-82 - Sayyid M. Syeed is MSA president. The proposed change from MSA to the "Islamic Society of North America" takes effect. The existing MSA umbrella organization becomes the ISNA umbrella organization, with various constituent organizations under it, including existing MSA constituent organizations, such as the Islamic Medical Association (IMA), as well as newly formed groups, such as the Muslim Communities Association (MCA). [The MCA will help complete the triumvirate of “student, community, youth" constituent groups when MYNA is eventually formed, but, like MAYA and MISG--only more quickly, MCA will decline and be dissolved before MYNA's decline. Also, the resultant new MSA will spend years as a very nominal organization functioning out of ISNA Headquarters until it is split more fully from ISNA in 1994, its headquarters moved to Washington, DC-area, and it becomes a full-fledged, autonomous constituent organization.] MSA's committees become ISNA’s, and ISNA's youth functional committee is subsequently, successfully carried-over from the MSA days.

1983 - Ilyas Ba Yunus is President is the first ISNA president. (2) Da’ud Mulla is “Youth (Boys) Chairman,” (2b) Tanveer Mirza is “Youth (Girls) Chairman” of the ISNA Youth Committee, which has clearly been subdivided into Boys and Girls groups by this point.

1984 - BaYunus still president. (3) Junaid Noor Hasnain, from Columbia, Maryland, is the chairman of the Youth Committee. [His number then listed is 301-730-5044]. (3b) Fatima Abugideiri [the daughter of former 1973-74 MSA President, the now late, Tijani Abu Gideiri], from Indianapolis, IN, is the chairman of the “Young Muslimah Subcommittee.” [Her number then listed is 317-882-9798. As of 2003, she now lives in the Washington DC area]. The ISNA Youth Committee is now said to be mostly all comprised of American-born-and-raised Muslim youth.

Aug. 1984 - The Third ISNA Convention at Dayton Ohio contains “Children and Youth Presentation” (as later advertised in the ad for Convention session tapes in Horizons). Only audiotapes are available for the “Children and Youth Presentation” which doesn’t appear to have warranted videotaping, but in the youth committee's opinion it is the "best youth program ever" in terms of sessions, attendance, and participation.

Sept. 1984 - The Islamic Horizons Sept. issue lists Junaid Noor Hasnain and Fatima Abugideiri in the “ISNA Committees” box as the youth chairs and provides their contact information. Ahmed Zaki Hammad is the chairman of “Committees and Appointments” [He will go on to be president of ISNA in the late 80s through the whole early growth period of MYNA, and, while fostering and supporting this growth, his administration will view MYNA as a department of ISNA].

Oct. 1984 - Nimat Hafez Barazangi [a camp-counselor-aged ISNA youth by 1988, she participates in the youth camps of the time] writes the column entitled “Planning and Organizing Muslim Youth Camps Self-Evaluation and Suggestions” in Islamic Horizons Oct. issue, in which she is critical of the planning and organization of ISNA youth camps (which implies that such camps are common occurrences), particularly a recent “Girls Summer camp” that she attended, and offers suggestions for improvement. In the column, she says youth “generally” only behave Islamically because of parental pressure and external reinforcement. She calls for more serious religious subject matter and calls for counselor training, more oversight, to gear sessions for specific age groups, and other suggestions. [Barazangi will write another critical column on youth camps for Horizons in 1988, interestingly many of her ideas will go on to be followed in years to come, though not attributed to or associated with her, she is the first to voice some of them in print in Horizons.]

Nov. 1984 - Islamic Horizons Nov. issue features an ad for convention tapes appears (it may have been the Dec. issue), featuring the “Children and Youth Presentation," but only audio for it.

Dec. 1984 - Ghulam Nabi Fai, an ISNA zonal representative out of Philadelphia [who goes on to be MSA president and is still active in ISNA today], organizes a number of MSA Youth activities out of Philadelphia. Islamic Horizons Dec. issue features an announcement for an apparently-Fai run East Coast MSA Youth Essay Competition being conducted by the East Coast MSA for “high school and college youth up to 24 years of age," open to US and Canadian students “regardless of religion, race, or sex.” Topics include Religion of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, Practicing Islam in America, Concept of Peace in Islam, Islam’s Contribution to Humanity. Asks for a 20 page double spaced essay not addressed later than March 30, 1985. First prize $300, second $200, third $100. Two bonus $50 prizes, too. Winners are required to show proof of date of birth. Fai is the contact person and a Philadelphia address is given. The issue also has an announcement for the upcoming Dec. 22-28 MSA Youth Camp, also with Fai as the contact person.

Dec. 22-28, 1984 - "December MSA Youth Camp" held in Downington, Pennsylvania, organized by Br. S. Ghulam Nabi Fai of Philadelphia, “zonal MSA representative” (he’s listed taking registration inquiries as explained above). The camps costs $105, $95 “if 2 or more children from a family are registered.” “Boys and girls ages 9-17” are invited.

Dec. 24-27, 1984 - The Seventh Annual MAYA Convention takes place in Ft. Worth, TX. MAYA’s mailing address is listed as a PO Box in Ft. Collins, CO.

People to talk to: Da’ud Mulla, Tanveer Mirza, Junaid Hasnain, Fatima Abugideiri, Ghulam Nabi Fai.

Art: None, maybe some pictures of the convention from Horizons.