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Our Constitution:
This is Thaqalayn Muslim Association's Constitution for the
University of Toronto at Mississauga. This allows us to function as a
non-profit organization recognized by the University of Toronto.
Article I - Name
The name of the student society shall be al-Thaqalayn Muslim
Association (TMA)
Article II - Our Purpose and Philosophy
2.1 TMA is a non-profit organization,
with a mission to follow and promote awareness of the teachings of the
Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them). TMA also aims to
endorse peace, unity and cooperation amongst Muslims, while serving and
ensuring proper representation of the views, concerns and ideals of the
followers of al-Thaqalayn.
2.2 In addition, TMA aims to dispel any
myths, misconceptions, stereotypes and false propaganda against Muslims
in general, and in particular, the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them).
2.3 TMA is not affiliated with any
organization, nor is TMA affiliated with any specific Marja' Taqleed.
Rather, TMA acknowledges all of them, both the alive (may Allah lengthen
their lives) and the dead (may Allah elevate their stations).
2.4 TMA does not associate itself with
any terrorist organization, and takes no responsibility for the actions
of any of its members, should they be personally affiliated with one.
TMA neither subscribes to, nor endorses, such actions as they are both
inhuman as well as un-Islamic.
Article III - Definitions
3.1 The Holy Qur'an is defined as the final revelation from
Allah, exalted is He, given to Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), as a guidance for mankind in all their
secular and spiritual affairs.
3.2 Based on the numerous authentic ahadeeth, unanimously
agreed upon by all Muslims, the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them) are
defined as the family of Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) and the 12 Imams, and thus consist of only the
following 14 infallibles:
- A. Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (may the peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him)
- B. Fatima az-Zahra daughter of Muhammad (peace be upon her)
- C. Ali son of Abu Talib (peace be upon him)
- D. Hassan son of Ali (pbuh)
- E. Hussain son of Ali (pbuh)
- F. Ali Zainul 'Abideen son fo Hussain (pbuh)
- G. Muhammad Al-Baaqir son of Ali (pbuh)
- H. Ja'far as-Sadiq son of Muhammad (pbuh)
- I. Musa al-Kadhum son of Ja'far (pbuh)
- J. Ali ar-Ridha son of Musa (pbuh)
- K. Muhammad at-Taqi son of Ali (pbuh)
- L. Ali an-Naqi son of Muhammad (pbuh)
- M. Hassan al-Askari son of Ali (pbuh)
- N. Muhammad al-Mahdi son of Hassan (may Allah hasten his
reappearance)
Article IV - Membership
4.1 Membership of TMA will be open to all students
4.2 An annual membership of $5 is encouraged from each member,
notwithstanding any further donations that may be made
Article V - Structure and Responsibilities of the Executive
Council
5.1 The TMA executive council shall consist of:
- A. President
- B. Secretary of Finance
- C. Events Coordinator
5.2 The 3 executive council members are the only voting
members of TMA
5.3 Duties and Responsibilities
A. The President shall:
- i. Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all
times
- ii. Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the
Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
- iii. Provide leadership and guidance to the executive and
general members
- iv. Act on all matters of general management and
supervision of the affairs and operations of TMA upon the approval of
the council
- v. Be a member of all standing committees
- vi. Serve as a voting official representative of the
students on all occasions
- vii. Enforce and maintain the by-laws and policies of TMA
- viii. Chair each executive and general meeting
- ix. Serve as the chief advisor to the executive council
when required
- x. Be a cosigning authority to the Secretary of Finance
B. The Secretary of Finance shall:
- i. Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all
times
- ii. Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the
Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
- iii. Act with the approval of the TMA executive council on
all matters concerning finance
- iv. Keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and
disbursements of TMA
- v. Present the budget, financial status and/or history of
transactions to the executive council as deemed necessary by the
council
- vi. Work in association with all executive members and
present all matters involving financial transactions to the executive
members for approval
- vii. Be the official financial signing authority
C. The Events Coordinators shall:
- i. Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all
times
- ii. Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the
Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
- iii. Conduct at least two large events (preferably one in
each semester) during the year
- iv. Be immediately responsible for policies and events of a
social/service nature established by the council
- v. Act with the approval of the council on all matters
concerning social activities
- vi. Advertise and promote TMA events to non-Muslim and
Muslim organizations belonging to other schools of thought, with the
approval of the council
5.4 Each of the executive members will have a term of office
equivalent to one year
Article VI - Accountability of the Executive and General Members
6.1 If an executive member misses 2 consecutive or 3/5
meetings without due cause or reason as deemed appropriate by the
council, the said executive member will be issued a warning
6.2 If an executive member misses 2 consecutive or 3/5
meetings without due cause or reason as deemed appropriate by the
council, and has already accrued one warning, the said member will be
dismissed from his/her responsibilities upon the second infraction
6.3 If the council feels that an executive member is failing
to perform his/her required duties for reasons not deemed as appropriate
by the council, upon review and further evaluation, the accused
executive member will be issued either
- A. A warning or,
- B. Immediate dismissal on behalf of the council
6.4 If a member has already accrued a warning with respect to
the performance of his/her responsibilities, and the council still feels
that s/he has not been fulfilling his/her responsibilities, the member
will be dismissed from his/her responsibilities upon the second
infraction
6.5 If a general member abuses their membership under TMA, the
executive council reserves the right to warn, revoke or suspend their
membership as determined by further evaluation and review by the council
6.6 In the event that 3/4 of the general members vote to have
an executive member dismissed, their vote shall be binding given that
the reason for the dismissal is on constitutional grounds
Article VII - Meetings
7.1 Executive meetings will be held on the first Sunday of
each month
7.2 Additional meetings may be held at any time subject to
each executive member being notified at least 48 hours in advance
7.3 Meetings may be called by any executive member, provided
that the aforementioned condition has been met
7.4 All TMA members are welcome and encouraged to attend all
meetings, in an effort to maximize student input
7.5 All major issues decided upon by TMA will be done so by a
vote from the executive council
- A. All votes of the executive members are of equal value
- B. A 2/3 majority is required for a decision to be passed
- C. No executive member has the power to veto any decision
made by the council
7.6 During meetings, in the event of any disagreement
regarding religiously oriented matters, unsupported and non-referenced
personal opinions will not play a role in any decisions or conclusions
reached. Disagreements may be posed to one or more religious authorities
unanimously agreed upon by the executive council
Article VIII - Elections
8.1 Eligibility:
A. All members of TMA, provided they are willing to abide by
the Islamic code of conduct and fulfill the duties established in
Section 5.4, are eligible to run for one of the three executive
positions
B. A nomination form must be filled out and signed by at least
five other registered members
8.2 Elections will be held in May, with the exact date to be
set forth by the executive council
8.3 The executive council must appoint an individual to serve
as an Elections Officer
8.4 In order to become an Elections Officer, on must:
- A. Be unbiased towards all candidates
- B. Be selected from either the general membership or the
executive council
- C. Not be an individual currently running for the upcoming
election
8.5 Responsibilities of the Elections Officer:
- A. To ensure a smooth and problem-free transition from the
current executive council to the new, incoming executive council
- B. To appoint, with the approval of the exec, other members
of the general membership to assist in his/her affairs with regards to
running the election
Article IX - Amendments to the Constitution
9.1 Changes to the constitution can take place if the majority
of the executive members agree to the amendment
9.2 Religiously based disagreements regarding any amendment
shall be considered and referred to one or more religious authorities
unanimously agreed upon by the directors
9.3 Proposals for amending the constitution can be made by
anyone in the general assembly, provided that they are in concordance
with Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the constitution
9.4 All proposals must be seconded by at least 5 other TMA
members
9.5 Once a proposal has been made, it may be dismissed if:
- A. The executive council deems the proposal contrary to
Articles 1, 2 or 3, and/or any of the subsections therein
- B. The executive council unanimously votes against it
- a. In the event of B above, a further petition of at
least 10 TMA members will be necessary for the proposal to be given
a referendum.
9.6 If a proposal is not dismissed, the executive council will
be responsible for conducting a general membership referendum on the
issue
- A. A 2/3's majority from all members will be necessary for
the amendment to pass
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