Showdown at ASJA assembly

ASJA’s general assembly meeting this Sunday, at which president general Yacoub Ali’s position is expected to be hotly contested, is heading for a showdown. There is a faction comprising several jamaats in South Trinidad which is proposing a radical change in ASJA’s leadership. Siddiq Nasir an Islamic theologian is said to be favoured by this faction to hold the position of spiritual head of the ASJA. Already, there is a dispute as to the agenda for Sunday’s meeting which will take place at the ASJA Boys’ College auditorium at 8 am. A faxed release sent yesterday by ASJA’s secretary Mohammed Hosein stated that the first item on the agenda would be to consider an approval on the post of president, general secretary and financial reports, election to administrative and executive positions and other business. However, in another agenda faxed yesterday evening and signed by general secretary Hosein, there was no reference to the above. The second agenda stated: annual report and general secretary; financial comptroller reports; election of 15 members of administrative executive; president’s closing remarks.

In a release yesterday, Hajji Ralph Khan stated that a significant number of jamaats intend to openly challenge the present administrative executive and the general assembly, during the meeting on Sunday. Khan is ASJA’s former public relations officer. The female membership of the organisation has also vented their frustration in the form of a petition. They have, for the past week, been soliciting signatures in support of the rights of women to participate in the general assembly and at the decision-making level of ASJA. The petition states: “We the undersigned of the Sunni Muslim community of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby petition the administration of ASJA to address three issues.” The first issue cited, was the lack of clarity of the ASJA’s constitution and the second being the non-availability of the document to the rank and file membership. The third called upon the leadership to recognise that Muslim women had a right to participate in the decision-making and general assembly level of the organisation. The women are calling for the constitution to reflect female participation. Meanwhile ASJA, led by Yacoub Ali, has issued a bulletin to all its Imam, warning them not to accept gifts of money as an inducement to vote a particular way on Sunday.