31 August 2010

Dear USMAA members,

Assalamu Alaikum 

The 27th night Lailatul Qadr prayers will be held on Monday, 6 September 2010. 

Date:	6th September, 2010
Venue:	125 George street, Doncaster East (located at the Rieschiecks Reserve - corner of George and Victoria streets - next to the Doncaster Athletic track).
Melway:	33, H 11
Time:	11:00 pm onwards

 
 
click on map to expand

The Program for the night will be as follows;

 

11 PM	Arrival
11.00 - 12.00 AM	Bayan (Talk on Islam) - By Bro Belal Assaad
12.00 - 12.15 AM	Break
12.15 - 1.30  AM	Thahajjath / Qiyamul Layl
1.45 - 2.15 AM	Tasbeeh
2.15 - 2.30 AM	Break
2.30 - 3.00 AM	Zikr
3.00 - 3.30 AM	Taubah
3.30 - 3.45 AM	Witr
4 AM	Sahar meal served

• Pray your Taraweeh prayers (excluding Witr) at your local Masjid or at home. 
• Sahur will be provided. If possible please bring some short eats/snacks/sweets for tea breaks. Tea and coffee will be available.
• Parking is available at the venue. 
• Please bring prayer mats for your own comfort.
• Make sure that the toilets, prayer areas, meals areas and kitchen facilities are used carefully so that it will be clean when we leave the venue.

The event co-ordinators: Mohamed Najeeb and Naufal.

USMAA Update and announcements:  Abdulla Mahmud.

Hope to see you all on 27th Night Insha Allah.

Salaams
Rizana Zubair
Secretary, USMAA

23 August 2010

Dear USMAA members,

Assalamu Alaikum. 

Second Ifthaar 

Date:	Saturday, 28 August 2010
Time:	5.30 pm
Venue:	Mulgrave Community Centre, 355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave.

The Program

• Ifthaar
• Maghrib Prayers
• USMAA Update:  Asadh Yusuf
• Event co ordinator:  Fayaz Zurfick
• Bayaan: Dr Ayman Nafadi
• 15 Minutes break (Tea, Coffee,Wudu)
• Isha and Taraweeh prayers (Taraweeh 8 rakats and witr) - Imam Sheikh Abu Omar
• Dinner

Members and friends are kindly requested, only if possible, to bring a small plate to share -  to break fast.  Dinner will be served separately.
Any inquiries contact Nizra Haniffa (phone: 9713 2927 ); Nazeem Yakoob (phone: 95611105 ) or Fahmi Haniffa ( phone: 9561 9614)

Please Note:

You can pay Membership fees, Fitra and Zakat to our Treasurer Mohamed Najeeb at the Hall, insha allah.

Membership fees:  

Family	$ 50
Adults	$ 30
Students	$ 30
Pensioners	$ 15
Fitra:	$10 per head
Zakat - 2.5% of your wealth

         
Fitra and Zakat monies will be sent to charities in Sri Lanka.

Also note that the Eid Dinner will be held insha allah on 11 September 2010 at the Mulgrave Community Centre. Tickets for the Eid Dinner will be available for sale at the second ifthaar and the cost of tickets (subsidised) is as follows:

Adults: $10
Children 12 (5 to 12 years) $5
Children under 5 years - Free

Members are advised that the function fee of $100 will not be charged this year.  Instead we are experimenting a new approach.  If you have already paid the function fees you are kindly requested to collect your tickets for the Eid dinner this Saturday or contact the treasurer or any committee member.  

USMAA is all about you.  We want you to contribute and actively participate in all our activities and functions.  Details regarding the 27th Night Prayers and the Eid Breakfast will be announced at the ifthaar and also emailed to you shortly.

Wasalaaam.  

Rizana Zubair
Secretary,
Usmaa Inc 

18 August 2010

Dear USMAA members,

Assalamu Alaikum.

To remind you that the first USMAA Iftaar will be held inshaAllah on Saturday 21 August 2010 at 5:30 PM at the Mulgrave Community Centre, 355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave.

Programme for the day will include; 

• Ifthaar
• Maghrib Prayers
• USMAA Update - Azam
• Bayaan: Sheikh Abu Omar 
• 5 Minutes break (Tea, Coffee,Wudu)
• Isha and Taraweeh prayers (Taraweeh 8 rakats and witr) - Imam Sheikh Abu Omar
• Dinner

Members and friends are kindly requested, only if possible, to bring a small plate to share -  to break fast.  Dinner will be served separately.

Any inquiries contact sister Azeeka and Hussain Nizar (phone: 9366 1214); Dil Roshan  (phone: 0406 024449) and Fahmi Haniffa 9561 9614

Hope to see you all, inshaallah. 

Salaams, 

Rizana Zubair
Secretary USMAA

17 August 2010

UNITED SRI LANKAN MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Personal Details Update

4 August 2010

Dear USMAA member,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wabarakathahu!

The 2010 USMAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 17 July 2010 at the Mulgrave Community Centre, Mulgrave.  Around 50 USMAA members and family attended the AGM.  As you may be now aware, there were no nominations for the post of President and many other official positions of the Association.  The Chair referred the matter to the Trustees and I had to step in as interim President until we call for a Special General Meeting (SGM) to give an opportunity for all our members to ponder over the present crisis and decide our future course of action.   There are three options: 

1. Dissolve the Association.  This option is far too painful even to contemplate and in reality is not something I am sure the majority of the members want.  USMAA is nearly 20 years old and we have in place some good programs and projects (ifthaars, eid prayers, eid dinners, qiraath contest, meelad, fund raising events, social gatherings, net working, trivia night, multi cultural events, ladies night, sports events, janaza scheme etc which USMAA has successfully conducted over the years). 

2. Call for a fresh round of nominations at the SGM - appealing for a fresh set of enthusiastic volunteers to come forward considering the current dire situation the Association is in, being at the threshold of imminent dissolution.

3. Form a Management Committee to carry out the day to day running of the Association under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, until such time as a suitable candidate can be persuaded to assume the President’s role.

The Trustees do not favour the first option. The third option is not preferred either, as this will not address the immediate issue and may cause further delays in forming the Management Committee. 

As already advised the SGM will take place insha Allah on Sunday 8 August 2010 at 5:30 PM at the Glen Waverley Community Centre, 700 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley (corner Springvale Road and Waverley Road) (entry from Waverley Road). Please note the change of venue.

The apparent lack of interest of members towards the official business of USMAA has thrown up several questions that need serious consideration.  Some of the questions (in addition to your own self analysis) that need to be addressed are:

1. Are we meeting the expectations of our membership? What does the membership want?
2. Do we need to concentrate more on catering to the needs of our members?  What are those needs?
3. Do we need to re focus and re organise our objectives and activities?
4. Do we need to bring a right balance with our religious, social, cultural, educational and fun activities?
5. What are the weaknesses that need attention?  How do we improve two-way communication with our members?
6. How do we encourage the young families, recent arrivals, the youth and the children to play an active role in the Association?
7. Do we need to restructure the Management Committee?  How do we accommodate and represent the old, the young and the new?  Do we need further flexibility?  Do we need more members?
8. How do we attract young USMAA talent to take up leadership roles and play an active role in community work?
9. How do we plan the transition of leadership roles from the old guard to the new?
10. What systems do we put in place to ensure smooth leadership succession in the future?
11. How do we simplify procedures and formalities so that we keep an eye on the ball?

So many questions.  Obviously, USMAA is at a cross road at the moment. Or at the edge of a cliff?  What is the direction we take from here?  Act like lemmings and jump off the cliff?  Or take stock?  It is time for you to ponder over these questions and express your views and opinions constructively so that we can rejuvenate ourselves and make a positive contribution to our community.  You have the opportunity to do this at the SGM.

On the face of it, it appears that we have to reform, refresh, re focus and re organise USMAA objectives, events, activities and functions which will relate better to the expectations of our members and friends both young and old.  There is no doubt that all previous Management Committees have done their best over the years to keep USMAA active.  It is now time to take USMAA to the next level with a new mind set and fresh input for the benefit of our community.

I sincerely urge all members to attend the SGM with an open mind, good ideas and a happy community spirit to discuss, participate, join and work together in a new committee so that we maintain and improve the good work of our Association and thereby make a positive contribution to the well being of the Sri Lankan Muslim community in Victoria.

Since the SGM is on a Sunday, the idea is to start early and end early.  Dinner will be served.  Hope to see you all, insha Allah.  May Allah guide us all in the right path.

May Allah shower his choicest blessings upon you and your family.

Wassallam.

Fahmi Haniffa
Interim President, USMAA