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ABOUT AMILA
PROJECTS
EDUCATION
COMMUNITY
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IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST BENEFICIENT, MOST MERCIFUL |
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The AMILA Constitution
We, American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism, may best be understood by examining each of the terms in our name:
American signifies the simple fact that most members of this group have - whether through birth or residence or some other circumstance - recognized ourselves as part of American society to contribute to the growth of humanity in America and to be influenced by those aspects of American customs and culture which do not contradict Islam.
Muslim signifies the identity and moral allegiance of this group of people. By using "American" as the adjective rather than the noun we acknowledge that our moral code and belief system are shaped by Islam.
Intent signifies the commitment that must characterize any member of this group. By joining this group, the member commits him/her self to dedicate the time and effort needed for the pursuit of the goals of the organization as outlined below.
Learning is the first tool that we emphasize in the pursuit of our goals. Since we desire to base our actions on Islam and to address by them America, we need to learn the elements of both the Islamic outlook and the American reality.
Activism signifies our firm belief that wishes and dreams alone shall get us no where. Members of this organization are firmly committed to action. The brevity of this statement should not be taken as a de-emphasis of activism but rather as an indication that the need for it must be self-evident to a member of this group.
Whereas, we, 'AMILA, recognizing Islam as a complete way of life, do hereby adopt this constitution which is formulated in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and therefore pledge to abide by its provisions as follows:
ARTICLE 1 - NAME
SECTION 1 - NAME
The organization herein shall be called American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism, called AMILA, with the Arabic meaning of "Active."
SECTION 2 - USE OF NAME
The AMILA name may not be used for position statements, projects, or sponsorship without the approval of the AMILA Steering Committee. While the Steering Committee will endeavor to support other groups emulating AMILA’s objectives, the AMILA name itself shall be used to identify such groups.
ARTICLE II - AIMS
SECTION 1 - CATEGORY & PURPOSE
AMILA shall be a non-profit religious organization that is based on Islam.
The fundamental purpose of AMILA is to strive in the way of Allah by fostering an environment espousing Islamic values and by developing those values in individual non-Muslim communities through activities and projects.
SECTION 2 - OBJECTIVES
AMILA's principal objective is to build a San Francisco Bay Area based Muslim Community that would
advance Islam as a viable social force in the United States of America,
contribute to the social and moral growth of the society we live in, as determined by Islam, and
ensure that the resources of our society are not used against the innocent anywhere. Of particular interest is the use of these resources against Islam and Muslims.
SECTION 3 - GOALS
Our goals are both to learn and to act. In this regard, we aim to:
educate ourselves on Islam.
educate ourselves on community development.
educate ourselves on the Muslim communities & institutions in this country, particularly those in the Bay Area.
educate ourselves on the institutions (social, economic & political) of our society at large.
make AMILA a community within itself.
cooperate and coordinate our effort with other Muslim groups, while seeking to reduce redundancy and duplication of effort.
educate non-Muslims on Islam and its solutions to our society's problems.
impact the following areas:
- Public policy, which we believe should not be to the detriment of any section of humanity;
- Media and the role it plays in shaping the image of Muslims and propagating social norms;
- The educational system, which shapes our future in all aspects; AND
- Social attitudes and norms.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1 - DEFINITION
AMILA Membership consists of persons:
who accept the AMILA Constitution in its entirety, and
that satisfy the membership requirements specified in Section 2 of this Article.
SECTION 2 - REQUIREMENTS
contributions totalling at least $35.00 per year,
regular attendance to AMILA's general body meetings; attending not less than 3 of 12 meetings per year or participation in at least one AMILA sponsored project per year(Examples of projects include participation in a Spiritual Retreat or study group, active involvement in an Art Fair, gift or food drive, etc…)
filing membership form with Registrar.
AMILA members are encouraged to attend all General Body meetings and participate in several projects per year.
SECTION 3 - PRIVILEGES
voting on AMILA officers, resolutions, & charters.
lower rates at any AMILA function that requires a special fee
receipt of AMILA mailings
SECTION 4 - TERM
The term of membership is one calendar year and is renewable.
ARTICLE IV - STEERING COMMITTEE
SECTION 1 - STRUCTURE
AMILA shall be managed by a Steering Committee consisting of 8 functionaries and 3 members-at-large. These will be elected positions and will not receive any remuneration.
SECTION 2 - FUNCTIONARIES
The 8 functionaries are assigned the positions of Director, Treasurer, Project Coordinator, Registrar, General Assembler, Public Relations Liaison, & 2 Ombudspersons (1 female, 1 male).
SECTION 3 - TERM OF OFFICE
The term of office for each position on the Steering Committee is two years. The positions of Director, Treasurer, General Assembler, the male Ombudsperson & 2 members-at-large shall be elected at the April general body meeting in even years. The positions of Project Coordinator, Registrar, Public Relations Liaison, the female Ombudsperson, and 1 member-at-large shall be elected at the general body meeting in odd years.
(Note: for the first year of AMILA's constitution (1993/4), the positions of Director, Treasurer, General Assembler, the male Ombudsperson and 2 members-at-large will hold office for 1 year.)
SECTION 4 - QUALIFICATIONS
A member of the Steering Committee must meet the following qualifications:
- must be a member of AMILA as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1-2.
- his/her goals must be consistent with ARTICLE II, SECTIONS 1-3.
- must have attended at least 3 of the 12 of the monthly AMILA general body meetings or participated in a least one project during the previous year as defined by ARTICLE III, SECTION 2.
SECTION 5 - DUTIES
All members of the Steering Committee, individually and collectively, shall endeavor to implement the goals and objectives of AMILA. Towards this end, they shall:
- define & decide on internal & external policies of AMILA and AMILA project sponsorship and funding.
- decide on AMILA funding and allocate AMILA funds.
- abide by all Steering Committee decisions.
- never miss 3 Steering Committee meetings in a row.
- vote on all issues brought before the AMILA Steering Committee.
- act as AMILA spokespersons, as required.
SECTION 6 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR
- organizes AMILA Steering Committee meetings.
- records or delegates recording of AMILA Steering Committee meetings minutes.
- records or delegates recording of monthly AMILA General Body meeting discussions & events.
- maintains records of Steering Committee meetings and General Body meetings for two years.
- maintains AMILA charters.
- keeps all election ballots and AMILA records for two years.
- is the cosigner for bank account transactions.
SECTION 7 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF TREASURER
- collects AMILA contributions.
- maintains AMILA bank account.
- manages and prepares AMILA budget.
- prepares AMILA financial statements.
- disburses AMILA funds, per AMILA Steering Committee decisions.
- ensures cosigners are current on the bank account records.
SECTION 8 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROJECT COORDINATOR
- maintains AMILA project schedule of projects approved by the Steering Committee.
- acts as a liaison between project leaders and AMILA Steering Committee.
- always knows what projects are in progress, and who is in charge of each.
- announces current projects and contacts at each General Body meeting.
- cosigns for bank transactions in the absence of the Director.
- classifies projects into one of the following three categories
- Ongoing umbrella projects that have at least one Steering Committee member actively involved. These projects can "spawn" subprojects that are relevant to their work without looking for explicit approval.
- Umbrella projects that are either inactive or have no involvement from Steering Committee members. These projects can "spawn" sub-projects upon the approval of the project coordinator who may at his/her discretion bring the matter to the Steering Committee first.
- Single projects. These cannot generate sub-projects. A "sub" project for one of these is in fact a new project which therefore MUST be endorsed by the Steering Committee before implementation.
SECTION 9 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF REGISTRAR
- compiles and updates AMILA mailing & membership lists.
- creates and mails AMILA mailings, as necessary.
- confirms new members.
- maintains AMILA membership list, keeps track of attendees of General Body meetings.
- cosigns for bank transactions in the absence of the Treasurer.
SECTION 10 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF GENERAL ASSEMBLER
- manages AMILA general body meetings.
- chooses topics and arranges programs for General Body meetings.
SECTION 11 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS LIAISON
- develops & maintains good relations with other groups in the Bay Area.
- coordinates AMILA's joint efforts with other groups.
- notifies Steering Committee members of other group activities.
SECTION 12 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF OMBUDSPERSON
- monitors what members believe AMILA should be doing & how they think AMILA is doing it and informs the Steering Committee.
- responds to any suggestions or comments made.
- responsible for conflict resolution.
- communicates response to individual comments directly to the member who made them.
SECTION 13 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
- participate fully in all AMILA Steering Committee meetings.
- fill temporary openings of other elected officers as necessary.
SECTION 14 - REMOVAL FROM OFFICE OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
If a Steering Committee member does not fulfill the duties as outlined in Sections 5-13 of this Article, the remainder of the Steering Committee may decide at its discretion upon the appropriate course of action.
SECTION 15 - FILLING VACANCY - ELECTED MEMBERS
In the event of a vacancy among any one of the Steering Committee members, the Steering Committee will select one of the Members at Large to fill the position until a special election can be held. A special election is held as soon as possible according to the rules specified in Article VI.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
SECTION 1 - FREQUENCY OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Steering Committee shall meet at least once every month.
SECTION 2 - ADDITIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Anyone of the Steering Committee members may call a Steering Committee meeting in addition to the regular monthly meeting provided at least one half of the Steering Committee members agree by notifying the Director, and the Director shall notify the Steering Committee members at least 1 week in advance.
On urgent decision-making, financial decisions between Steering Committee meetings require 100% agreement within 72 hours. If no agreement is reached, money will not be spent.
SECTION 3 - QUORUM FOR STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The presence of more than one half of the Steering Committee shall constitute a quorum for a Steering Committee meeting.
SECTION 4 - DECISION MAKING POLICY IN STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Decisions will be made by consensus. If a decision cannot be reached by consensus, 2/3 of the Steering Committee attending a meeting may call for a vote and a vote will be taken on the issue and the issue will be decided by a 2/3 majority.
SECTION 5 - OPEN STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
All Steering Committee meetings shall be open to any AMILA member.
SECTION 6 - GENERAL BODY MEETINGS
General body meetings are open to attendance by AMILA members and non-members alike.
General Body meetings are held once a month, on the second Saturday of
each month.
Written notice of general body meetings shall be mailed to all persons on the AMILA membership and mailing lists at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
Mailings about meetings must include any election information and notification.
SECTION 7 - QUORUM FOR GENERAL BODY MEETINGS (FOR ELECTIONS AND CONSITUTION CHANGES)
The following decisions shall be made by AMILA membership:
Corresponding fraction represents the quorum needed
Election of Steering Committee members; 1/2
Adoption or Modification of AMILA Charters, such as bylaws; 2/3
Note: For & Against arguments may be made by AMILA non-members attending the general body meetings.
SECTION 8 - NO QUORUM GENERAL BODY MEETING (ELECTIONS AND CONSITUTION CHANGES)
If the quorum requirement for AMILA membership is not fulfilled at a General Body meeting requiring a quorum, a notice will be mailed to members at least 2 weeks before the next General Body monthly meeting, and the vote will be made on the same issue(s) at that meeting without a quorum requirement.
SECTION 9 - DECISION MAKING POLICY AT GENERAL BODY MEETING (ELECTIONS AND CONSITUTION CHANGES)
Decisions made by the AMILA membership shall pass if they receive a 2/3 majority vote of the AMILA members voting for one of the options being voted upon (abstentions do not count in determining the 2/3 number).
SECTION 10 — DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR VOTING ON OFFICIAL AMILA POLICIES AND STATEMENTS
Official AMILA policies and statements require a vote of the membership as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTION 2. The Steering Committee Director shall poll the membership for a minimum of a two day comment/voting period. Policies and statement will be adopted if they receive a 2/3 majority vote of the AMILA members voting for the policy or statementbeing voted upon (abstentions do not count in determining the 2/3 number).
ARTICLE VI - ELECTIONS
SECTION 1 - ANNUAL ELECTIONS
Annual elections shall be held at the April general body meeting in order to elect half of the Steering Committee.
Election day shall be announced at least 1 General Body meeting in advance by the Steering Committee.
SECTION 2 - ELECTION COMMITTEE
The Steering Committee shall appoint three people to the Election Committee. All three members of the Election Committee must be members of AMILA. The Election Committee shall be formed no later than 3 General Body meetings before the election.
The Election Committee members shall not campaign in favor of or against any candidate, however they shall have the right to vote as members of AMILA.
The Election Committee shall mail the list of nominees by no later than 2 weeks prior to election day.
Election Committee members are not allowed to run for office in the election they serve as an Election Committee member.
Election details and procedures not specified in the constitution are left to the discretion of the Election Committee.
SECTION 3 - NOMINATIONS
The nomination for the election must reach the Elections Committee three weeks before election day.
The Election Committee will verify that nominees accept their nomination before being included on the ballot.
Nominations with arguments (not exceeding 100 words each) for candidates will be published and mailed with the nominations to AMILA members.
SECTION 4 - NOMINATORS AND NOMINEES
The nominators as well as the nominees shall be members of AMILA.
SECTION 5 - ELECTION PROCEDURES
The Election Committee will have a signature list of all eligible AMILA members (provided by the Registrar).
Members will sign to receive an anonymous ballot.
Ballots will be collected and counted by the Election Committee.
The candidate receiving the majority of the votes is elected.
In the event no candidate receives more than half the votes, the 2 candidates receiving the most votes have a runoff election.
In the event 2 or more candidates tie for second place, they will be in a runoff election which will decide the candidate for the final runoff election. This process can repeat if necessary until a single second place candidate is chosen.
Absentee ballots may be requested from the Election Committee at least 3 days before the election. Votes cast by absentee ballot will designate one choice per elected office. If a runoff election is held, the absentee ballot will count for the same person whether or not that person is in the runoff election.
Absentee ballots do not count towards the quorum necessary for an election.
SECTION 6 - FIRST ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The first elections of officers will be different. The following procedures will apply only to the first elections of AMILA officers.
Nominations from the floor will be accepted for elections.
Membership will be defined simply as having attended 3 of the last 4 AMILA General Body meetings.
The Acting Steering Committee members will appoint an Election Committee of 3 persons to oversee and run the elections.
ARTICLE VII - FINANCE
SECTION 1 - ALLOCATION AND SPENDING OF FUNDS
AMILA funds other than normal operating expenses may only be spent upon approval of the AMILA Steering Committee.
SECTION 2 - SPECIFIC PURPOSE FUNDS
Funds collected for a specific purpose shall not be used for any other purpose unless a General Body vote of the members of AMILA authorize its use for a different purpose within the objectives and goals of AMILA.
SECTION 3 - WITHDRAWALS
All check withdrawals from AMILA bank account(s) shall be signed by either the Treasurer, Director, Registrar or Project Coordinator. It is recommended that the Treasurer have a petty cash amount of approximately $50.00 on hand.
SECTION 4 - FINANCIAL REPORT
The Treasurer shall produce:
quarterly financial reports to the AMILA Steering Committee, and;
an annual financial report to the AMILA membership body at the annual election meeting.
ARTICLE VIII - DISSOLUTION
SECTION 1 - REQUIREMENTS FOR DISSOLUTION OF AMILA
A decision to dissolve AMILA can only be reached at a General Body meeting held for that purpose and requires approval by at least four fifths of the AMILA membership.
SECTION 2 - DISSOLUTION PROCESS
AMILAAMILA. Upon the dissolution or winding up of the AMILA, its assets remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this association shall be distributed to a non-profit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized or operated exclusively for charitable purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under IRC section 501(c)(3)
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1 - ARTICLES SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
This Constitution cannot be replaced in its entirety. Sections of this constitution other than sections in ARTICLES I & II may be subject to amendment.
SECTION 2 - SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT FOR AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
The proposal for an amendment to the Constitution shall be signed by at least ten percent of all AMILA members and submitted to the AMILA Steering Committee.
SECTION 3 - VOTING ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT
The Steering Committee shall call an AMILA membership meeting to vote on the proposed amendment(s). This meeting shall be held at least 1 General Body meeting and no more than 2 General Body after the proposal is submitted to the Steering Committee. The Registrar shall mail copies of the proposal with meeting agenda to all AMILA members at least two weeks before the AMILA membership meeting.
At the General Body meeting, 1/2 hour can be used to discuss the amendment before voting.
A vote must be taken on any amendment that meets the signature requirement.
ARTICLE X - CONSTITUTION INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1 - CLARIFICATION OF AMBIGUITIES
In case of ambiguity regarding the interpretation of any sections of the Constitution or possible conflict between two or more sections, the interpretation of the AMILA Steering Committee to clarify the ambiguity or to resolve the conflict shall be final.
In order to ensure an interpretation is made, the Steering Committee will decide using a 1/2 majority vote regarding the interpretation of the constitution. |
