Qazwini

DEARBORN – The Islamic Center of America Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Sayed Hassan Qazwini on Saturday, May 9, eight days before the organization’s semi-annual fundraiser. 

But the confirmation of the sayed’s departure did not end the months-long controversies surrounding the center. Several board members resigned, contesting alleged financial irregularities by former treasurer Salah Hazimi, who denied those accusations and described them as lies and fabrications. 

Meanwhile, social media users who oppose the ICA board have posted a police report documenting the arrest of an ICA employee on domestic violence charges, saying that he should have been fired.

The Young Muslim Association (YMA), an ICA youth organization that offers English programs to mostly second generation Muslim Americans, has unofficially left the center. 

The fundraiser on May 17 will mark the first major event at the ICA without the sayed. Supporters of the board are counting on the dinner to be an indications of a smooth, successful transition to life after Qazwini, while critics are already calling for a boycott of the event. 

The storm that rocked the ICA and put the Muslim community in the crosshairs of the mainstream media started last year after several anonymous letters attacking Qazwini and ICA Chairman Ron Amen were sent to Dearborn homes and distributed in the center’s parking lot.

The letters alleged that Qazwini diverts alms money from the center to his father’s institution in Iraq, among other accusations and personal insults. In an interview with The Arab American News in December, Qazwini denied all the allegations and launched sharp criticism at the board. He said some board members want to stay out of politics and only “hold prayers, distribute pies and organize fundraisers.”

He explained that according to Shi’a rules, the center is not entitled to all the Khumus (alms) money, and at least 50 percent of it has to go to poor descendants of the Prophet Mohamad. 

On Jan. 23, Qazwini announced his resignation and then decided to reconsider it a week later after calls for him to remain at the center. At the same time, his accusers persisted in making allegations regarding diversion of funds.

Eventually, the board placed Qazwini on a two-months leave in order to reevaluate the situation and offer him a contact. 

Qazwini turns down contract

Board member Ned Fawaz said according to the ICA bylaws, all resignations are accepted automatically without a vote from the board. 

“But because he is a religious leader, we wanted to see if there is room to work with him,” Fawaz continued. “He increased the pressure on the board and demanded that it resign. In some people’s opinion, he wanted to get rid of the board to control the Islamic Center.”

According to Fawaz, Qazwini refused a contract that would have made him one of three imams. The contract would have changed the way Khums money is distributed, keeping it all within the Islamic Center and the local community.

According to the contract, Qazwini would have been the main imam to deliver English sermons and handle national and international affairs, while the other two would take on other services, including working with the youth.

“He thought it was an insult,” Fawaz said.

Fawaz predicted that the center will not be affected by the worshipers and supporters who will follow the sayed.

“Nobody can say ‘I am the Islamic Center,’” he said. 

Fawaz added that he is looking forward to Sunday’s fundraiser being the answer to critics. 

“We are going to get more donations, because in the past there was a concern in the community that the money was leaving the country,” he said.

He promised reforms at the center in the post Qazwini era. He said the ICA is looking to add a funeral home, organize trips to hajj, build an auditorium and work closely with the community.

“We had plans for reform before Sayed Qazwini called for reform,” Fawaz added.

Sheikh Ahmad Hammoud will continue to lead prayers and deliver Friday sermons. A committee was set up to find two additional imams, who will share the responsibilities as spiritual leaders of the center.

Since he was suspended, Qazwini has been leading prayers at Alzahraa Islamic Center in Detroit, which was the original site of the ICA before it moved to its current location on Ford Road. 

The YMA: Unknown future

ICA chairman Amen said the YMA’s leaving the center seems to be a “fait accompli.” He issued a legal warning to the advisers who are running the group because it is copyrighted by the Islamic Center.

The youth group has been organizing its own events, featuring Qazwini, at the Fairlane Club. It has a fundraiser scheduled for May 22, without coordination with the ICA. 

However, the logo of the group on social media still identifies the YMA with the Islamic Center of America.

“We asked them to come back on several occasions,” Amen said. “I asked them if they had intended on putting on their normal English service during the month of Ramadan. We invited them to have their events at the ICA. Time is running short. We are going to have our normal services in English.” 

Amen said the center will serve YMA organizers legal notice demanding that they stop operating or collect donations under the current name.

“Our 501c3 is not for sale,” Amen said. 

All senior advisors of the youths group, including Najah Bazzi, Sura Hassan and Dan Makled, did not return The Arab American News’ request for comments. 

However, a supporter of the YMA, who chose to remain anonymous, slammed the board, saying that it is unqualified to lead the organization. She brought up the allegations against the former treasurer, the domestic violence incident and the fact that some board members are paid employees of the center as wrongdoings that make the current board unfit to lead the center.

She added that YMA has become like a traumatized child after a divorce. The source said the YMA moved away from the center to protect its young members from the political climate there. 

The woman said she grew up at the Islamic Center but now feels silenced by the board, especially after Qazwini’s supporters’ comments were removed from the ICA Facebook page.

“Since they posted their PR statement about accepting the sayed’s resignation, six comments were deleted,” she said. “That’s un-American. We have to be democratic. You have to listen to us. We are your congregation. I feel like I have been cheated by my mosque. They don’t listen to my needs. I am not advocating for the sayed but for reform, for a board that represents me. What they are doing is un-Islamic.”

The Arab American News confirmed that some comments were deleted.

“The Islamic Center will be scarred by this for a very, very long time,” one of the removed remarks read.

Amen said he does not condone deleting Facebook comments unless they are profane or make false accusations against board members.

However, he added that there is an orchestrated attack against the center by people who were a part of the ICA.

“I am deeply saddened that people who spent much time and money building the most prestigious Islamic center in North America are now trying to diminish and besmirch their center,” he said.

Amen added that Qazwini’s supporters are acting with a revenge mentality, even though the board stood by the sayed and offered to cover the legal expenses if he were to sue the unknown individuals who sent letters to tarnish his image.

Hazimi denies allegations

Hazimi denied all the accusations of financial irregularities, saying he will reveal all the facts after Sunday’s fundraiser.  

“These are all lies and fabrications, not even close to reality,” he said. “I am gathering every document and every piece of paper and I will publish everything I have in a booklet in next few weeks. I reveal many things.”

Amen confirmed that some members resigned because of the accusations surrounding Hazimi. 

“We undertook an investigation of our own and found reason to believe that Mr. Hazimi did not follow the ICA financial procedures properly,” Amen told The Arab American News. “As a result, he was asked to resign, but he refused. There was a motion to remove him, but the motion was voted down 10 to 9 by board members.”

The ICA chairman said the problem with the board’s approach to Hazimi is not lack of transparency but “lack of responsibility” by the 10 members who voted in his favor.

Hazimi voiced his disappointment at the board members who tried to vote him out and singled out Amen in his criticism, saying that the chairman was unfair to him.

“I worked for the Islamic Center as a treasurer and accountant for 22 years and never charged a dollar,” he said. “I saved the center at least $1.5 million in accountant fees. Whoever is accusing me, may God forgive them.”

He said he is willing to pay the double of every dollar he is accused of falsifying if his accusers prove their allegations. 

As for the domestic violence situation, Amen took full responsibility for not firing the employee, who hit his wife. Amen said after confirming the charges, he was going to relieve the employee of his duties. But he said he opted against his initial decision after the accused man’s wife called pleading to keep him at work because his job is the only source of livelihood for the family.