Board of Trustees: Response to the Anonymous Email

In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful. Peace and Blessings upon His beloved Prophet, his family and his Companions,

Dear Community members, Assalamu Aaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu
We pray this email finds you in a strong state of Iman and Ihsan, reaping in full measure the blessings our most Generous Creator showers on us during this blessed month.

The Board of Trustees has received the recent anonymous email with a great deal of concern. We stand firmly against the act of trying to single out an individual; of publicly attacking their character; of maliciously spreading rumors, half-truths and complete falsehoods, potentially resulting in deeper divisions within our community.

We acknowledge that there has been some turbulence in the last few weeks. To address these concerns, we have already taken steps and met with several community members seeking their input in drafting a proper course of action for the future. We emphasize, however, that any disagreements should be handled in a proper manner by engaging with Board or staff members rather than through anonymously circulated emails. These divisive tactics, while they cause immeasurable damage to our community fabric, will under no circumstances serve to intimidate us.

In closing, we wish to reaffirm the values that the ISB and ISBCC stand for:

  1. Fear of Allah and following in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him: We strive for Ihsan in our interactions amongst ourselves, our community, and the broader society. We know that this is a high bar and that we will fall short on many occasions, but that is the ideal that we strive for.
  2. Inclusion and diversity: We cherish the diversity of our community and staff. That is the source of our strength and of our richness. We consciously seek further inclusion as evident in the new Board of Directors and in further steps you will be hearing about soon, inshaa Allah
  3. Self-reflection and improvement: We know that we are human and make mistakes. Seeking to self-improve, we humbly seek feedback; reflect on our errors and have the courage to change course when needed

To facilitate receiving this feedback we have created a special mailbox, accessible only to designated Board members, so that anyone who wishes to speak to, or address any concern about the ISB-ISBCC future, staff or facility may do so confidentially at any time. That email address is feedback@isbcc.org

We appeal to our entire community to stand united against this recent act seeking to divide us. Please uphold our Islamic values, and if there are any concerns related to the ISB-ISBCC, please do not hesitate to engage with a Board or staff member.

Jazakom Allah Kheiran. Salaam,

Board of Trustees members
Muhammad Ali-Salam
Anwar Kazmi
Osama Kandil
Saoud Alhafi