
To our Brothers and Sisters in the ISB Community:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
As members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) we are pleased to share some wonderful news with you. Last Tuesday July 9th 2019, was a historic day for our community as the Trustees handed over the responsibility of overseeing the day to day operations of the ISB (which includes both the ISB Cambridge and ISBCC sites) to a fully empowered 7-member Board of Directors (BOD), Al Hamdulillah.
Let us appreciate the fact that the appointment of the BOD, fully empowered to oversee the day to day operations of the ISB, represents a major step in the establishment of good governance at the ISB. It is virtually impossible to overemphasize the importance of good governance even though most of us fail to give it much thought. Without it, at best we will fall far short of achieving the goals for which so many in our community have sacrificed so much. At worst, we can end up with heart-wrenching conflicts and deep divisions within our community, God forbid. That is why the BOT regards this as one of their most solemn obligations to Allah (SWT) and to the community.
To ensure good governance over extended periods of time, leadership reflective of the aspirations of the community, decentralized decision-making, strong checks and balances and rigorous accountability must be essential components of the institution’s governance structure. With the BOD, whose members come from the ranks of the community, fully empowered to oversee the work of the staff, and the BOT monitoring to ensure everyone upholds the highest standards of ethics, we have indeed tried to provide such a governance structure.
Insha Allah, the BOT will now focus on long term strategic planning and on building the endowment/waqf to strengthen the financial base of the ISB, as it has done since building the ISB Cambridge in 1994 and the ISBCC in 2008.
We will be remiss not to recognize the contribution of the Board Recruitment Committee (BRC) in the selection of the newly appointed BOD members. Fifteen members of our community dedicated every single weekend for more than three months, poring over resumes and interviewing dozens of nominees to come up with a short list of outstanding candidates. We and the entire community owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
Mistakes have already been made along the way, as they will inevitably be in the future. It is our most fervent prayer that when we do fall short, Allah (SWT) grant us the humility to acknowledge our errors, and the wisdom and courage to take corrective action.
And now we request that you please join us in a heartfelt prayer for our BOD members and their families for the sacrifices they have been asked to make for all of us. May Allah (SWT) guide them in all their actions, and may He (SWT) multiply the rewards for their efforts as only He (SWT) can. Ameen.
The ISB Board of Trustees