Attendance

The Meeting commenced at 11.05am with a welcome speech by the President, followed by recitation of the verses from the Holy Quran by Syed Anwer Naqvi.

Secretary General relayed the sad news of the passing away of Br Inayat Bhojani of Leicester earlier that morning and requested Sura-e-Fateha for the Marhum.

1.  Constitutional Amendments: Proposed by KSIMC of London

a)    Amendment to Clause 6.3 proposed by KSIMC of London:

On behalf of KSIMC of London, Br Azad Poptani proposed an amendment to clause 6.3 to read:
“The president or secretary of their respective member Jamaat shall automatically be a member of the Executive Council”.

Br Mustafa Jaffer explained the rationale behind this amendment.  

Seconded by: Br Mahmood Al Najar and Br Mohamed Bharwani.

Br Murtaza Bharwani proposed a friendly amendment to the amendment to clause 6.3 to read:
“The president or secretary as defined by the respective member Jamaat can automatically become a member of The Executive Council”.

Seconded by: KSIMC of London

Br Fayyaz Haji of Essex Jamaat proposed a friendly amendment to read:
“One of the officebearers as defined by the respective member Jamaat can automatically be a member of The Executive Council”.

Seconded by: Br Abbas Rahim, Dr Akber Mohamedali, Br Mahmood Al-Najar, Br Zulfikar Mamdani.

After due deliberation and agreement to the procedure that would be followed, the friendly amendment proposed was put to vote.

The result of the voting was as follows:
For: 31 votes
Against: 33 votes
Abstained: 6 votes    
The amendment was defeated.

After further deliberation the original amendment proposed by KSIMC London was put to a vote.
“The president or secretary as defined by their respective member Jamaat shall automatically become a member of the Executive Council”.

The result of the voting was as follows:
For:     32 votes
Against:     34 votes
Abstained:       4 votes
The amendment was defeated.

b)    Amendments to Clause 6.5 proposed by KSIMC of London:

Delete(viii) [Nominated Councillors (each member Jamaat shall be entitled to nominate one person)].
Amend (ix) to read: “The president or secretary of all member Jamaats”
Insert (x) to read: “Additional councillor(s) per one thousand heads after the first  thousand with a maximum of 4 additional councillors for any one member Jamaat.”

Seconded by: Br Mohamed Bharwani

Br Murtaza Bharwani proposed a friendly amendment to clause 6.5, insert a new number to read:
“Additional councillors per one thousand heads after the  first thousand at a maximum of 4 additional councillors for any one member Jamaat.”

Seconded by: KSIMC of London.

Break for Zohr Namaaz at 12.55pm followed by lunch - reconvened at 2.15.

Br Safdarali Siwji of KSIMC of Birmingham proposed a friendly amendment to the amendment proposed by KSIMC of London to read as:
“Additional councillor(s) per 250 paid members after the first 250 with a maximum of 4 additional councillors for any one member Jamaat,
one of the additional should be either the president or the secretary of the respective Jamaat.”

This was seconded by: Br Riyaz Ladha

Birmingham Jamaat explained the rational behind the amendment.  After lengthy discussions,
the friendly amendment proposed by Birmingham Jamaat was put to vote by secret ballot.
Secretary General requested Br Roshanali Mamdani and Br Bashir Rattansey to count the votes.

The result of voting was as follows:
For:     41 votes
Against:     27 votes
Void:      2 votes
Total:     70 votes
The amendment was defeated. (2/3rd majority required)

c)    Amendment to Clause 6.11 proposed by KSIMC of London

KSIMC of London withdrew the amendment to clause 6.11.

2.  Minutes of the Last Council Meeting and matters arising therefrom

Minutes approved subject to the following amendments:
Pg 5: Br Kamruddin Khaki was not present – his name to be removed.  

Minutes Proposed by: Br Sajjad Manji and Seconded by: Br Gibriel Jeraj

There being no matters arising it allowed us to be ahead of the schedule by over an hour and there was consensus to
proceed with the next item of the Agenda (Secretary General’s Report) whilst awaiting arrival of the Team Heads.

3.  Secretary General’s Report

a)    Secretary General commenced his speech by reminiscing that he had commenced his role with a new
Constitution in place and a new team to guide him.
b)    He added that although it had been a steep learning curve, during challenging times he had remained true to CoEJ values,
focusing on doing what was right for the community. Secretary General felt the team   were successful in spite of the difficulties.
c)    He stressed that it was the Committees and their teams that were pivotal in the success of CoEJ and their
goals and achievements through tireless work that added value to the institution. Secretary General took the opportunity to
convey to each and every one of the CoEJ volunteers that their efforts did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated. 
May Allah SWT grant them good health and the strength to continue the good work for the Community.
d)    He conveyed that everyone work together with pride towards strengthening this august body, to make it work for all.
He stressed on the importance for the need to strive together to enhance the community for solidarity and unity through CoEJ,
embodied by the spirit of brotherhood and unity.
e)    He praised the success of the community but felt there was more potential and a long way to go.
He expressed his concerns from his experience that as a community, we are steeped in the quagmire of
politics and egos and felt this was not healthy for the future of the Community.
He added that this was possibly what discouraged young volunteers from coming forward to serve.
He added that it was time to instigate a culture change, to safeguard the future of the institutions to
enable them to blossom and grow within the true sense of the teachings of our beloved Ahlul Bayt (AS).
f)    He urged the community that whilst availing inherent right, the freedom of speech, it should be done responsibly
whilst being mindful of the consequences of our actions to Community at large.
g)    He emphasized on the need for everyone to be responsible for the community in Europe,
to strive together to create a Community fit for the future, a Community attractive to volunteers,
creating an environment conducive for the youths, who are our future who can contribute in whatever way they choose,
in the Jamaats or to take CoEJ to new heights.
He felt this would benefit our institutions and ensure they remain progressive and sustainable in the future.
h)    He thanked the Secretariat team for their dedication and commitment and added that
Br Qasim Alidina dedicated his time from his studies in assisting both the Treasury and the Secretariat.
i)    Secretary General commended the relief team on their efforts both for the Haiti earthquake and the
Pakistan Flood Appeals and stressed the need for the Pakistan Flood appeal to be at the forefront of relief initiatives.

4.  Committee Reports

Reports circulated in the meeting pack

Education

Br Amir Walji sent in his apologies - he was attending the funeral in Leicester.

EHM by Br Kamruddin Khaki

a)    Br Ahmed Dungersi had to fly out to Mecca in connection with preparations for the upcoming Hajj and hence sent his apologies.
b)    Br Kamruddin Khaki said that for the first time in 23 years, the Hajj seminar was being held in Peterborough on Sunday, 3 October 2010
(previously held at London Hujjat Jamaat). Br Kamruddin exended an invitation to everyone to attend.
c)    Hajj promotion on Ahlulbayt TV had proved successful.
d)    Documentary on Hajj by Sheikh Al Hilli and Sheikh Ayub would be aired on Hidayat TV channel.
e)    The Hajj promotion during the month of Holy Ramadhan had been successfully carried out especially due to the cooperation and support of the individual Jamaat ECs.
f)    Br Kamruddin thanked the Secretariat and Treasury teams for their continued support.

Questions and Comments:
g)    In reply to Dr Akber’s enquiry,  Br Kamruddin Khaki said the advertising charges from Ahlulbayt TV channel had been minimal (£900 for three months’ airing at prime time).  Br Kamruddin added that Hidayat TV had not charged for the recording and the documentary would be broadcast . He left it for the EC to decide whether to contribute a small amount towards this channel.
h)    In reply to Br Masoom Ramji’s query, Br Kamruddin said that EHM had a license to carry 150 Hujjaj each year.

ICA by Br Razahusein Rahim

a)    Al Ghadeer is a successful ongoing project where Shia books are sent to various institutions.  
b)    Khums awareness, Islam and Quran leaflets have proved popular and were being distributed extensively.
c)    The CPD for up coming mubaligheen seminar: an initiative to prepare young and upcoming mubaligheen
was on 26 September 2010 in Leicester. The media awareness exercise would be included to bring awareness of issues about Islam in the media.
d)    A provisional date for the Annual Mubaligheen Conference had been set for 17 October 2010 to take place in Leicester.
e)    Capacity buildng for Scandenavia: A report of visit by the ICA team was in the pack. 
Br Razahusein Rahim added that support to 3 communities (France, Portugal and Switzerland) was being looked at and a visit in the near future would be arranged.
f)    Maarifa Spiritual Camp:  the final details of this successful project would be finalised after the Azadari 1432 days. It was envisaged the camp would be in April 2011.
g)    Interfaith programs: Br Razahusein Rahim suggested to Member Jammats to take up the lead of Hujjat Jamaat in holding
Interfaith Days where external community members are invited. ICA would provide any assistance required.  
h)    Mosque Open Day: Peterborough Jamaat held a Mosque open day where members from various sectors of the
general public were invited. An exhibition “Islam’s contribution to Science” was held alongside the Open Day.
Peterborough Jamaat would be happy to assist other Jamaats interested in holding such an event.
The exhibition had been made possible by assistance from Dr Ali Helmi (Cultural Affairs Attaché at the Iranian Embassy),
who had been instrumental in securing Quranic caligraphy and original Quran text to be brought in for display at the exhibition.
i)    ICA team were working with Dr Helmi to bring in material on Holy Imam Ridha (as) from Mashhad.
Interested member Jamaats to inform Br Razahusein Rahim.
j)    The Project Enlightenment section of ICA on the CoEJ website was proving popular with many hits being received.
This section contained articles on various topics.
k)    Shia TV channels:
•    English Ahlulbayt TV - Ongoing successful discussions.  WF had granted a budget of $12000 a month to
Ahlulbayt TV that had been received through donations. A regular spot had been secured with lectures of Marhum Mulla Asgharali M Jaffer being aired. 
Other Programmes featuring lectures by resident and other Alims would be initiated.
•    Hidayat TV – Initial meetings already held together with Maulana Zafar Abbas. Further meetings had been planned.
l)    John Muslim Mission - an ongoing discussions with an aim to build on from experiences of previous
champions of tabligh work before embarking on the actual project.  
m)    Alim Grants - Alim Support Team continue their work of payment towards Resident Alim expenses.
n)    Br Razahusein Rahim thanked the Secretariat team for their continued support.
o)    Secretary General thanked Br Razahusein Rahim and Sis Mahjabeen for running the ICA and the
Alim support team led by Sis Shalina Chandoo.

HIB by Dr Sadik Merali

a)    Dr Rizwan Alidina sent his apology as he was attending the funeral in Leicester.
b)    Health Screening: Screening at Wessex and Peterborough had been carried out during 2010.
Next screening would be at Hyderi Jamaat to be planned after Holy Ramadhan.   HIB aimed to carry out at least  2-3 screenings each year.
c)    Al Hijra Movement: Muharram Health awareness Campaign aimed to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and regular excercise.
d)    Dementia:  this was on going work in collaboration with SND to promote better understanding of Dementia. Dr Abbas Ramji to be the lead.
e)    HIV and Thalassaemia testing before marriage: The WF mandate to be revisted and agree a joint way forward.
f)    East Africa Kibaha Trip: a second successful  trip had been completed by volunteers aged 
between 17 to 30 years to Kibaha where volunteers spent time assisting in a school/orphanage for 3 weeks during July/August.
Future trips would include an opportunity for health professionals to volunteer.
g)    Hajj Medical Assistance: Vaccination programme had been offered to all
Hajj groups and organised by Dr Rizwan Alidina with assistance from Dr Shafi of MCB. 
An outside organisation would provide the vaccines at the EHM Hajj seminar in Peterborough the following week.
h)    PMI: Private Medical Insurance had been launched during Health Screening at Wessex. 
Jamaats wishing to promote amongst their membership to contact Dr Sadik Merali with a view  to organising a presentation at their Jamaats.
i)    Medical Referral Pathway: Very few cases received in the past year. 
The process (initiated by MAB) had been reviewed and it was hoped to provide a full service to include hospital appointments in any city in the
UK and include accomodation and transport services via CoEJ Secretariat. A nominal administration fee would be charged.
j)    Health Professional Database:  An online registration for healthcare professional within Jamaats across Europe has been initiated. 
Details would be stored in a confidential database.

Questions and Comments:
k)    Dr Akber thanked Dr Sadik Merali who had been HIB chair until June 2010 and had successfully recruited Dr Rizwan Alidina as Chair.
l)    Br Razahusein Rahim commended HIB for their work at the Health Screening in Peterborough.
m)    Br Zulfikar Mamdani requested more support from the HIB team for the presence of health professionals (in case of injury) during MAMT.
n)    In reply to Br Abdul Virji’s comment on the lack of support for members that require special needs,  Dr Sadik said that all the Jamaats had been approached. 
No positive response had been received. The team would be happy to revisit and requested Jamaats to contact him or Dr Rizwan Alidina for any assistance on special needs.
o)    Br Masoom Ramji commented that funds were available from NHS on health awareness projects and he would be happy to look into contacts.
Dr Sadik responded that the dementia project was lead by Dr Rizvan Ramji however they were awaiting  feedback from Seniors.
p)    Secretary General thanked Dr Sadik Merali and added thanks to Dr Rizwan Alidina who was attending the funeral in Leicester.

Khawateen by Sis Nikhat Panjwani
Sis Nikhat Panjwani explained that Khawateen projects cater for a wide range of age groups and include:

a)    Buloogh Camp aimed for 8-10 year old girls held in Birmingham in May 2010.
b)    Girls Summer Camp in Wales aimed for girls 14-16 year old held in Wales.
c)    Girls Retreat in Switzerland - A camp which been planned for 16 years old girls –
however this had to be cancelled due to insufficient applicants.
d)    Women’s Retreat in Wales organized for the ladies of ages from 30+.
Questions and Comments:
e)    Br Riyaz Ladha suggested recruiting extra ladies for various projects.
f)    Br Shafik Haji suggested exchange programmes between different countries for
the girls to experience different ways of living and build network between Jamaats globally.
g)    Secretary General thanked Sis Nikhat Panjwani for her dedication and time.

Relief by Br Murtaza Gulamhusein

a)    Ya Sakina Breath of Life Campaign – this project ended on 31 January 2010.
b)    Haiti Relief - a successful ongoing project. Funds were being sent for repairs to the Al-Mahdi School. Online donation was open.
c)    Computers for Learners appeal – online appeal. Br Murtaza Gulamhusein urged Jamaats to promote this appeal amongst their membership.
d)    Ramadhan Relief – project in collaboration with WF - CoEJ and WF earmark funds during the appeal.
e)    Two appeals were run concurrently. Ramadhan Appeal – funds collected were sent to Pakistan.
Pakistan Flood Appeal – following the recent floods in Pakistan, excellent response received from Europe. 
A 2-day telethon in partnership with WF on Ahlulbayt TV had raised over £65000.  Br Murtaza Gulmahusein thanked Br Riyaz Ladha for his assistance.
Ahlulbayt TV would broadcast a feature of the devastation caused by the floods and
illustrate where the money was being spent and include relevant statistics.
Immediate relief was being provided to those who needed basic necessities.
Confirmation was received from Hussaini Foundation in Pakistan that packages sent by various Jamaats had been received.
Vice President of CoEJ together with President of WF had visited the flood affected area of Pakistan and to monitor how the funds were being utilized.
Br Murtaza Gulamhusein added that this would be an ongoing project and Jamaats were urged to encourage fundraising for this devastation.
f)    Secretary General thanked Br Kazimali Khaki and Sis Aalia Versi for taking over the relief board from Br Arifali Hirji.
Visit to Flood Ravaged areas of Pakistan by Vice President Br Gulamhusein R J Sumar
g)    The Vice President of CoEJ, Br Gulamhusein R J Sumar accompanied Dr Asghar Moledina on his visit to the devastated areas in Sindh, Islamabad and Punjab within a couple of days of the disaster.
h)    He commended the work carried out by the Hussaini Foundation and added there would be further need of funds for rebuilding of houses, schools, Islamic Centres and Hospitals.  
i)    Br Gulamhusein R J Sumar further added that collection of funds would have to be an ongoing process in order to prepare for future needs of a permanent nature.
j)    He confirmed the safe receipt of the packages from Hujjat and Milton Keynes Jamaats.
Sports by Br Zulfikar Mamdani
a)    Br Zulfikar Mamdani requested recitation of Sura-e-Fateha for Marhoom Mulla Asgharali M M Jaffer and Br Aunali Damji.
b)    He explained that MAMT is led by himself with his team who are: Br Barket Walji (Leicester), Br Mehboob Ramji (Hyderi),
Br Mohamed Mavani (Peterborough), Br Moshin Kassam (Hujjat), Br Rizwan Rahemtulla (Peterborough) and Br Shabbir Kassam.
c)    The Ladies team was headed by Sis Shabnum Valji (Hujjat), with her team: Sis Tasnim Mawji (Peterborough), Sis Nazima Shah (Hujjat), and Sis Rahat Bhojani (Leicester).
d)    Br Zulfikar Mamdani said he appreciated the support from the Secretariat; however he had not received any acknowledgement from his EC Link.
e)    He requested the presence of a dedicated medical team to provide First Aid and for treatment of possible injuries during the tournament.
f)    Publicity: Br Zulfikar Mamdani requested that Jamaats promote the tournament within their membership to attract maximum
participation and assign volunteers dedicated to MAMT. He requested publicity for MAMT during various
CoEJ events with a view to collecting donations and he further requested an increase in the funding from
EC towards the tournament to accommodate additional participants.
g)    Br Zulfikar Mamdani suggested other CoEJ events run concurrently with the tournament to share costs.
h)    He further suggested setting up of an ‘Information Desk’ from where CoEJ leaflets would be distributed and future
CoEJ events promoted during the tournaments.
i)    Br Zulfikar Mamdani advised that a request for the tournament to be held in Birmingham during the year 2012 had been received.
j)    Enquires for participation in MAMT were being received from USA and Canada. 
A worldwide participation in MAMT for the future years was being considered.
Questions and Comments:
k)    In reply to Br MohamedIqbal Manji, Br Zulfikar Mamdani replied that a set budget was provided each the year to cover expenses both for the gents and ladies events.
He added that during the current year, the ladies budget had seen an over spend.
l)    Br Razahusein Rahim congratulated Br Zulfikar Mamdani for hosting MAMT in
Peterborough and admired the spirit of brotherhood during the tournament.
m)    Secretary General thanked Br Zulfikar Mamdani and his team for their commendable efforts and
added that extra funding for the tournament to enhance it further would be considered.

Youth: by Br Sajjad Hassam

a)    The Youth team had held several informal meetings with youth groups in various Jamaats to assess their needs.
b)    Youth Desk held Eid card and Quiz competitions which had proved popular.
c)    Ashura awareness- links were being established with Ahlulbayt societies of various universities and suitable material was provided to them.
A survey of existing resources was in progress with a view to identify further needs.
d)    Careers Day: A successful day had been held at Hujjat Jamaat.
e)    Future Events:  A Youth Conference and an Ashura Awareness day were being planned.  
f)    Partnership with Regions: Br Sajjad Hassam added that communications had been ongoing with their counterparts in the
Africa Federation with a view to looking at the feasibility of holding the Fresher’s event to include international students planning to study in various countries.
g)    Marriage issues: Br Sajjad felt there was lack of support from the members of the public who were reluctant to discuss personal issues.  
h)    President thanked Br Sajjad Hassam for his dedication as the Chair of the Youth Desk and wished him well in his endeavors.
i)    President welcomed Br Hasanain Jaffer as the new Chair of Youth Desk.

5.  Treasurer’s Report by Br Mohamed Mavani

a)  Br Mohamed Mavani presented the consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 December 2009.
b)  Treasurer explained that he endeavored to keep the Vice President and the Secretariat in the loop to avoid any unauthorized expenditure.
c)  He also requested the boards to advise the Treasury where any budgets exceeded. He further requested that the facilities offered by the
Secretariat be used as first instance before using external resources – this way the expenditures would be economical.
d)  The Treasurer said that he would ensure that the Charity Commission website was updated within the next few weeks to reflect the EC changes.
e)  The Treasurer thanked Br MohamedKazim Bhalloo and Br Qasim Alidina for their continued support in submitting accounts in a timely
manner and added his thanks to the WF treasurer Br Sajjad Tejani for his support in authorizing the CoEJ budgets.
f)   He thanked the auditors for their services and support.
g)  Treasurer apologised if he may have offended anyone.

Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2009, as presented were
proposed by Dr Akber Mohamedali and seconded by Br Mahmood Rehemtulla

6.  Presidential address by Dr Husein Jiwa

a)    Dr Husein Jiwa commenced his address by thanking the Chairs of all the Boards and their teams of volunteers for their tremendous contributions to serve the community.
b)    The President said the term had started on a challenging note with the World Federation Presidential issue at hand.
c)    Dr Husein Jiwa explained that a Resolution had been passed at the CoEJ Conference on 7 November 2009 in light of the
concerns surrounding the WF Presidential Election and the electoral process.   
d)    Following the Resolution, CoEJ Councillors had met Dr Asghar Moledina and his team on 2 January 2010 to discuss their concerns. 
This had resulted in the WF EC calling a meeting on 27 February 2010 following which a joint communiqué had been released by
WF announcing an Extraordinary Conference of the WF where the CoEJ Resolution would be delivered and would take place on 1 May 2010 in Dar es Salaam.
At this conference, CoEJ had participated with a full delegation of 20 members. The WF EC then set a date for a
Constitutional Conference to take place on 4-5 December 2010, in Birmingham.  Each Regional Federation had been requested by the
WF Constitutional Review Team to nominate 2 representatives from their region. CoEJ EC had appointed
Dr Akbar Mohamedali, an EC member and Dr Sibtain Panjwani, a member from the grassroots.
e)    Dr Husein Jiwa explained that another challenging issue for the team was the moon sighting issue, especially at Eid ul Fitr.
He explained that during April 2010 a CoEJ delegation comprising Syed Mohamed Naqvi, Br Mustafa Jaffer, Br Shabbir Merali,
Br Ahmed Dungersi and the President himself had visited His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyid Al Sistani (may Allah SWT protect him and grant him a long healthy life) in Najaf.
His Eminence assured that guidance would be issued directly from Najaf for the months of Ramadhan and Shawaal to declare the first of these 2 months for Europe.
His Eminence also added that the day of Ashura is observed on a day when the majority observed this day.  
f)    During February 2010, President had attended the MCB Leadership Dinner where more than 500 guests from all areas of British Muslim Civil Society were present.
g)    In June 2010, the President attended the 13th Annual General Meeting in London of the MCB. At the meeting, the CWC of MCB nominated
Dr Akbar Mohamedali as the Assistant Secretary General of MCB.  
h)    Dr Husein Jiwa, along with Hujjat and Hyderi Jamaat representatives, had attended several meetings at the Ismaili Centre with their
President and the committee of Ismaili National Council for the UK. 
The discussions included ways of working together with a view to sharing of best practices and areas of potential collaboration.
It was envisaged future meetings would be ongoing.  
i)    During the past 12 months the President had visited Hujjat, Birmingham, Wessex, Leicester, Milton Keynes and
Peterborough Jamaats to attend various functions when he had also held meetings with some of their management committee members.
j)    The President, accompanied by the Vice President, had visited Paris and the 2 Swedish Jamaats with a view to
carrying out a needs assessment of these Jamaats. The ICA Chair, Br Razahusein Rahim had accompanied them during these visits.
k)    They had an opportunity to meet with the representatives of Jonkoping and Oslo Jamaats during their visit to Sweden.
Jonkoping Jamaat is a community of Khoja Shia Ithnasheri members and had expressed an interest to join CoEJ.  
l)    The President said he was hoping to visit Switzerland Jamaat in near future.
m)    As part of the President’s vision for the seniors of our community, he was embarking upon a Seniors Needs Assessment.
The outcome from this initiative would be a plan for the betterment of the seniors of our community.  
n)    All the EC members of CoEJ and Office Bearers of WF had been invited to a presentation by Br Mahmood Al-Najar on a proposed senior’s village.
The President proposed to form a team of 3 people to look into the feasibility of the project who would then report back to the EC.

Questions and Comments:
o)    Br Razahusein Rahim thanked Dr Jiwa for his comprehensive report.
p)    It was agreed that President would appoint individuals for the Seniors Retirement Village

Break for Maghrib Namaaz at 6.55pm - resumed at 7.30pm

7.  Any Other Business

a)    Secretary General said that a lady observer, who was not able to stay until this point, had suggested, that
Jamaats should endeavour to appoint female delegates to CoEJ Conferences so that there is a representation from the ladies.
This was noted and it was felt that our community should do more to engage female members at all levels of our Community.
The Secretariat would request Jamaats when seeking delegates for future CoEJ Conferences.

b)    Dr Akber Mohamedali updated the Conference on the work of CRC Team and elaborated on his work with
Dr Sibtain Panjwani for the proposed constitutional amendments in the light of the Resolution that had been passed at the recent
WF Conference. Dr Akber Mohamedali explained that the main focus was around the issue of the election of the President.
The Secretariat had been kept in the loop in all the communications taking place.  A document prepared following the
CRCT deliberations had been circulated to the CoEJ EC for comments before the final teleconference.
Among the Regions that had participated were Africa Federation, NASIMCO, CoEJ, Dubai and Mumbai.

Dr Akber Mohamedali praised the CRC Team and highlighted the key areas that would be discussed at the forthcoming
WF Constitutional Conference in December 2010.  He suggested that the EC Meeting of
26 November 2010 include discussions on the proposals that had come up. Dr Akber briefed the
Conference on the 3 items that had been proposed for amendment in the Constitution of WF:

•    Formation of an Electoral College – each region’s proportion would be downsized to the number of delegates they have at the WF Conference.
This would balance out the power of each region.
•    A fundamental change was instead of an Electoral Commissioner elected at Conference,
an Electoral Commission consisting of 3 people would be elected at Conference who would run the election. 
One of these would be the Chair.  These 3 people would be accountable to the WF Executive Council as well.
•    The issue of the membership of WF – the resolution passed at the Conference in Dubai in 2003,
stated that no Jamaat would be a member of WF unless they were a Regional Federations. 
At the WF Conference in Toronto, the deadline had been extended to one more year.  

Dr Akber said that it was hoped that an amendment would be forthcoming (from Dubai) to give an
opportunity for Khoja organisations throughout the world to become voting members of WF.
This would avoid the WF to be comprised of only the 3 regions (Africa Federation, NASIMCO and CoEJ). 
He made the Conference aware of the timelines adding that the deadline was 5 October 2010. 
Dr Akber Mohamedali further suggested that the Conference agree for EC to hold discussions on the
WF issues at the forthcoming EC meeting of 27 November 2010, and added that the delegates from
CoEJ who would be attending the December WF Constitutional Conference be fully conversant with the
CoEJ view on the constitutional amendments.  Dr Akber felt that it would be helpful if delegates to the forthcoming
WF conference be selected on their agreement to attend the CoEJ EC Meeting of 27 November 2010.

Observations and comments:
In reply to a concern raised, Dr Akber Mohamedali said that Dubai was the only member that could put in an amendment within the timeframe.
If an amendment was not brought in, there would be no discussions on this item at the forthcoming WF conference.
He added that it was imperative that delegates representing CoEJ at the WF Conference be fully conversant with the CoEJ view of the amendment once it came.  

In reply to a further query Dr Akber Mohamedali stated that Jamaat that had not federated would cease to be members of
WF from 6 October 2010 and would not have power to vote at the forthcoming WF Conference in December 2010.
He added that WF would comprise of only 3 regions, Africa Federation, NASIMCO and CoEJ.

Br Razahusein Rahim enquired whether discussions had included ways to encourage the non-federated
Jamaats to federate so as to continue as full members of WF. Dr Akber Mohamedali confirmed that their
discussions had included on ways to engage the non-federated members and that is where
Dubai amendment would show them that being federated would be a progressive step for them and that existing regional federations would not break up.   

Br Riyaz Ladha expressed his regret when in 2003 he had opposed the motion for all areas to have a federation. 
Br Riyaz Ladha explained the motion of 2003 and enquired whether there was a possibility of bringing back that resolution of formation of 5 regions.
Dr Akber Mohamedali explained that the proposal that had come from Africa Federation and NASIMCO was along similar lines. It was envisaged that the amendment from Dubai would be similar.  

Dr Sibtain Panjwani elaborated on the comments made by Br Riyaz Ladha.
He gave a detailed historical background of how WF and other regions had evolved in the past 20 years. 
He added that everyone was working with an aim towards Unity and being of service to the community.
He continued that once all the members had regionalized and become members, the WF would be an effective and strong organization with
participation of Khojas from all over the world.

Syed Mohamed Naqvi commented whether the time limit for the regions to federate was yet again being extended. 
Dr Akber Mohamedali said that the consensus of the CRCT had been that it was in the interest of the community to have a WF that was strong,
with all the members enjoying full voting rights. The proposal from Dubai would attempt to engage the regions who had not federated to the full body of the Khojas. 
He further added that some Jamaats could not federate due to political issues (eg Dubai and Eden).  

Br Mahmood Rehemtulla commended the team for taking on the membership issue which had been a burning issue.
He requested elaboration on the decision regarding primaries in each region.
Dr Akber Mohamedali advised that the final decision would be reached at the WF Constitutional Conference in December. 
He added that one of the points that had been agreed in principal was that the election of the President be kept separate from the nomination of the President.
He further added that it had been suggested that each region have a transparent policy on the nomination of the candidate and that their policy be submitted to the
Electoral Commission for circulation to the whole world for information.
Dr Sibtain Panjwani added that since it was an election for the President of the World Federation,
each region should have an opportunity to nominate whoever they felt was the right candidate.

As the meeting was running late, there was consensus to postpone the issue of the delegates to the
WF Conference for discussion at the EC Meeting of 27 November.  Secretary General added that when the
circular is sent round for the appointment of delegates a paragraph would be added for clarity of the Jamaats, when they appoint the delegate from their respective Jamaat,
to say that “it was agreed at the Conference that the delegates should where possible only be appointed if they were able to attend the upcoming EC meeting”.

Dr Sibtain Panjwani thanked the EC for the opportunity to contribute towards the amendments to the
WF Constitution and for inviting him to the CoEJ Conference.

Secretary General thanked Dr Sibtain Panjwani for his contributions.

c)    Br Mehdi Najafi of Gloucester Jamaat requested assistance towards the cost of repairs to the roof of their centre which
amounted to £5000.  Br Mehdi explained that although the premises were covered by insurance,
the leak was caused by wear and tear which the insurance did not cover. Br Kamran suggested
Secretariat circulate an email, requesting member Jamaats to raise funds. 
The President confirmed that during his visit to Gloucester he had seen the urgent need for repair to the roof at the
Gloucester Centre and urged adequate publicity in raising funds for this cause.  Secretariat to promptly assist.

d)    Br Bashir Rattansey enquired regarding support for seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s,
Dementia and other age related problems and felt adequate support was not being offered.
The President replied that the SND head had not responded and added that the Vice President together with Seniors EC Link would take this matter further.
He added that following no response from the Seniors Chair, a presentation on Dementia had been organized in Birmingham.

e)    Dr Husein Jiwa requested Br Taki Virani, the Vice President of Jonkoping Jamaat to introduce himself and his Jamaat.
Br Taki Virani thanked the EC for giving him the opportunity. He gave a short overview (speaking in Gujarati) to the Conference regarding the many
Shia Ithnasheri Jamaats in Sweden and elaborated on how they had established themselves there with the support from the Swedish government. 
Br Taki Virani proudly added that the President of their Jamaat known as The Shia Muslim Jonkoping was his handicapped daughter.
The local government had given them financial support to run their Centre including extra finances towards the Madressa.
He expressed the desire of their Jamaat to become members and work under the umbrella of CoEJ.
He had handed in his application for membership and requested support from the EC.  The President thanked him for this enlightening speech in Gujarati.

f)    Br Mahmood Rehemtulla proposed formation of a policy whereby each member Jamaat appoints a representative
in their Jamaat for each of the CoEJ Boards/Committees. He invited views of the Conference for a way forward.
Secretary General was of the opinion that deliberating on this subject would be best left for a later date as most of the attendees had left the Conference. 
Consensus was reached to discuss this matter at an EC meeting.

g)    Secretary General announced the date of the next EC Meeting to be Saturday, 27 November 2010 at KSISL Jamaat (Hyderi) where the Budgets as well as the WF Constitutional Conference would be discussed.  Secretary General further added that during that meeting Dr Rizwan Alidina would give a short presentation on Thallasaemia.

h)    A concern was raised regarding non-attendance by the Paris Jamaats.  The President assured the Conference that as well as regular contacts, he had visited both the Paris Jamaats. 
He added that an apology had been received for their inability to attend the Conference due to preparations for the opening ceremony the following week. 
He further added that he was due to visit the North Paris Jamaat, accompanied by the WF President Dr Asghar Moledina, on 7 October for the opening ceremony of students’ accommodation.

i)    On behalf of Hujjat Jamaat, Br Murtaza Gulamhusein wished everyone a safe journey home and apologized for any shortcomings.

j)    The President of CoEJ thanked Hujjat Executive Committee and all the volunteers for their exceptional hospitality.

The Meeting was brought to a close at 8.30pm with the recitation of a short Dua’ by Syed Mohamed Naqvi.

Secretariat - Minutes