ISNA Canada Makes the Front Page News...

...but unfortunately, not for a good reason :-(

For one of Canada's most visible and well-known Muslim organizations, news of fraud, fund mismanagement, and nepotism is troubling news indeed.

The most concerning aspect of the revelations relate to the misuse of zakat funds (yearly alms for Muslims, also one of the five pillars of Islam) that were donated to the organization. As a central Islamic tenet, the thought that the zakat funds were used for various other purposes is baffling and extremely dishonest, to say the least. If the administration was unable to handle the cost of handling the funds, perhaps they should not have solicited them in the first place. It is shameful that people's trust would be abused this way.

Forget the potential for them to lose their status as a charitable organization; at the moment, ISNA Canada has lost some major credibility as an organization that is worth contributing towards or trustworthy enough to dispense zakat donations.


Fraud and corruption have no place in organizations that claim to espouse Islamic teachings, ethics and values. These organizations have a responsibility to the community to uphold the highest standard of ethics in their practices and activities, without question. At the very least, this situation has heightened the community's awareness about the need for us to be more critical about where we make charitable donations.


I am certainly not in the business of disparaging people or organizations, etc, and so my comments above reflect a major sadness and disappointment about the outgoing administration, but it also reflects a hope that positive changes will come as a result of this audit. ISNA has always been my mosque of choice, it has been a great leader for the community, has done some beneficial work for Muslim-Canadians (and American-Muslims, as well) and has had a notable presence in Canadian society that is commendable.

My hope is that with the auditor's recommendations, the removal of the former lead administrator and some renewed good will that ISNA will strive to regain respect and return to being an organization that best represents the standards and values of the Canadian-Muslim community. May the Lord help them on this path. Amen. 

*I just read Muhammad Ashraf’s statement in response to the allegations. He refutes the allegations and maintains his and his family’s innocence. If this is all a case of misunderstanding, may we all be forgiven for not giving those reportedly involved the benefit of the doubt. God knows best.