About Br. Ahmad Abed
Multiple community members and masalleen brought to my attention that Br. Ahmad regularly handled building management tasks — security coordination, maintenance oversight, and day-to-day facility care — work that saved the masjid substantial expenses. He contributed significant personal time and effort on these responsibilities.
About Br. Zameer Shaik
Br. Zameer took on the administration of the Al-Misbah Qur’an Academy when paid administrators could not be retained. Typically these paid roles range from $600–$800/month; when staff left, Br. Zameer filled the gap consistently for months, preventing disruption of the academy and saving the jamaat several thousand dollars.
How the matter was handled
As Chairman, I raised these observations with the Board because I believed the brothers' extra work deserved recognition. I researched whether board members taking on non-board operational duties may be compensated, and followed guidance in the North Carolina nonprofit best practices (which permit reasonable compensation where appropriate and documented).
The Board discussed the matter, acknowledged the valuable contributions of both brothers, and approved a motion to recognize them with $1,500 per quarter as modest compensation for the extra duties performed. This decision was made by the Board — not by any single individual.
What actually happened after approval
When the time came to implement the approved compensation, both brothers declined the payment. Therefore, no funds were distributed. The motion and the offer were recorded in the Board’s process; payment did not occur because the brothers refused the compensation.
Why I am clarifying this now
At the recent community meeting on Sunday 11/23, this matter was presented in a negative and misleading manner. That portrayal suggested wrongdoing and cast a shadow over the brothers’ service — despite the facts that:
- The Board discussed and approved a modest recognition for documented additional duties.
- The brothers ultimately refused the compensation, so no payments were made.
- The intent behind proposing modest compensation was to acknowledge services that saved the jamaat money and ensured continuity of programs.
Why this matters for our community
Presenting volunteer recognition in a negative way discourages people from volunteering and creates suspicion within the jamaat. Good people may think twice before serving if their intentions can be mischaracterized publicly.
A plea for unity and fairness
I ask the community and leadership to:
• Verify facts before publicizing them.
• Appreciate sincere service and protect volunteers from unfair public attack.
• Use our gatherings to build trust, not to inflame suspicion.
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