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:
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The Board discussed and approved a modest recognition for
documented additional duties.
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The brothers ultimately refused the compensation, so no
payments were made.
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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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