The President’s Corner

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Tarbeya camp 2

Ramadan 3

Shura member 4

National

Updates

5

Mybookstore

Insight

6

Mybookstore 7

Experience

Palestine

8

Advocacy Walk

the Talk

Interview with

Activist

9

Reflection: Stu-

dent to Leader

10

BAILP

Graduates

11

Fundraising

Position Avail.

12

Strategic

Planning

13

F A M S Y -

V I C T O R I A

M A R C H / 2 0 1 1 I S S U E 8

O U R V I S I O N

F A M S Y I S A P R O F E S -

S I O N A L M U S L I M

S T U D E N T A N D

Y O U T H O R G A N I S A -

T I O N , T H A T I S C O M -

M I T T E D T O T H E

E D U C A T I O N , T R A I N -

I N G A N D D E V E L O P -

M E N T O F F U T U R E

C O M M U N I T Y L E A D -

E R S . T H R O U G H I T S

T A R B I Y A H A N D

O T H E R P R O G R A M S ,

B A S E D O N A B A L -

A N C E D I S L A M I C

M E T H O D O L O G Y ,

F A M S Y , W I T H I N T E G -

R I T Y A N D E X C E L -

L E N C E I N A L L W E

D O , S T R I V E S T O D E -

V E L O P S T U D E N T S

A N D Y O U T H F O R T H E

B E T T E R M E N T O F T H E

A U S T R A L I A N C O M -

M U N I T Y .

Omar Lahham

In the name of Allah the most merciful, I would like to start my speech by saying peace and bless-ings be upon you all, dear brothers and sisters, members and friends of FAMSY. It has been a pleasure working side-by-side with you for the sake of Allah through this organisa-tion, I have to admit that without the support of Allah, then the contribution all of you are putting in, FAMSY would have never existed. I personally do not do much without your help and support, therefore I take this chance to thank all of you and ask Allah that he rewards you and me not with our limited generosity, but with his. In the last few months, FAMSY was going through some rough times. As a lot of change has been happening, we are undergoing strategic planning which we believe will increase the level of organi-sation we have. One of the outcomes from this long process that we are still going through is activating the mem-bership system. As you might’ve seen already via email, we are requesting from all of you to be-come official members by filling the forms and completing your yearly donation for your organi-sation. I appreciate every second you take from your time to do so. Having said that, the Halaqas which we consider the core of FAMSY remain strong and effective thanks to Allah then the help and support of the brothers and sisters in the Tarbeya committee. I ask Allah that he guides us through spreading rightness through these Halaqas. The Tarbeya committee have arranged a special camp for all Halaqa members as a boost up and a get-together activity. The aim from this camp was to strengthen the relationship between the broth-ers and sisters from different Halaqas and to in-crease the level of their Eman and Taqwa. Alham-dolillah this camp was a huge success.

Furthermore, the Believe-Achieve-Inspire Leadership Program has witnessed the graduation of the second batch. Br.Rifat, Jazahu Allah Khairan, has done an incredi-ble job managing and organis-ing the BAILP sessions. May Allah reward him for all his efforts. We have decided to postpone running BAILP for next year 2012, so that it can undergo more organ-ising and management to come up with a better version for the course insha Allah. Another success, alhamdulilah, was the event ‘Experience Palestine’ organised by the Advocacy Committee, lead by Sr.Enas Sammak. This event, with about 400 people attending, was a unique event that has never previously happened in Melbourne. It was an event that gave a bit of a taste of how it feels like living in Palestine. Jaza Allah Khairan all the organisers, volunteers and donors. Last but not least, the FAMSY initiative lead by Br.Mohammed Helmy Jazahu Allah Khairan; My Book Store, is still hitting it off towards success and achieving goals and KPIs. We thank Allah the Almighty for his blessings and support. And may Allah reward all the brothers and sisters assisting in this project especially the leader and founder Br.Mohammed Helmy. Finally, Jazakum Allah Khairan for taking some of your time to read my simple words. I would like to finish by saying: I was assigned to lead yet I am not the best of you, so if you are to see anything wrong from me please forgive me and advise me, and if you were to see anything right from me please support me and push me more towards it.

P A G E 2

“An eye-opening experience” with Sh. Helbawy

How Was The First FAMSY Tarbeya Camp?

deeper perspective. Surah Yusuf opened my eyes to the fact that the verses in the Holy Quran have mul-tifaceted lessons that can be learnt by reflecting deeply on the interpretation as well as the meaning of the verses. Third, the Sheikh’s talk gave us a good indication of the methodology that we could follow in order to reflect on the verses by reading the various authen-tic tafasir (explanations). It has reignited my interest to look beyond the verses of the Holy Quran and translations, into the various authentic books on tafsir to gain a better understanding of Allah (SWT)’s book. There is no doubt that the tafsir of the Surah itself was truly beneficial. Yet for me, what made the session really worthwhile was the reawakening of my interest and appreciation for reflection as op-posed to mere recitation. I praise Allah almighty and thank Sheikh Helbawy, as well as FAMSY, for this beneficial workshop that helped me appreciate the fact that the story of Say-yidna Yusuf was truly among “the best of stories”.

Whenever I recited Surah Yusuf, I always pon-dered on how different it was from most other Surah’s in the Quran. In that, I observed that it is one entire Surah devoted to a story, and moreover, one single historic event. I had learnt the story of Sayyidna Yusuf as a child, but apart from simple messages such as love your siblings and do not lie, I had never realized that it was full of meaningful lessons, until I attended the tafsir session during Rama-dan. The session was an eye-opening experience in three main aspects. First, the examination of the story as it relates to the various stages of life, how Yusuf faced different trials and tribulations at each and every stage of his life and how he overcame every single trial has practical messages for us all in how to deal with the tribulations we go through in our day to day life. Second, it opened my eyes to the importance of contemplating on the Holy Quran from a

On the 18th and 19th of Decem-ber an amazing number of dedi-cated, inspired individuals gath-ered for Tarbeya at Mt Morton Camp. 120 brothers and sisters, young and old, of diverse cultural, social and academic back-grounds joined together to make happen the first FAMSY Tarbeya Camp held in Mel-bourne. With an 8a.m. scheduled start, most attendees remained awake at Fajr, preparing them-selves for a long drive to a unique experience. And unique it became, for the storm that hit Melbourne that very sum-mer morning was so unex-pected it gave birth to simple, sweet adventures of running under the rain for cover, adven-tures easily avoided in our regular lifestyles. Despite the conditions, all regis-tered participants attended, and intently absorbed Dr.

Zacharia Mathews’ two educa-tive lectures. After quite some concentration lunch was served by the best Muslim volunteer chef, Br. Tamer Elmasry, JazahuAllahuk-hairan, for every crumb he fed the group inspired love and de-votion. Finally, the sun was out, and a three-hour treasure hunt unleashed a surge of detective energy in all groups. The coop-eration between the teams through problem-solving was impressive given the diversity of the participants. The rest of the evening and night were spent watching a play by a few young brothers and listening to some live nasheeds, brain-storming for FAMY’s future in a workshop, and finally, around a camp fire, under a sprinkling and sparkling sky, listening to br Ab-dulmuhaimen’s touching remind-ers about Judgment Day. The next day was equally fulfill-

ing, packed with talks and engaging workshops by FAMSY speakers. Team-building activities and sports were also a hot attraction within the program. The committee, led by br. Ibrahim Uyoun Alsood, working to deliver this camp, put in an enormous amount of effort that I ask Allah to reward and bless. Overall, one could easily say, the First Tarbeya Camp is the first of many inshaAllah, as the participants certainly left the camp hoping to return for an even more inspiring and developing experience.

Tasnim Sammak

Nabeeh Ibrahim

P A G E 3 I S S U E 8

Ahmed Halima Around the Iftar Table

Ramadan Iftar 2010 was one of the essen-tial functions among many of the community activities held in Australia by the leading federation of Australian Muslims student and youth (FAMSY). The get-together aims to establish connection between Australian Muslim youth in our society, and to endorse the discipline of taking part in activities that build the con-cepts of brotherhood in an harmonious fashion. During the iftars I was able to meet new

people and appreciate the meaning of brotherhood. The food was obviously the highlight of the night. The organization of the Iftar was excep-tional with everyone from all different backgrounds collaborating and working together. Every year we remember to inform our friends, family and commu-nity members of the free scrumptious food, and other Ramadan and all year events sponsored by FAMSY. Several speakers presented in the event regarding world issues and community matters. A very sensitive matter dur-ing Ramadan this year was the floods in Pakistan, presented by providing a touching and awakening story about the Muslim families and our fellow brothers and sisters in Pakistan. The night was concluded with the AGM outlining some of the major work that Muslims Australia wide have benefited from FAMSY.

Salahudin Omari Night Up with the Bros So, FAMSY decided to hold a qiyam night. Nothing new right?.....wrong!... This was the first time we held a qiyam in partnership with the ICV in Ramadan. At first walking into the masjid it was bus-tling with 200-300 people! For a qiyam night? I was impressed. But then I learnt that there was free food provided by the ICV, which I thought ex-plained it. But then, all the brothers that were pre-sent stayed to participate in what has to be one of the most beautiful taraweh prayers that I have personally attended. The voices of the two imams were awe inspiring and melodious. As was planned all-along, FAMSY members would tie in with the ICV's program of taraweh, fol-

lowed by a break and then a qiyam. Members of FAMSY, per se, were low. Hint to you readers. :) The upside was that I spent a quality night with some of the members I have not seen in a long time. Throughout the break a quick trip to Melbourne Central through the calm of the night was under-taken in order to top up on much needed coffee, hot chocolate, a kebab, muffins and ice cream. With stomachs full, being in the presence of brothers who made you smile, the beautiful sound of Quran flowing through the masjid and the obedience of prayer, who could of asked for a better night. So with that I say see you at the next one!

Enas Khudruj and Selima Nassar Iman Boosting Night On Saturday, 22nd August 2010, the Hoppers Crossing Sisters Halaqa organ-ised for all metropolitan halaqas to par-ticipate in a Qiyam night. The night was purposely arranged to commence at the beginning of Ramadan and to give our levels of Iman a boost. We had a fantastic turn out with ap-proximately 35-40 sisters in attendance. Many events were arranged on the night, including Tarawih prayer, a Per-sonal goals during the month of Rama-dan dialogue, facilitated by Dalya Ayoub, mini talks, an Islamic rap and Tahajjud Prayer in congregation. All sisters were given the chance to read

quietly from midnight until 3:00am. Praying in congregation was a beautiful experience for all sisters, especially when we were lead by a 15yr old sister from the Reservoir halaqa who was truly in-spiring. Everyone brought breakfast to share and we then ate suhoor together, prayed fajr and were ready to start our day. Alhamdullilah the experience was a great boost for our iman and most enjoyable for all. We had lots of positive feedback and inshAllah we will be able to all attend another Qiyam night next Ramadan!

In August last year, the Halaqa group from Hoppers Crossing organised a Ramadan information session for young girls in order to ensure that the girls were given the op-portunity to take the most out of the up-coming holy month. It involved a talk by Sheikh Isse from the Virgin Mary Masjid about the fiqh of fasting, and covered issues and misconceptions girls had in regards to the rulings of fasting. The event was advertised via the internet, masjid announcements and word of mouth. Alhamdulillah, the event was successful and attracted a large number of girls from the Wyndham area. We hope that they benefited from this event and gained a deeper understanding of the issues regarding fasting. We thank Sheikh Isse for his time and ef-forts, and the Virgin Mary Masjid for allow-ing this event to take place. Insha’Allah, we look forward to more events like this in the future.

Fiqh of Siyam Hafsa Zarook

P A G E 4

RAIHAN NAWAWI

is a highschool

teacher of

Malaysian origin.

Within FAMSY, he

carries the

responsibilities of a

Shura member, as

well as committee

leader for

Marketing and

Publications within

Victoria.

Shura Member Speaks Out No actually. I do observe different personali-ties, there are some whom I can describe as good drivers on the groundwork, there are a few good visionaries in setting FAMSY strate-gies, most of them are professional-minded, but overall they are all leaders in their own virtues. This is the most important characteris-tic that I treasure most, because I learn a lot about leadership from observing them in run-ning this Muslim Youth organization. I observe every shura member exercise their decision-making in the true spirit of respecting opinions and reaching consensus on difficult issues. If we succeed, we praise Allah, but if we fail, we don’t point our fingers at each other but we move on and learn from our mistakes. Since joining the shura, I have discovered a culture of communication among shura mem-bers via emails, something which I have to cope with at the moment. 4. What do you hope to achieve through your position in the shura? I hope to learn as much as I can, to build my leadership potential. As the marketing and publications leader, I hope that I can create a new branding that is fresher and truly reflects the dynamics of our Muslim youth today. As a FAMSY member, I hope FAMSY will continue to grow as a youth organization and I also hope to network with more dedicated individuals. 5. As a young leader, what do you say to Mus-lims involved in organizations? As a young leader??? Well, I thought I am the oldest, if not the second oldest shura member. Anyway, joke aside. Firstly, my advice to Muslim leaders or activists

is to purify your intention. A pure intention will

give us the focus and commitment to work in

this dawah field. Secondly, patience. Sabr is

important because there are challenges and

trials in our dawah effort, no doubt about it.

Thirdly, always work as a team and do not be

divided. Lastly, continue to

seek knowledge for the sake

of Allah. There are many

things that we can learn

here and to be an effective

leader, we have to find ways

and opportunities that can

make us better leaders.

1. Why did you join the Shura? I agreed to join the Shura because I perceive the invitation as a Trust from Allah to uphold a bigger responsibility in FAMSY and drive its programs towards building our Muslim youth in Australia. Also, I make this decision to get to know more about my fellow brothers and sis-ters in FAMSY, their programs as well as know-ing the opportunities and challenges that Mus-lim activists face in Australia, especially in Vic-toria. 2. How do you feel about the new responsi-bilities? After the first meeting, I was given the respon-sibility to look into FAMSY marketing and publi-cations. It is quite a new area for me. I had some experiences in doing publications with FMSA (Federation of Muslim Students Associa-tion) back in Singapore. Marketing will be a new challenge. However, since I am teaching visual communication & design in high school, it is kind of giving me some confidence on how to approach this new marketing role for FAMSY. One thing that I need to do now is to propose the branding of FAMSY that can bring more youth towards Islam. So far I find myself in the transition stage and I have mostly been familiarizing myself with FAMSY. The next stage will be to propose some marketing ideas so that FAMSY is able to reach out to our members and the masses. I am thankful to the Shura for guiding me during this transition stage and now I believe I have to produce some results. I am hoping the BAILP video that we are making will be the first step in our new branding of FAMSY. 3. Is it hard working with a team of 8 very different individuals?

Raihan Nawawi

New Logo and more: National Updates

P A G E 5 I S S U E 8

On the 23rd of October, the FAMSY National Shura met in Queensland to discuss several issues which concern FAMSY as a national organisation. This annual meeting was intended to mainly strengthen the relations be-tween the different states. However, two main agenda items were to be discussed and finalized. The National Shura, ever since the last meeting that was held in November 2009, decided to unify the different constitutions that each state follows into one national constitution that facilitates for all states. In the last year, this was one of our focuses. At this meeting we discussed all the changes and amendments that we believe are important and necessary to

suit the current affairs of FAMSY and to be practical for all states. The final copy of the suggested constitution is still pending and under legal review. The National Shura will then hold a spe-cial general meeting to explain the changes to all members and allow for a vote on accepting the change. We aim to start implementing the new constitution not further than June 2012 when the next state shura elections are to be held. The other major item on the agenda for that meeting was the election of a new National President and National Vice-President / National Secretary. Br.Umar Batchelor, the ex-National President of FAMSY explained that his term had come to its end, Jazahu Allahu Khairn for all his

efforts for FAMSY. After discussion and nomination between the National Shura Members, the vote took place to an-nounce that the new National President would be Br.Ahmed Huwait, the Vice President of FAMSY-VIC and the new National Vice-President/National Secre-tary would be Br.Abdullah Zayid the President of FAMSY-NSW. I take this chance here to congratulate Br.Ahmed on this position and on the trust he has gained from his brothers and sisters in FAMSY, and to remind him on the big responsibility he is holding now towards the dawah in Australia.

The girls then shared lunch comprising of deli-cious Halal fries, calamari rings, spring rolls, all the favourites, and some new seafood introductions which amused the girls’ curiosity. The day finally ended on a huge adrenaline rush where many of the girls got to experience a Laser skirmish for the first time. Battling with the lasers allowed the girls to have a rare opportunity to explore a competitive, comrade, aspect of them-selves. Overall the event was a great success, as it cer-tainly achieved its goal of increasing the sister-hood bond between the FAMSY sisters.

On the 2nd October 2010, FAMSY Halaqa Girls from all over Victoria united under the one roof for a fun day out at Highpoint AMF Bowling. This event was organized by a halaqa of high school girls recently introduced to FAMSY, and it was impressive to see them dedicated to making this happen for all the circles around Melbourne. It was a great opportunity for all the girls to get together from different regions of the state and to actually meet each other for the first time. Girls were allocated into mixed bowling teams where they were able to socialize and experience real Islamic sisterhood at play, all whilst having an awesome time!

Bowling Timeout

Omar Lahham

Olga Ramahi

A form has been sent by the Shura to all FAMSY members in order to register them into the new system. Given our non-for-profit nature, an an-

nual membership fee is also required to fund the services, resources and activities you will inshaAllah receive in return. Super Supportive member: $50 Employed member: $20 Student/Unemployed member: $10

Benefits of a membership system:

Better communication with members

Ability to provide exclusive offers/services

Provides a more accurate understanding of the amount and type of FAMSY members

Assists in applying for government grants and in fund-raising for the organization.

Register through this online form: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGFIYWFxbS1YYXRhb2ozOFIwNjA5Wnc6MQ

New Membership System On the Launch

P A G E 6

Mybookstore Insight Praise be to Allah the Sustainer of the universe.

Mybookstore continues to grow stronger Alhamdulillah towards its objectives which are:

To make Good quality books and media (children, adults etc) easily available across Australia and worldwide

Endeavour to make all items listed as affordable as possible to our customers

Provide an expedient, reliable and trustworthy service

Encourage reading amongst the Australian Muslim Community

Invest back into community educational projects and support community develop-ment.

In November, mybookstore was invited by FAME (A Mercy Mission Project), to present mybook-store as a business case study in a seminar about Entrepreneurship facilitated by brother Craig Dent. The presentation was very well received and it generated significant further interest in mybookstore. Mybookstore has also started offering advertising opportunities on our website due to the in-creased traffic. Advertising packages are priced mod-estly and are packaged with advertising opportunities on FAMSY’s egroup Mus-limNetMelbourne (Melbourne’ largest interactive egroup for Muslims). The diagram shows global visitor distri-bution for our website. Mybookstore is determined to be Aus-tralia’s Number 1 Islamic Online Book Retailer inshallah. How can you help:

Purchase online

Spread the word about www.mybookstore.org.au

If you have marketing skills, please email us at sales@mybookstore.org.au . We need your skills. If you see any opportunities or deals email us at sales@mybookstore.org.au. Mybookstore Team

T E S T I M O N I A L S

"MasyaAllah, the service

was wonderful. I ordered

one day before Eid and yet

they managed to send..."

– Sherifah

"thanks for the great

efficient service. Good and

user friendly site.. great

communication.. fast..."

– Mahmoud sammak

"Jazakum Allah khier

"Your service has been

exceptional and I received

my book quicker than

expected. May Allah

reward..."

– Belal Moraby

"Jazzakum Allah Kull

Khair>>> VERY cheap

prices, excellent

communication, and very

fast postage!!!..."

– Olga

"Jazakallahu khairan for

the quran and prompt

service :) you have a very

happy brother."

– Abboma

Mybookstore team

I S S U E 8

P A G E 7

P A G E 8

EXPERIENCE PALESTINE

The First Event Organised By the FAMSY Advocacy Committee.

Checkpoints, timeline, Paintings, Palestinian tent, Costumes, Food, Art, Poetry, Culture, Fear, Hope, 400 Amazing crowd

all in one evening.

Advocacy Walk the Talk P A G E 9 I S S U E 8

On the 29th - 31st of Octo-ber members of the FAMSY a d v o c a c y c o m m i t t e e helped in the

organizing and conducting of affairs and events pertaining to the Boycott Divest-ment and Sanctions conference held at Maritime Union Hall. As the organizers of the event aimed at adding a Palestinian-born individual to the panel, Br Omar Lahham was chosen to represent FAMSY and the advocacy committee where he answered questions relating to the issues presented. The committee was also involved in the rally on 17th of September, where the

leader of the committee Enas Sam-mak, spoke passionately for the cause. The committee’s involvement in these events and the meetings that proceed have allowed its members to develop some necessary fundamental skills and qualities that are essential to set the framework for a powerful advocating team. Through ongoing meetings, the com-mittee members have naturally ad-hered to working in a team and ena-bling each other to grow, slowly but steadily, with regard to advocating against apartheid Israel and the lib-erty of Palestinians. The involvement it has had with other groups has established a notion of

cooperation for a just and noble cause. We believe justice for Palestinians has to be met and the only way it will be achieved is by movement from the popu-lation, and I for one, and I speak on be-half of the committee members, will join with any group, irrespective of who, as long as they want to change the miser-able condition that exists on this earth today. Such is the ultimate goal and hope of the

advocacy committee.

we worked as a team, and at the end when it turned out to be a success, having a team to celebrate it with made victory so much sweeter. 3. What motivated the committee to invest their energy into this event? I can’t speak for the entire team, but for me I know that the more I delved into this project the more I was learning about Palestine, and the feeling of wanting to make a change aug-mented from where it originally sat. 4. What was one of the highlights throughout your organising process? For me, the highlight of the organising process would have to be the day of the event, when all of us were there putting ‘Experience Palestine’ together, in the very literal sense. Even though we were stressed, nervous and anxious throughout, there was a real sense of team work that day, which was just topped off by the success of the night. 5. Would you participate in organising another huge event like this? I would most definitely participate in organising another huge event like this. It has been one of the most rewarding experi-ences and I also had a lot of fun doing it.

1. How did the idea of Experience Pales-tine come to birth? Being the FAMSY Advocacy Committee, it is in our mission statement ‘to advo-cate for those who cannot advocate for themselves’ and so to begin, I would say that our decision to advocate for Pales-tine was the very beginning of Experi-ence Palestine. We decided that we wanted to organise an awareness night where people could learn about the very prominent issues facing Palestinians everyday as well as teaching people about Palestinian history and culture. To do this we knew we needed to come up with a really good idea that was bound to attract a large and diverse audience. Our very first ideas were quite bland and con-ventional, but one meeting where we re-evaluated our-selves as a team and our goals, a new approach and enthusiasm was conceived. We began bouncing ideas of one another and then came to the conclusion that to allow people to learn about Palestine, they would need to really experience it. Thus, through the aid of props and a bit of creativity we would create ‘Experience Palestine’. 2. Usually people are afraid of working in a team on a massive project, how did you find it? I found that working in a team was probably one of the most rewarding experiences, because to be in a group with people who are passionate about the same issue and share this vision of success encourages you to work harder. Experience Palestine was only possible because

Sip Of Experience

Abdulaziz Ali

Safiyah Muyeen

P A G E 1 0

Reflection: From Student to Leader Through BAILP

lack of interest in exerting themselves for the com-munity project that was meant to be an assessment of all that was learnt during the program. The unforeseen consequence of spending so much time with people who were there solely for the sake of Allah, though, was that you feel yourself becom-ing engaged despite your initial intentions, the satis-faction of doing something solely to please Allah was too contagious and before you know it, you find yourself doing more. The first year’s group consisted of the entirety of the FAMSY shura, so the dynamics we achieved were something beautiful, the brotherhood (and the sis-terhood) was palpable, and I learnt a lot from the brothers who have already achieved a lot both pro-fessionally and in terms of making dawa, found my-self wanting to emulate or surpass them if I can, Inshallah. Most of us felt that the relationships forged during that year were something we will share for the rest of our lives, InshaAllah. The next year I was in charge of coordinating certain aspects of the program, with help from the Shura, namely br. Helmy, Craig and Dr Segu Zuhair. These were different dynamics, because most of the participants were quite young, although the few older participants were already involved within com-munity work. We had our ups and downs, I can think of a few hec-tic mornings when I was running around to find an extension cord for the projector, then thinking I should not have hustled so much seeing how people turned up an hour late anyways. Particularly, the sessions by Dr Mohammed Abdalla, Dr. Zachariah Matthews were riveting. I found my-self being glad to go through the same material yet again. We had difficulty raising enough money to pay for the cost of the program; VU was charging us almost sixty thousand for thirty people, and pleading spon-sors to lend us enough money was not what we en-visioned for the program. It required revising our strategy for the future. The graduation of this year’s batch was warm and

heart-felt especially because, despite the difficulties,

the program reached its finality, and the students

graduated to be, inshaAllah, excellent future leaders

of our Islamic community.

Back in 2007, in the summer camp for broth-ers, I came across Craig Dent, the ex-project manager and initiator of the Believe Achieve Inspire Leadership program. Craig was discussing with Br Mohammad Helmy the idea of starting a leadership pro-gram solely for Muslims, with dual focus on both the Islamic principles of leadership along with leadership as we conceive it in the mod-ern day context, in workplaces and otherwise. The idea differentiated itself from all the other programs by virtue of being run by accredited institutions, academics and acknowledged leaders themselves, active within the Muslim community. I was intrigued, back at that time, it was slowly dawning on me that in order to make a bigger contribution to the society while working for the sake of Allah SWT, it is imperative on us to acquire skills, knowledge and experience that would assist in those endeavours. It took two years for the idea to take shape, and I was lucky to be among the first group of 18 brothers and sisters who took part in the leadership program. It was a big learning curve: to analyse the lead-ership of Muhammad SAW with Dr. Zachariah Matthews, and then in the Victoria University run stream, see how those same principles are imbued within universally acknowledged good leadership skills in today’s world. Frankly, most of us found the Islamic stream a lot more intellectually stimulating than the VU ran Modern day leadership and business ad-ministrative skills workshops, although those were useful in a different context as well, as it got you the graduate certifi-cate from an accredited institution. Sometimes I felt that some of the par-ticipants (from our year and the next year group) were there only to get the certificate that was heavily subsidized by FAMSY, judging by their apparent

Rifat Islam

B A I L P G RA D U A T I O N ‘ 0 9

B E H I N D 20 1 0 GR A D U A T I O N

RIFAT ISLAM WAS

ONE OF THE FIRST

GROUP OF BAILP

STUDENTS.

INSPIRED BY THE

PROGRAM, HE

TOOK UP A

POSITION IN THE

MANAGEMENT

TEAM WHICH RAN

THE COURSE IN

2010.

“I was intrigued...it

was slowly dawning

on me that in order

to make a bigger

contribution to the

society while

working for the sake

of Allah SWT”

‘09 BAILP Graduate Becomes MUIS President

P A G E 1 1 I S S U E 8

1. What motivated you to be involved in the MUIS committee 'straight-away' as President? I wanted to be MUIS president primarily due to the grand ideas (delusions?) that I wanted to see implemented into the society. I’d been involved in MUIS for a number of years, usually running around behind the scenes, helping out, and I decided that as it was my last year I wanted to go all out and provide a last all out effort. What could be more all out than presidency? Br. Mohammed Helmy said during one of the BAILP sessions that a leader has to have an unachievable dream which he can constantly work towards. My unachievable MUIS dream was far from achieved but as President I feel like I got the ball rolling and that one day MUIS will evolve into the society I was plan-ning toward, or something better In-sha’Allah. 2. As a BAILP graduate, do you feel you used the program's teachings and skills? Without a doubt. There were many times I opened up the folder given to us and went through the notes in search of tips and tools to use during tough times. During the BAILP program I often (and shortsightedly) rushed through important topics that were raised by Dianne and other speakers which I couldn’t relate to. If anything, it would

probably be more beneficial for me to go through the BAILP program again post-leadership so that I could consolidate on the knowledge I’d learned and further improve my skills. 3. What do you feel you have gained from your journey as president? The year has taught me a lot about my own personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as being a great challenge when trying to turn ideas into realities. The most obvious thing I have gained would be patience. When dealing with an or-ganization as unique as MUIS, patience was the single most important trait to possess and I very quickly recognised that without it I would spontaneously com-bust. During the year I also gained great friends who I was able to lean on and constantly ask for help. Without the members and other volunteers there would be no MUIS for me to preside over so I’m very grateful for those important helpers. Speaking of help. This year also taught me the importance of asking for help and not trying to act like a stream roller and do everything myself. Looking back at the year I think it’s easy for me to see just how helpful it is to ask for help, some-thing which sounds obvious but often isn’t put into practice. 4. What have been the highlights of your leadership? There were many highlights during my year. Three that stick out in my mind would be seeing the large turnout for the end of year game night which I initially was feeling fairly pessimistic about. The Iftars were also a source of happiness for me, more so for the amount of money we were able to raise for the Pakistan flood relief. It was also great to see new edi-

tions of Iqra constantly being published which was a great sense of motivation for me and also pure curiosity (particularly when I read about events which I didn’t even realise had occurred)! 5. How will you continue your contribu-tion to the community after having gained the experience? Before I throw myself into another en-gagement I think I’m going to take a short hiatus to spend some time reflect-ing on where I went right and wrong as a leader. With regards to future contribu-tion though, I want to get involved and assist with developing the new MSA Vic-toria chapter so that there can be a more unified and coordinated relationship be-tween other Islamic Societies. 6. What advice can you give to young Muslims interested in dawah? With regards to Dawah I suppose I sub-

scribe to the idea that Dawah is best

done by example, that Muslims should be

the best when it comes to manners, char-

acter, patience and other attributes so

much so that when people see Muslims

they’re left with happiness, delight and

good relations which they would then

attribute to Islam. If we all did this I be-

lieve people would begin to see Muslims

and Islam in a different and more wel-

coming light.

Jibril Ibrahim

I am currently studying Psychology at La'Trobe University, and have also been privileged to take the Believe, Achieve and Inspire leadership course. As the name clearly lays out the objectives of the program, I can say that the course has helped me to believe that Islam could have motivated and dedicated leaders that will, with Allah SWT, help enlighten Islamic communi-ties and set out role models for the Muslim youth. The program has helped me achieve priceless Islamic leadership knowledge, alongside leadership and management skills offered by Victoria University. It has again helped me to inspire other Muslim brothers and sisters to also achieve and believe that with knowledge and education, Islam could once again live its golden age. A famous scholar once said, "Our enemies are ignorance, poverty, and internal con-flict, and we shall strive against them with the weapons of education, industry and unity". Through this program I have been re- introduced to our Prophet pbuh, to Islam and the word hope. I advise all future leaders to take part in this program, for their faith and future.

“Priceless Islamic Leadership Knowledge”, 2010 student Zuhre Koyu

B A I L P S E S S I O N ‘ 0 9

B A I L P ‘ 1 0 G RA D U A T I O N

P A G E 1 2

FAMSY Fundraising and Grants Committee Team Member - Position Description

Employer: FAMSY

Position title: Fundraising and grants committee volunteer team member

Commences: April 2011

Employment type: Voluntary

Details:

FAMSY is a professional Muslim student and youth organization that is commit-

ted to the education, training and development of future community leaders.

Through a variety of programs, based on a balanced Islamic methodology, we

strive to develop students and youth for the betterment of the Australian com-

munity.

As we are a not-for-profit organization run entirely by young volunteers, con-

tinuous and persistent fundraising is imperative to our ability to keep these pro-

grams running successfully. As such, we are currently looking for an enthusiastic

and motivated team member to join our Fundraising and Grants Committee and

help us achieve this goal.

Key tasks include:

Assisting in the coordination of fundraising events

Attending brief meetings and trainings when necessary

Assisting in grant applications and collecting private donations when

required

To apply for this position, please email your resume and letter of interest to

sumaiya.muyeen@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or require further details, please send an email to the

above address or call 0423 964 081.

M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E W H E R E I T M A T T E R S

COMING UP

in FAMSY:

B R O T H E R S ’

C A M P

H A L A Q A

C O M P E T I T I O N

L E C T U R E

S E R I E S

J O U R N A L I S M

S E M I N A R S

S I S T E R S ’ D A Y

O U T

I F Y O U H A V E

A N Y I D E A S ,

S U G G E S T I O N S

O R Q U E R I E S

E M A I L U S A T : V I C @ F A M S Y . O R G . A U

I S S U E 8

P A G E 1 3

The FAMSY executive, committee leaders and Tarbeya committee have been involved in a strategic

planning session to refocus the organisation and set a new vision for the next year, 5 years and 10

years. The strategic planning is still in process.

We would like your ideas and dreams of where you would like to see FAMSY, your organisation, in 5

years time.

Email your answer to: vic@famsy.org.au.

Contribute to Strategic Planning for FAMSY

Updated FAMSY-Victoria Structure

B R AI N S T O RM I N G F O R TH E F U T U R E O F FA M S Y