Any good, effective, foresighted, respected, stable organization with a vision has a structure that takes into account the various nuances, challenges, and strategies that make it prosper.

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    ICONO will be a pioneer, a trendsetter, and be far more visionary in its approach than most other Islamic organizations in North America, InshaAllah (God willing).  

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    We shall do many things as most other Islamic organizations do, but ICONO will excel and incorporate and encompass a more wholesome way of life that many other Islamic organizations presently lack, or maybe they do implement a few, but most remain on paper without being implemented. ICONO will differ in that it shall include a whole array of activities including:

• Good neighbourliness

• Non-partisan political awareness

• Environmental and animal rights stewardship

• Women’s rights as advocated by Sunnah and the Quran and as shown by our noble pious women predecessors

• Media letter writing to give Islamic issues and ‘rights’ issues a leverage

• Peaceful demonstrations and letter writing with those who voice concerns and who align with values that are humanitarian and with those whose approach is not contradictory to Islamic values

• Islamic outreach

• Supporting the elderly

• Halal food provision with a difference, the difference being that we shall implement ‘Taiba’ (good and wholesome), while using, whenever feasible, from sources that advocate with good raising and free from hardship to animals as we are commanded by God that we in being viceroys are to take care of those upon whom we have power over

• Providing facilities or help for families whose loved ones pass away (death and burial services) using resources from established Islamic organizations in the meantime until we can have the facilities more easily available in Sudbury

• Quran and Arabic classes where children will be taught

  • How to be humanitarians first and foremost

  • To understand the meanings of ritual worship (salaah, wudhu, Ramadan fasting, zakaah, hajj)

  • To implement the beauty of the Quran in practical living

  • Excellent manners (akhlaq) so that others will want to emulate the peace they exude, and admire their honesty

• Library services so that people have access to authentic Islamic texts

• Bridge building among different communities and religions

• Sports and active living

• Organizing lectures by experts in their fields that align with Islamic values of ICONO

• Attending other venues where worthy lectures are being held

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    ICONO will need committed volunteers who take their tasks seriously. There shall be chairs of different committees who report to the Executive Management. There shall be tri-yearly written reports from the chairs of each committee on the tasks their group carried out. After edit by the Management, the pertinent points shall be displayed on the bulletin board from each chair. The report will be kept on the bulletin board for two to four weeks before being filed away. The idea for this brief report is to place value to the committees’ achievements, without undermining any other committee (however small or big a task is, all work is valued, and we pray God rewards abundantly for any task carried out). The idea with the report is that, as explained above, ICONO will be a pioneer carrying out its vision with a difference.  ICONO aims to be serious, demonstrable, implementable to its vision, and will place responsibility on the chairs to achieve its vision. 

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    The chairs of the committees are the pillars of ICONO.  Before, during and after Ramadan 2017, different chairs will be chosen to help ICONO.  Some will hold temporary positions until they can all be filled. We will attempt to limit a single person to hold a chair position to a maximum of three committees temporarily until we can find replacements, in which case the maximum chairs a single individual shall hold will be limited to a maximum of two after Jan 2019, unless direly needed.  The President will hold the first Power-point presentation on the mandate and direction of each chair of the committees, with a question and answer session after, at which all the members of the Management will help answer. We shall do this after half of the chairs of each committee are chosen. Later, all the members of the Management will help deliver bi-yearly directions to the chairs of each committee at a time when at least 50% of the chairs can attend the singular meeting in the first year of operation (with question and answer sessions after), changes in direction if needed, challenges that arose and how best to address those new challenges. A very important aspect of a good functioning organization is that it learns from frequently arising challenges, as we live in a dynamic world and since things are ‘not written in stone’ and are constantly evolving (many organizations stagnate if they live by the letter and not the meaning behind the letter and they fail to set a remedial recourse from unexpected challenges), ICONO will take appropriate steps to remedy any short-comings from any hitherto unknown circumstances and sources that may arise. However, if the Management feels that it needs to call a meeting earlier, then it will inform the chairs accordingly. The chairs of distinct committees are not totally independent and will work in co-ordination with other chairs of other committees so that an efficient mechanism is carried forward and implemented. For example, the chair of the Fundraising Committee shall consult and work closely with the chair of the Kitchen/Catering Committee when it wants to request prepared food for sale to raise funds for this non-profit organization. If a chair of one committee needs help coordinating with a chair of another committee and are not able to do it easily, then the Management will help reach mutual consensus. However, if it is Almighty Allah's pleasure we seek, then the chairs should find ways to work with each other and humble ourselves before God. The power-point presentation will provide a framework to each chair.  

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    In order to carry out our shared vision, we need to work together cohesively.  Together and united, keeping Almighty Allah foremost in our minds, we need to be humble to Him, away from showing-off (riyaa), away from seeking worldly praise and the fleeting pomp and glory of this world. We seek to please Almighty Allah, help each other, be kind to each other and correct gently those of us who err. 

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May Almighty Allah guide and bless us all.