In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
General provision
This Constitution reflects amendments made in April 2006 by the 2006-07 TMA Executive. The Executive pledges to undertake a further review of the Constitution beginning in September 2006 at the latest.
A.M.S. provisions
This Constitution recognizes the following sections from the AMS:
Article IX, AMS Affiliation: The A.M.S. Assembly, as the highest legislative body representing students at Queen's, constitutes the ultimate source of authority for the Thaqalayn Muslim Association. Moreover, it can set up ad hoc committees with specific terms or reference to investigate financial matters and report to its next meeting.
Article X, Amendments: This constitution shall be reviewed annually and any amendments shall be immediately presented to the A.M.S. for approval, through the Commission of Internal Affairs.
Article I - Name
The name of the student society shall be Thaqalayn Muslim Association (TMA), formerly known as the Queen’s Shia Islamic Association (QSHIA).
Article II - Our Purpose and Philosophy
2.1 The constitution of the A.M.S. shall take precedence over this constitution. In particular, the following sections of the A.M.S. Constitution shall be recognized: 2.01.03, 7.01, and 7.02.
2.2 TMA is a non-profit organization, with a mission to engage the public on current issues related to Islam, promote Islamic principles of freedom, justice, dignity and human rights, provide a forum for inter-faith dialogue, and organize Islamic events for Queen’s University students and the Kingston Muslim community.
2.3 TMA strives to follow and promote awareness of the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them). TMA also aims to endorse peace, unity and cooperation amongst Muslims, while serving and ensuring proper representation of the views, concerns and ideals of the followers of al-Thaqalayn.
2.4 In addition, TMA aims to dispel any myths, misconceptions, stereotypes and false propaganda against Muslims in general, and in particular, the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them).
2.5 TMA is affiliated with A.M.S of Queen’s University, and works in cooperation with (although is not affiliated with) Kingston Solidarity and Humanitarian Islamic Association (KSHIA). TMA is not affiliated with any specific Marja' Taqleed (Islamic scholar). Rather, TMA acknowledges all of them.
2.6 TMA does not associate itself with any terrorist organization, and takes no responsibility for the actions of any of its members, should they be personally affiliated with one. TMA neither subscribes to, nor endorses, such actions as they are both inhuman as well as un-Islamic.
Article III - Definitions
3.1 The Holy Qur'an is defined as the final revelation from Allah, exalted is He, given to Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as a guidance for mankind in all their secular and spiritual affairs.
3.2 Based on the numerous authentic ahadeeth (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad), unanimously agreed upon by all Muslims, the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them) are defined as the family of Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the 12 Imams, and thus consist of only the following 14 infallibles:
1 A. Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
2 B. Fatima al-Zahra daughter of Muhammad (peace be upon her)
3 C. Ali son of Abu Talib (peace be upon him)
4 D. Hassan son of Ali (pbuh)
5 E. Hussain son of Ali (pbuh)
6 F. Ali Zainul 'Abideen son of Hussain (pbuh)
7 G. Muhammad Al-Baaqir son of Ali (pbuh)
8 H. Ja'far as-Sadiq son of Muhammad (pbuh)
9 I. Musa al-Kadhim son of Ja'far (pbuh)
10 J. Ali ar-Ridha son of Musa (pbuh)
11 K. Muhammad at-Taqi son of Ali (pbuh)
12 L. Ali an-Naqi son of Muhammad (pbuh)
13 M. Hassan al-Askari son of Ali (pbuh)
14 N. Muhammad al-Mahdi son of Hassan (may Allah hasten his reappearance)
Article IV - Membership
4.1 Membership of TMA will be open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and interested individuals in the Kingston community
4.2 An annual membership of $5 is encouraged from each member, notwithstanding any further donations that may be made
Article V - Structure and Responsibilities of the Executive Council
5.1 The TMA executive council shall consist of:
A. President
B. Treasurer/VP
C. External Liaison
D. Internal Liaison
5.2 The four (4) executive council members are the only voting members of TMA, except for purposes of elections and constitution amendments (in which all TMA general members may vote).
5.3 Duties and Responsibilities
5.3.1 All students, faculty, staff and alumni are eligible to serve on the executive committee. It is important to note members and executives are not required to be Muslim; however, since the essence of the group is to promote The Islamic teachings of the Holy Quran and The Ahlul-Bayt, the members and executives are required during events or meetings to conduct themselves according to the Islamic Code of Conduct.
A. The President shall:
1 Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all times
2 Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
3 Provide leadership and guidance to the executive and general members
4 Act on all matters of general management and supervision of the affairs and operations of TMA upon the approval of the council
5 Be a member of all standing committees
6 Serve as a voting official representative of the students on all occasions
7 Enforce and maintain the by-laws and policies of TMA
8 Chair each executive and general meeting
9 Serve as the chief advisor to the executive council when required
10 Be a co-signing authority to the Secretary of Finance
11 Advertise and promote TMA events to non-Muslim and Muslim organizations belonging to other schools of thought, with the approval of the council
B. The VP/Treasurer shall:
1 Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all times
2 Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
3 Assist the President with all of his/her duties as stated in 5.3A
4 Take charge of the responsibilities of the President in his/her absence
5 Act with the consultation of the TMA executive council on all matters concerning finance.
6 Keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of TMA
7 Present the budget, financial status and/or history of transactions to the executive council as deemed necessary by the council
8 Work in association with all executive members and present all matters involving financial transactions to the executive members for approval
9 Be the official financial signing authority
10 Direct and supervise fundraising activities.
11 Act in good faith and reasonable care with finances and be subject to scrutiny by the Executive.
C. The External Liaison shall:
1 Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all times
2 Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
3 Assist the general members of the association with any issues
4 Assist other executive members with their duties
5 Act as the public face for TMA and be a point of contact for clubs, groups, organizations, etc. that would like to work with TMA.
6 Maintain contact with other on-campus groups for the promotion of public events.
7 Proactively engage other group to discuss joint initiatives.
8 Build contacts with community and campus media.
D. The Internal Liaison shall:
1 Strive to adhere to the Islamic code of conduct at all times
2 Adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bayt (pbut)
3 Assist the general members of the association with any issues
4 Assist other executive members with their duties
5 Act as the communication centre between the following parties: TMA, the Kingston Shi'a community and other Islamic associations
6 E-mail TMA members the details of the religious events that are held.
5.4 Each of the executive members will have a term of office equivalent to one year
Article VI - Accountability of the Executive and General Members
6.1 If an executive member misses 2 consecutive or 3/5 meetings without due cause or reason as deemed appropriate by the council, the said executive member will be issued a warning
6.2 If an executive member misses 2 consecutive or 3/5 meetings without due cause or reason as deemed appropriate by the council, and has already accrued one warning, the said member will be dismissed from his/her responsibilities upon the second infraction
6.3 If the council feels that an executive member is failing to perform his/her required duties for reasons not deemed as appropriate by the council, upon review and further evaluation, the accused executive member will be issued either
A. A warning or,
B. Immediate dismissal on behalf of the council
6.4 If a member has already accrued a warning with respect to the performance of his/her responsibilities, and the council still feels that s/he has not been fulfilling his/her responsibilities, the member will be dismissed from his/her responsibilities upon the second infraction
6.5 If a general member abuses their membership under TMA, the executive council reserves the right to warn, revoke or suspend their membership as determined by further evaluation and review by the council
6.6 In the event that 3/4 of the general members vote to have an executive member dismissed, their vote shall be binding given that the reason for the dismissal is on constitutional grounds
Article VII - Meetings
7.1 Executive meetings will be held on the first Friday of each month or as the executive sees fit
7.2 Additional meetings may be held at any time subject to each executive member being notified at least 48 hours in advance
7.3 Meetings may be called by any executive member, provided that the aforementioned condition has been met
7.4 All TMA members are welcome and encouraged to attend all meetings, in an effort to maximize student input
7.5 All major issues decided upon by TMA will be done so by a vote from the executive council
A. All votes of the executive members are of equal value
B. A ¾ majority is required for a decision to be passed
C. In the event of a 2-2 tie, the executive must first work to reach a consensus. Failing all efforts to reach consensus, it must put the final vote to a fair and independent individual whom all executive members agree to.
D. No executive member has the power to veto any decision made by the council.
7.6 General Body Meetings
A. There will be one General Body Meeting held per academic year for all members to attend
B. Additional General Body Meetings can be called by the executive and/or when when a proposal has been submitted to the executive by members as outlined in article 9 sections 9.3 and 9.4
7.7 During meetings, in the event of any disagreement regarding religiously oriented matters, unsupported and non-referenced personal opinions will not play a role in any decisions or conclusions reached. Disagreements may be posed to one or more religious authorities unanimously agreed upon by the executive council
Article VIII - Elections
8.1 Eligibility:
A. All members of TMA, provided they are willing to abide by the Islamic code of conduct and fulfill the duties established in Section 5.4, are eligible to run for one of the four executive positions
B. A nomination form must be filled out and signed by at least three other registered members
8.2 The election of two positions must take place in March with the remainder of the positions to be filled in September
8.3 The executive council must appoint an individual to serve as an Elections Officer
8.4 In order to become an Elections Officer, on must:
1 A. Be unbiased towards all candidates
2 B. Be selected from either the general membership or the executive council
3 C. Not be an individual currently running for the upcoming election
8.5 Responsibilities of the Elections Officer:
1 A. To ensure a smooth and problem-free transition from the current executive council to the new, incoming executive council
2 B. To appoint, with the approval of the exec, other members of the general membership to assist in his/her affairs with regards to running the election
Article IX - Amendments to the Constitution
9.1 Any Amendments to the constitution must be presented as a formal written proposal to the executive
9.2 Religiously based disagreements regarding any amendment shall be considered and referred to one or more religious authorities unanimously agreed upon by the executive
9.3 Proposals for amending the constitution can be made by members, provided that they are in concordance with Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the constitution
9.4 All proposals must be seconded by at least 3 other TMA members
9.5 Once a proposal has been made, it may be dismissed if the executive unanimously votes against it.
9.5.1 In the event that 9.5 occurs, a petition of at least 8 TMA general members will be necessary for the proposal to be given a referendum.
9.6 If a proposal is not dismissed, the executive council will be responsible for conducting a general membership referendum on the issue:
A. The executive will call a General Body Meeting where the proposal will be presented, discussed and voted on by all members
B. A 2/3's majority from all members will be necessary for the amendment to pass
Last Updated May 12, 2006 |
