Forbes defines a great leader as one who is honest, delegate, and has the intuition to make the right choices. Zafar Bangash has failed to show any of these characteristics in the last decade as the Imam of The Islamic Society of York Region (ISYR).

Blind Sighted and ignorant would be a more accurate definition of the current director of ISYR. Bangash has made commitments to the community as the Imam that he has failed countless times; the state of the centre has not improved in years, and the programs he has started have been poorly managed and organized as mere means to collect funds.

The property of the centre has resources that the society members could greatly benefit from, yet Bangash has not even considered their utilization. The back corner of the property has a fence perfect for a baseball diamond, yet it is used as a garden of weeds. The swimming pool that came with the property has been destroyed due to lack of maintenance. Muslim communities rarely have opportunity to teach their children how to swim in an islamic environment. An environment that could have been easily created by using blind fencing around the pool and asking lifeguard members of the society to volunteer their time for the cause. A thought that did not cross Bangash's mind. The closed off parking lot is a perfect site for a tennis court, yet it stores stalled trucks. A large parking lot was paved, yet spaces were never added which would have greatly reduced traffic congestion at the centre during popular events such as Eid prayer.

The modified interior of the centre plays no role in making the environment seem more suitable for prays. If the intention was a ready at a moments notice banquet hall, then Bangash nailed it on the head. In his defence, the centre was once a camp site, but a decade plus gives an Imam penalty of time to get proper prayer mats installed, relocated the eye sore piles of chairs located at the front of each congregation, and create adequate means of prayer for all members of the society. (The solution to loud children is not to rudely mock them till they stop, but to provide them reasons to partake in the primary activity).

As a silver lining to his lengthy and professionally written wikipedia page (as compared to the poorly designed and managed ISYR web pages), Bangash has started many local community initiatives. Many of which never reached completion or remain to this day sub-par. The islamic classes play more of an over priced day care role than educating children in long term islamic lessons. The youth programs are an ego driven means for leadership to feel empowered, instead of instilling positive quality in the society's youth. Popular events for the society members are poorly planned and often disappointing such as the khatam ul quran where sweets are delivered to the front row, but due to miss calculations the other rows may be out of luck, best of luck on the drive home.

Such past events do not paint a pleasant picture for Zafar Bangash's leadership of ISYR. Which he hopes to repair with his current 'building project'. Note the creative naming to ensure fund collection. Do not be confused, the building project is not the mosque the community has been asking for years, but an islamic school. Which I can say with great certainty will have paid tuition for sub-par education. A man with no accredited past or experience in education is planning to build a school for the next generation of our society. Such a move is not beneficial to our community. It is beneficial to us to note that before the school, a permit for a Imam house was filed. If Bangash is doing so much for our community, clearly he deserves a home on the property.

Clearly I alone can not speak for our community, but together we can make a change at the ISYR and make it into the islamic centre we all dream it to be. We aim to propose a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Zafar Bangash as the director and Imam of ISYR. We also vote to have an election of a new director who more adequately represents the voice of our community and is equipped to make such changes a reality.

Please sign this petition so we, as a community, can get the ball rolling and ishaAllah get the changes that are greatly required at the IRYS.