Annual General Meeting 25/4/2017

We recently held our Annual General Meeting on the 25th April 2017 where we looked back at the past year and reflected on what we could have been improved upon. 

Outgoing committee

We also announced the results of the recent elections to find next year's committee. Here are the results:

President: Helia Talebi
Vice-President: Yasmin Madani
Secretary: Aia Altayar
Treasurer: Yasoob Zahra Syed
Interfaith Representative: Ayad Marhoon

Incoming committee

Many congratulations to them all! We are sure they will do a fantastic job and look forward to see what they have in store for next year!

Goodbye from the 2016/2017 Committee

There's not long to go until we will be handing over the society to the next committee. So here are a few words of reflection from your outgoing committee:

Adam Ramadhan, President 2016/2017:

"I became ABSoc president on a whim. I had always intended to get more involved with ABSoc since I first joined the society in my first year, but I thought I should start with a smaller role. Once the elections came round, someone said: “Adam, you should be president”, and so I decided to put my name forward. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have met some wonderful people over the past few months and have had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects. We have fundraised for refugees in France and Greece and for homeless, vulnerable and at-risk people in Leeds. We have continued our inter and intra-faith work to help foster unity on campus, the highlight of which was the first unity prayer between Shia and Sunni Muslims on campus. We have been part of events and talks dealing with important topics such as sectarianism, spiritualty and racism and have continued our weekly discussion circles which provide people of all faiths and no faith with a safe space to share their views and explore new ideas. I’m not going to lie, it hasn’t been an easy few months, but I’ve been lucky to have been supported by a great committee. Above all, it has been an honour and a privilege to lead a society under the name of the Ahlul Bayt. While I may not be on the committee next year, ABSoc will always hold a special place in my heart so you’ll have a difficult job getting rid of me anytime soon!"

Erol Mutlu, Vice-President 2016/2017:

"I believe that every event that we had was crucial and we received many praises from people. We tried our best to build good relations with other societies because we learnt from Imams to respect everyone, no matter which religion they follow or where they come from. We had our discussion circle every week; sometimes we agree and sometimes we disagree with one another. We are all human beings, we make mistakes and ABSoc is a place where everyone can share their opinions freely. In ABSoc I learnt to share my opinions freely and this was important because we should not be scared to share our opinions because one opinion may make a huge difference in one's life – who knows! I met with new people through ABSoc and I made new loyal friends and people who came along for discussion circle respected each other. We should always remember what Ali ibn Abi Talib "Know that people are two types; they are either your brother in religion or your equal in humanity"."

Ayad Marhoon, Secretary 2016/2017:

As secretary for ABSoc, my job was more or less admin work. Writing emails, booking rooms, sorting out paperwork, the usual, which may sound boring but let me go into it. Being secretary wasn't easy, neither is any other role within a committee, but it's important never to underestimate the power of team work. In my time as secretary of ABSoc, I've not just been working with a team, but with a support unit which I would be honoured to call my family. No job title is tied down to its own tasks, and the best way to make the most of your role and enjoy it for what it is, is through teamwork and so I have no regrets in my decision in being secretary. Who knows whether I'll still be on the committee in the years to come, but for as long as I'm at the University of Leeds, ABSoc can't get rid of me. 

Yousef Asarbakhsh, Treasurer 2016/2017:

"Alhamdulilah ABSoc has been a great success this year. It has been a privilege to sit as treasurer, and my role has definitely been a rewarding one. Primarily this year, it has been my job to manage finances. This has involved monitoring the society's account balances with the union, and assessing where our sources of incoming/outgoing money have been. To ensure that there are no discrepancies, everything has been kept in a simple spreadsheet that details all financial expenditures throughout the year. I have also played a role in organising and advertising ABSoc events throughout the year too. These have included events such as the Shaykh Arif lecture on Spirituality in Islam, and social events such as a meal at Haftsin and bowling/Nandos. Being on the committee this year has taught me a great deal, not only in terms of personal skills but also lessons pertaining to religion too. We have had a brilliant president this year who has dedicated so much time and effort towards ABSoc, and one of the keys to success I have learnt from him is the importance of teamwork and delegation. ABSoc is a society for everyone, so if we really want to make the most of these amazing opportunities on campus and promote the message of our Prophet (SAWS) and his holy Household (AS), then we must work together to do so."

Zahraa Al-Zoubeidi, Publicity Officer 2016/2017:

"This year has been so good, filled with some amazing events. My favourite was the thought-provoking, inspiring BLM event with its unprecedented unity prayer, which was really moving to be a part of. We've also had some really intriguing Discussion Circles and fun socials this year, and a really successful HFJ! It's my third and final year with Leeds ASBoc, and I am sad to be leaving. It's been difficult at some points, and it can be a big commitment, but it has been incredibly rewarding. I've gained some key life skills; I came to university as a shy little fresher who was terrified at the mere thought of talking, and through ABSoc's discussion circles and three HFJ campaigns, I gained confidence and communication skills, and seem to now be the designated people-person! Furthermore, it's taught me so much in terms of religion, spirituality, and life skills. It's made me a more open-minded, more thoughtful person, and I am so grateful alhamdullilah. Getting involved in and being a part of this society has legitimately been one of the best things I have done at university, as I've not just met some really cool people and made some really good friends, I've gained another family (or several generations of one!). It genuinely is a support system unlike any other, and the experiences that come with ABSoc have given me some of the best memories. I've had the genuine pleasure and honour of watching ABSoc grow into the society it is today, and I am so proud of all the members and especially the committee who've gone above and beyond to make this amazing society what it is. I'm looking forward to seeing where the future takes Leeds ABSoc inshaAllah!"

Anisa Gilani, Interfaith Representative 2016/2017:

"Although my role as ABSoc’s interfaith representative primarily consisted of maintaining and increasing unity among other faith societies at the university, my role, as with every other role in ABSoc, was by no means limited to that which I was assigned to. I was privileged to have been involved in the general running of ABSoc in terms of the planning and publicity of events, from setting up for the annual freshers’ dinner at the beginning of the academic year to designing event posters and representing ABSoc in faith assemblies. With the fantastic leadership of our president, ABSoc has accomplished some great things this year. One thing that I am particularly proud of is the number of donations ABSoc received during the society's annual ‘Hungry for Justice’ campaign, which collected non-perishable food items and money for St. George's Crypt, a local foodbank, to help reduce poverty in the local area. I am also very proud of the recent collaborative discussion circle with the LUU Sikh Society, as well as the positive feedback received from the public for our collective efforts in establishing unity across the university. Being on the committee has equipped me with many generic transferable skills that will prove fruitful for me in my studies and future career but most importantly, ABSoc has taught me to be more open-minded and accepting of people of different faiths and beliefs. It has taught me to question my religion. It has taught me the importance of perseverance. It has taught me to be proud of my beliefs despite being a minority. On top of that, I have met some of the most wonderful people in ABSoc who are now my family. I am blessed to have served the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) for 2 years and although my time on the committee has sadly come to an end, ABSoc will always be a part of my life at university and I will continue to offer my time and energy to the society until I graduate."

Thank you for putting your trust in us to lead this society and for making this year amazing! Although we are sad to be leaving, we are looking forward to see where the next committee take the society! We hope you've enjoyed the year! Goodbye!

A Look Back at the Second Term

As we approach the end of the year, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the past few months and share some of the highlights.

We have continued our regular discussion circles and have had the opportunity to discuss some very interesting topics such as ‘Islam and science’, ‘culture vs. religion’, ‘free will and determinism’ and ‘playing God’ among many others.

Our last discussion circle of the term was a collaborative one with the Sikh Society on the ‘relevance of religion’.

For this term’s GIAG we went on a hike in Ilkley. It was a lovely day with great weather, great views and great company!

We were delighted to host Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussein to Leeds on the 23^rd March where he gave a thought-provoking and stimulating talk on ‘Spirituality in Islam’ and engage in a discussion with the audience.

Current and future committee members also traveled all the way to Amersham for the MSC presidential retreat from the 17th to the 19th March for a weekend of workshops, networking and reflection. 

The last week was a busy but absolutely amazing one! On Monday the 20th March we began our annual Hungry for Justice campaign. Over three days we raised loads of food and donations for St. Georges Crypt, a local charity working with homeless, vulnerable and at-risk people in the city of Leeds.

Also on Monday the 20^th March, in collaboration with the LUU Islamic Society, the Iqbal Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam, the Centre for Ethnicity and Racism Studies and ReOrient; the Journal of Critical Muslim Studies, we hosted Sheikh Dr. Tajul Islam (Iqbal Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam), Professor S. Sayyid (Centre for Ethnicity and Racism Studies) and Sheikh Ahmed Haneef (Islamic Centre of England) for an event entitled ‘Black Lives Matter: Bilal and the formation of the early Islamicate’. It was a fantastic evening that began with an unprecedented Sunni-Shia unity prayer led by Sheikh Ahmed Haneef. This was followed by three inspiring, insightful and thought-provoking talks and an open question and answer session with the speakers. A recording of this event is now available can be viewed here.

Unity prayer

Sheikh Ahmed Haneef 

Sheikh Dr. Tajul Islam

Professor S. Sayyid

ISoc and ABSoc presidents 

There’s only a few weeks left of this academic year and a new committee will soon be taking charge of ABSoc so keep checking this space for updates!

A Look Back at the First Term

As we've reached the end of the first term, we thought it would be nice to share some of the highlights from the last few months! 

It was a pleasure to meet so many of you during freshers week and to have you back at our numerous events throughout the year. 

We kicked off the year with Ashura Awareness Week where we ran a clothes drive for refugees in France and Greece in partnership with Yorkshire Aid, handed out water in the name of Imam Hussain ﷺ at the Union and signed people up for the Imam Hussein Blood Donation Campaign. 

Our first 'Give it a Go' of the year was our Quiz and Pizza Night on the 11th October. It was a lovely evening and we were so pleased to see so many of you that we met during freshers week again!

We have had some fascinating discussion circles these past few months on a wide range of topics such as 'feminism in Islam', 'infallibility' and 'sectarianism' to name just a few. We have been delighted with the turnouts at these discussion circles and have loved hearing everyone share their opinions in a respectful and tolerant manner. 

Interfaith week is always an amazing week and this year was no exception! The LUU faith societies came together for a week of dialogue, understanding and fun! We kicked off the week with speed-faithing (always a favourite) which was as big as it has ever been at Leeds with over fifty people taking part! Other events in the week included the interfaith quiz, an open-mic night, prayer observation and a Q&A panel among many others! 

Source: www.facebook.com/LUUInterfaith

Source: www.facebook.com/LUUInterfaith

Our end of term dinner was a cracking night full of great food and fantastic company at Haftsin Restaurant! Check out the video that our very own Alireza made of the event below:

We were very excited to hold our first ABSoc-ISoc collaboration of the year at the end of November with the screening of the much awaited documentary - 'Why Can't I be a Sushi?'. Many thanks to the director Hoda El Soudani for coming all the way to Leeds to introduce the documentary and take questions from the audience, and to the Muslim Student Council for their help in organising the event. 

Source: www.facebook.com/sushidocumentary/

Source: www.facebook.com/sushidocumentary

Source: www.facebook.com/sushidocumentary

Leeds ABSoc also celebrated the election of two of our members to the Executive Committee of the Muslim Student Council! Roxanne Tajbakhsh has been elected as vice-chair and Ayad Marhoon is now Northern representative. Congratulations to all those elected, inshaAllah many great things to come!

That's all from us for now! We just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped make this first term a great one! We have some exciting events coming up so keep checking here and on our Facebook page for updates. Have a lovely holiday and see you next term!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Leeds University Union Ahlul Bayt Islamic Society's blog! Here, you'll be able to find out all about our events and activities that will be coming up and hear from students past and present! 

To learn more about Leeds ABSoc, click here, or get in touch with us via Facebook or email.