dude, who is this asad anyways?

salaam alaykum, i’m your advisor Sadaf's brother. i’ve been asked to take over some of her advisor duties so that she can spend more time cleaning baby poop and toddler snot. i used to be a regional advisor here before i went off to University of Texas to study islamic architecture. most of you don't know me, what i've done, or what i can offer you as your new advisor… but if you bear with me thru this e-mail you’ll see why you shouldn’t hesitate to call me for any help and advise you may need.

Allah’s blessed me to be a part of many successes and failures in youth, college and community level activities. our scholars have said that one should not speak of the good deeds that one has done. do much / talk little. i pray i don't come across as boastful and proud.

IN THE BEGINNING…
at one time (1989) there were only 2 youth groups (MIA & ORL) in FLA. i was among the founding members of myna miami and what used to be REGION 4 (FL,GA,AL,NC,SC). i was president of our local youth group in its first years of existance (1989-91) and remember all the problems that we faced when trying to get good things done.

i'm sure that you’re familiar with the following phrases...

1-"bro! why only 3 people at an educational activity and 15 at a recreational one?"it wasn't until i began organizing MSA activities that i stumbled upon the SECRET to solve this problem...

2-"what do the sisters have against me, anyway?"
its a common phrase uttered by many male officers of mixed gender youth groups after the females get tired of his weak leadership abilities...

3-and the famous,"the guys are incompetent idiots."youth group politics can get ugly and lead to disaster. the girls in our group mutinied during my presidency and created their own semi-independant group, but we eventually merged again…and everything has been downhill since!...joke.

at one time (1990) there was only one regional officer (the REP…Asma Khan), and the region was very big. i was a local myna officer tapped by the zonal advisor (Suhaib Barzinji-one of the famous founders of myna and astrolabe pictures). ) to help her organize the 1st camp, 1st olympics, and the 1st leadership training (a snoozer). we made many funny video skits during this time together in the early 90s. after 3 years of getting leadership training the hard way, through organizing big events.

i was made MIAMI ADVISOR (1991-94) by Suhaib Barzinji, i was only 17 when he made me an advisor, but in the last 10 years i’ve gained much knowledge and wisdom of the WHY and the WHAT of this whole activism thing we’ve all been sucked in to. i was asked to attended an advisor/counselor training program organized by the BEST of our Breed: Baha Ahmed and Muzammil Nawaz. A whole group of us from Florida went. Armed with training we entered the world of myna counselorship. i was asked to helping coordinate counselors for the EZ conference (1994-96). during this period i took several of your predecessors to EZ trainings and meetings. in 95 i went to texas and till 97 i was one of 3 advisors there.

LESSON FROM TEXAS: weak local groups + all active regional officers off to college = INSTANT REGION DEATH

...with myna dying in texas, i got to spend more time being active in my campus msa. i’ll spare you the details of what i did with alhamdulillah one of the largest and most active msa. i also got better at DESIGNING flyers. while in the CZ i got to know myna founders like Riyad Shamma. he pulled me into the inner workings of myna national. along with people like Sadaf and Naeem Muhammad and Jawaad Abdul Rahman and others, i got to participate in major meetings and was once asked to help out in the selection review process for national officers.

to SUMMERIZE: BEEN THERE / MADE and seen THAT MISTAKE made ALREADY
the best advise is given when it is sought, it will be a waste if the officers are not willing to ask and appreciate what advisors have to say.
PEACE & LOVE.
-asad siddiqui