Training the ICNA Recruiters

1. Training the ICNA Recruiters In Preparation for the Membership Drive Presented by ICNA – West Region

2. Objectives • To enumerate ways / means of recruitment • To introduce tools of activism • To teach some psychological aspects • To explore reasons why people join ICNA • To learn how to increase retention rate • To learn special ways for special sectors

3. What to do ONE year before ? • Bring ICNA into positive lime-light • Repair any negative feelings in existing cadre • Purge inactive members / bad apples • Build a good resume for ICNA • Maintain solid bridges and alliances with the greater community in the area

4. What to do 6 months before ? • Before 6 months of a membership drive, make verbal or written peace treaties with muslim groups • Not to use mouth or pen against them • Not to steal members from them. • Identify focus groups / segments for campaign

5. Why do people join any Organization ? • Friendship, Socialization, Camaraderie • Sense of Identity and belonging • Fulfilling of some needs – could be material, social, psychological, legal, matrimonial etc. • Representation – organization is the mouth-piece. • Status symbol if it is a prestigious org. with hard to get membership • To get something – training, books, entry somewhere etc.

6. Why did people join ICNA ? • Allow enumeration by the participants here • Presenters : plz. Don’t stifle debate – let there be a healthy dis-agreement, jokes, puns etc.

7. Why did people join ICNA ? • To spread Islam in the USA • To consolidate, to maintain identity • To be in a Pakistani social club • To get approved for loan by MSI • To get discount at convention • Friends asked them to….. (Smile !)

8. Why did members become MGA’s ? • Wanted to serve Islam more functionally • Finished the syllabus and demonstrated competency • Vision / Mission of ICNA appealed to them • Ready to give Zakat to the Baitul Maal • Tried other options/ groups and those failed to meet the criteria (they had miserable experiences) • Friends in high places promoted them

9. What do you think helps retention of new members ? • This is an inter-active part • Write comments of the recruiters on the flip-chart • Tear the flip-chart and paste with scotch-tape to a well-lighted wall on one side of the room • Come back to that at the end of the workshop

10. What are the divisions of ICNA ? • Baitul Maal, ICNA Relief, Helping Hand • Sisters’ Wing • YM – Boys and YM – girls • Muslim Children of North America • Sound Vision / MSI (Historical perspective) • WhyIslam • Civil Advocacy thru’ agreement with CAIR • The Message Magazine

11. So, let us list them in order of popularity with newbies …. ! • This is a practical exercise. • Allow people to argue about the list-order • Encourage debate about rank-1st,2nd,3rd etc. • Write on flip-chart legibly. • Keep aside on the opposite wall for future use

12. How to get ready for a membership drive ? • Membership forms (extremely professional) • Sign-in sheets for information @ every event • Delineate eligibility, requirements etc. • Identify avenues, methods, approaches • Train the recruiters and empower them. • Budget time, resources, money, talent. • Have a second line of volunteers to sustain the drive • Schedule a large event at the end of the week to invite all the newcomers to.

13. Avenues / Modalities • Internet Campaign, Mass e-mails, Form letters • Table at Jummah prayers for 4 Fridays of the alloted month for the membership drive • Table / Booth at mega-events of muslims • Invitations for NNet, Programs, Fund-raisers • Newspaper ads- continuous and ongoing

14. Target Populations of Muslims • Masjid-going people, Imams, Namazis • Tableeghi Jama’at (need specific tips) • Disenfranchised youth, Ir-religious muslims • Minorities in the USA – Bosnian, Somalian, Filipino, Indonesian, Guyana (West Indies) • Secular muslims – meaning consciously secular. • Muslims in smaller towns of the USA • 2nd or 3rd generation of immigrant muslims • Converts / Reverts – Caucasian, African, Latino, Russian, Ex-convicts

15. Sample Exercise # 1 • Divide into groups of 3; Put new people together / Learn teamwork – Time limit – 5 minutes only • Select a target sub-sector of the muslims • Write an e-mail form letter to mass-mail on the Yahoo-groups that you have joined. Eg: Bangladeshis in Seattle, Muslims in Idaho, Pakis-in-Denver, Salafidoctors-in-USA. • Complete, sign your names, and hand-over to the Workshop Facilitator. • Give 3 T-shirts to the best letter-writing team

16. Sample Exercise # 2 • Shuffle the groups; mix and match. • You are at a big muslim “EID CARNIVAL” • You have an ICNA booth, selling books and CD’s • You are also recruiting- Pretend to be a gentleman eg: Tableeghi, Bosnian, Somali, Arab, Latino Convert, Caucasian Convert etc. • Sisters – pretend to be a sister of some sub-sector • Practice talking and pitching an invitation to join ICNA – 3 minutes only. • Switch roles, stop after 3 more minutes. • Elaborate the difficulties

17. Approaching the Masjid People • Highlight the aims / objectives of ICNA • Advantages of a national organization • Explain concept of Jamat, Shoora, Iqamat Deen, Muslim Identity, Collective Society • Only way to fulfill various responsibilities • Makes living here easier, not harder

18. Inviting the Ulema / Imams • Gives them a legitimate platform for preaching • Most of them – good for talks; lack in organizing and mobilizing skills • Quote the ayaat and hadeeth that form the basis of ICNA • Show them the peculiarities of ICNA • Give them names of other Imams who joined • Systematically, break-down resistance and answer their questions

19. Special attention to Tableeghis • Extremely fertile ground for new members • They have a spirit of sacrifice and activism • Explain that Deen is more than worship • Quote ayaat that encourage participation of the muslims in the public square of US • Explain that Fiqah of Deoband not completely applicable to USA at this time • Explain difference between external sunnah and internal sunnah

20. More conversation with Joula people • Explain Islamic revolution not just of long beards, high pajamas, niqaabs, tasbeehs • Explain about their promotion / advancement into 100 % Deen (not just ibadaat) • Reading Quran with translation and tafseer • Using pamphlets, TV programs or Dawah booths is NOT a bid’ah.

21. What else can you talk to them about? • Allow active discussion among participants • Allow debate, dis-agreements, rebuttals. • Bring it all together

22. Disenfranchised youth, Ir-religious muslims • Non-practicing muslims need love and Mercy • Have raham for them; Be polite. • Do not condemn or scold; don’t loose your cool ! • Empower them with Islam, stories of Sahaba. • Remind them of their convenants • Offer them recognition, friendship, camaraderie, a Social club, place to hang-out ! • Concept of Deen and Duniya (Bird with 2 wings) • Integration / Acculturation in the US, but with Islamic Identity

23. Muslim Minorities in the USA • As opposed to Indian-Pakistani or Arabs • Need an ICNA fellow from their ethnicity to approach them eg: Bangladeshis, Bosnian, Somalian, Filipino, Indonesian, Guyana (West Indies) • May need a separate NNet before integration • Be acutely aware of past baggage, hostilities, mass sufferings • Need to prime / prepare our own members to be accepting of new people who are different

24. Secular muslims – meaning consciously secular. • Explain Allama Iqbal’s journey • Explain the secularism of the Bosnians’ did not save them when the holocaust came. • Call them towards Civil Advocacy, social services, building bridges with other faith communities, INTERFAITH, anti-war movements etc. • Explain what ICNA has to offer to them

25. Muslims in smaller towns of the USA • Extremely under-looked and sidelined • Highly talented and potential workers • Usually, fertile ground without other groups • Will get immediate empowerment on joining a national movement • Will get lots of advantages, structure, literature, recognition when they join ICNA

26. 2nd or 3rd generation of immigrant muslims • Sometimes lost in the crowd • Sense of superiority complex over the “FOBs” • Maybe approached using YM- girls or boys • Different directory of words, grammar, accent • Very responsive, eager, hard-working once they join • May result in older members needing to change attitudes • May need to make meetings all English, not Urdu • May need to change food from Biryani to American food

27. Converts / Reverts – Caucasian • White males harder to find in reverts than females • Tend to be suspicious of groups / cults • Immense amount of talent.

28. Converts / Reverts – African • Regaining their moral compass of hallaal and haram • History of African Muslims in this country before Christopher Columbus • Many slaves were muslim princes that knew to read and write

29. Converts / Reverts – Latino • Special affinity groups • Most active on the list-serve • Spirit of dawah is the highest in this group

30. Schedule a large event at the end of the week to invite all the newcomers to. • Gives you an opening line to approach people • Enables you to solidify and consolidate • Explain the aims and objectives of ICNA further • Showcase past successful projects on poster-boards • Include pictures in the powerpoints • Include endorsements from Ulema and public figures, muslim sportsmen etc.

31. Hurdles, Barriers, Excuses • Enumerate the hurdles • Verbalize the excuses • Elaborate on the barriers • Discuss if the barriers are perceptions or reality. • Are there any fallacies of thought ?

32. “I am too busy; No time for this!” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

33. “ICNA can be labelled terrorist org.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

34. “I am a moderate muslim.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

35. “It is hard to be a father and do this.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

36. “ICNA is not on the sunnat tareeqa.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

37. “ICNA peoples beards are not long enough.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

38. “I don’t want to join a Desi group.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

39. “I don’t need what you are selling.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

40. “You are misogynists !” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

41. “In Rome, do as Romans do !” • We need to be American here, not muslim.

42. “I am a convert; What can ICNA offer me?” • Very valid question • Our leaders need to answer this – because there are serious differences in perception, our advertisement and our reality

43. “Forming a group is a bida’ah.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

44. “You all compromise on the principles of Islam.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

45. “It is too far for me.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

46. “This is a new organization.” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

47. “I don’t know who your Ulema are!” • Give me some ideas on how to rebut / explain this excuse !

48. After the membership drive…… • Consolidation and solidifying • Inviting and keeping track. • 2 phone-calls and personal visits for 2 months • Repeated e-mails and reminders • Make some activities, dawah booths, picnics, potlucks etc. just for the new members

49. Ideas, Suggestions, Feedback ? Questions and Critique, please ?

50. Thankyou for your patient listening and active participation ! May Allah bless you and protect you from the Shaitaan who is our Open Enemy ! Ameen !