Dawoodi Bohra Forum

EDMONTON, CANADA

OVER 7 YEARS AND $3 MILLION EQUALS AN UNFINISHED MARKUZ IN EDMONTON, CANADA
Years ago Edmonton Jamaat was administered from Toronto by the Head Amil there. Raza, appointments of Amil, etc. was handled by him. The arrangements were cordial and things worked smoothly. For Ramadhan and Muharram Amils were brought in to lead prayers and conduct Waez.

What Edmonton Jamaat hoped as a direct link with Kothar turned out to be its biggest misfortune. This was the posting in Edmonton of one the sons-in-law of Mukasir Saheb, a pediatrician by profession. He comes from a wealthy family in the Far East area where it has a shipping business. His wife, Mukasir Saheb’s daughter wields power from behind the throne. This person started running the Jamaat affairs in his own authoritative abrasive manner. He has direct contact with those in power in Mumbai. He forms committees of local ‘yes’ men to run the Jamaat affairs but most decisions are dictated by him quoting directives from higher sources. Over the years he has continued to increase Wajebaat, Sabil, Salaams of Dais, Imams and so on. As usual with any Jamaat, Edmonton has its share of members with deep pockets and also with deep aquida - (Chamchagiri), who keep buttering up the son-in-law. Many of them are’ayaans’ and get nominated to committees but lack the backbone to oppose or voice their opinions.

Amils are imported from India on contract to conduct namaaz, majlis, run madrassa, etc. but overall control is maintained by the son-in-law. Amils were observed to be unhappy; a couple of them at times confided their feelings but were unable to do any more than that.. The last Amil tried to be bold but was harassed so much that on revolt he was transferred to a small town in Maharashtra.

To sum things up, the son-in-law has “Qoum nu satya nash wari didhu che. Eni juhukmi ane dadagiri thi manaso toba pukari gaya che.”

At present functions take place in leased spaces in industrial areas. In the last few years there has been a steady increase of Bohras migrating to Edmonton making it difficult to accommodate people, particularly during Moharram and Ramadhan. As the need for a masjid became more critical it was decided to launch a fund-raising campaign to build a Markuz.

It so happened that a medical professional (an ayaan) in the community had an ‘engineer’ brother. He was employed to supervise the construction of the Markuz. It became known that he was not an engineer. He might have undertaken some projects where he migrated from. He is not licensed in Canada and as has no knowledge of building construction business. In fact he runs a food kiosk in the University Mall.

The Markuz, under construction, is located in an industrial area of Edmonton. Fund raising and construction started more than seven years ago but the Markuz is still not completed. Close to $3 million dollars have been sunk in this project that reflects its unfinished state at the present. At one time the contracting company legally sued the community to recover outstanding arrears.

Over the years piecemeal construction has taken place. Outside painting is peeling and bleaching, stair entrances are eroding, no landscaping has been done, interior, sanitary and electrical work is contantly being redone to comply with bylaws; all resulting in extra costs.

Many suspect misappropriation of funds combined with the use of sub-par material, hiring tradespeople with minimal experience and so on. One day Edmonton will have a Markuz. As for now the community is being drained of funds in the guise of Wajebaat, Sabil, Salaams destined to the two litigants and their heirs. Funds that are direly needed to complete the Markuz.

Thank you M kenya for the update in edmonton. This has been exactly the state of affairs in Atlanta. The only exception being that it is worse. People came from houston and an architect so called friend of the past dai was given loads of money to design a mosque. the guy was just a draftsman. the local chamcha mohsin bharmal called himself an engineer and fooled the entire community because he had already failed the first part of the professional engineers exam 3 times. There were licensced state certified professional engineers in the community but as we all know how things work in our jamaat"you scratch my back and I scratch yours" let the community suffer. To day there is no masjid and the committeee has rented a commercial space from a hindu realtor as a markaz. The goonda committee of the atlanta jamaat is collecting monoies from the stupid mumineens to run their religious shows. Amil makes frequent trips to bombay and other places as if he owned the airline and had plenty of money.
Not at all surprized by edmonton. It is the same everywhere.
log jhukte hain jhukane wala chahai. dunya me baiwakoofoon ke kami nahi hai.

think: This Bharmal guy's 'dadagiri' is infamous. His repertoir of zulm is not only in Atlanta but reaches Spartanburg and beyond. If I may, I would like to send you a PM; please edit your profile so I can do that. You may also send me a PM.

It so happened that a medical professional (an ayaan) in the community had an ‘engineer’ brother. He was employed to supervise the construction of the Markuz. It became known that he was not an engineer. He might have undertaken some projects where he migrated from. He is not licensed in Canada and as has no knowledge of building construction business. In fact he runs a food kiosk in the University Mall.

Mkenya
Agree with what you have had to say about all the posts from you .
However the quotes from your post besmirch the persons you have mentioned. Perhaps you did not mean it but implies that medical doctor or his brother accrued benefit from this project. Am very close to medical person who is well known reputable cardiologist (EPS). He and his brother are independently wealthy .In addition both are good human beings who do not take advantage of others . Perhaps your post came across in different light than what you wanted to project.
Apologies if I read it in wrong way.

marabu: Many thanks for your comments. The thrust of my post, lengthy as it is, was to focus on the incompetent people, the son-in-law of Mukasir Saheb and the brother of the cardiologist, who were the key players. It was not meant to disparage either of them. No doubt a community would first look if there are qualified people within its ranks to fulfill required tasks as needs arise. In this instant incompetent people were chosen; possibly because of their connections. It is indeed disgraceful that it has taken close to 7 years and nearly $3 million dollars to show a Markuz that is far from complete. Like in any jamaat the majority are too 'afraid' to ask questions and accountability. I am sure that if they did, a remote possibility, they would regret their dare!

It is typical desi 'Harfan Maula' or 'Jack of all trades' mentality... They think that they can do it cheap themselves but end up spending even more...

Mukasir saheb's 3 daughters are in USA & Canada. I know all 3 of them and let me tell you, they are very budtameez, obnoxious and treat momineen like dirt including Jamea graduates, they all think they are Mukasirs. I don't know what their parents teach them at home to their kids because their 5 and 6year olds will not sit in thaals without a sojni even when they are alone and sitting in their own age group. The whole Qasr e aali bunch are rotten apples as far as their akhlaaq are concerned, no humility or humbleness. 3 sisters yell and raise their voice to the jamea graduate moallims and will not moallims to do their job without their dictation, they appoint themselves and maosool of madressa and eat up all the money collected for tuition and fly to India 3-4 times a year, moallims get their vazifas, but volunteer teachers from adna momins get thingna.

Kaka Akela: Baap re Baap, you know all three of Mukasir Saheb's daughters! I have not had such misfortune but from I have heard of the one in Edmonton. She has trained 'amates' such that soon as she is driven to Markuz a handful of them rush out to grab from her all that she carries. A couple scurry ahead to place her masalla, jholas, etc. at the head of the congregation. She then awaits nonchalantly the parade of the women to do salaam to her. Heaven forbid if dollar bills are offered to her other than in an envelope. Sojni is one thing but some of the 'galudiyas' will not 'chume' your hand when you do salaam to them. They do not even smile, but just pocket the money and look away.

Mkenya , you can certainly send me a p.m. message. do you have any ideas hoiw to resolve the atlanta ptroblems? I do not want to throw dirt on anyone . I know him all the way from rajkot and his parents and his schooling. this bharmal is a no: 1. and this is how they come and this is what the goonda kothar likes. It will take sometime for the bohri mumineen of small towns and villages to be educated enough to realize between truth and falsehood. Just imagine, even today in karachi jamia there are students from states who have left their schools to join jamia because they have been brainwashed by their ignorant parents that to be slave if amte would be best for them.

think: It is indeed sad that most jamaats are inclusive of characters like bharmal. Amils inherit them from previous Amils
who need such enforcers to get themselves familiarised and established. After that the Amil is held to sway by these people.
In this forum all we can do is to expose the highhandedness of such people. Sadly, that is all we can do.
You mention that you know the person from back in Rajkot; You can count me among the many who know umpteens of Bohras from East Africa who now profess to be loyal and pious 'ayaans' who were, and may be even now, 'shokheen' of every conceivable definition.

highhandedness is concievable but an outright lier is not. This mohsin bharmal will lie with a flip of a coin to get things done his way regardless of the feelings of other members of the jamaat. Many have complained but the complaint to the higher ups in houston and california fall on deaf ears. . They send some joker to check him out. Mohsin knows the secret of these jokers. A fat dollar salaam and he has got this joker in his back pocket. The guy from houston or california will play deaf to the cries of the community. And this is no big secret. It is every where from zada to zadi to morela to more le and all the way down. Mohsin is no exception. The kothar mafiyaa has sold its soul to the devil. They are vulnerable and confused to the point of not knowing between right and wrong. That is why you see a women in a sari and a blouse and mohdi and the rest in places purely for the devout. somethings are o.k. at one time and not at other times. somethings are o,k if you are rich or powerful but not o.k. for the general community. Noon in england is a prime example and many others like him.
Imagine the stupidity of the africans. They are serving ziafat to morela by swimming across a swimming pool. What is this african trying to do. Probably show off that he is got a swimming pool in his house when the rest of the community suffers .

Reformers are no match for either Kothar or its lackeys like Bharmal who do the enforcing and coercing per the Amil's directives. I know that mainstream Bohras lurk amidst this link; I received a forward of my post from a mailer the same day I posted! They are hurting but cannot do anything about it!

In Pakistan something can be done. A few of the badmash amils should be taken down in this shia sunni strife and that would send a signal to the rest.