YOUTH PETITION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT: A CALL FOR STRONGER YOUTH ENGAGEMENT & SPIRITUAL LEADERS
The Issue
Dear Members of Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat,
Over the past four years, numerous activities and initiatives have taken place within our džemat to encourage youth engagement, strengthen community connections, and promote sports, recreation, and cultural involvement.
We believe it is important to recognize these efforts and document the contributions made during the current Board of Directors' (Džematski Odbor) term. These initiatives have provided opportunities for young people to gather, build friendships, represent our community, and participate in its activities.
However, while we acknowledge and appreciate what has been accomplished, we must also address an issue that remains unresolved: the absence of meaningful spiritual leadership and engagement with the younger generation.
A thriving youth community requires more than occasional events, recreational activities, and a designated space to gather. It requires leadership that actively invests in young people, recognizes their needs, builds relationships with them, and makes them feel that they have a place and a future within their džemat.
1. Youth Activities and Initiatives
1. Youth Gatherings and Social Events
Approximately a dozen youth events have been organized, including community dinners that provided opportunities to socialize, build friendships, and strengthen connections within our community.
2. Establishment of a Youth Hub
A dedicated Youth Hub was established for youth gatherings and activities, particularly during Ramadan, as well as throughout the year.
3. Blue Mountain Ski Trip
Through the Sports and Recreation Committee, established during the current Board's term, a ski trip to Blue Mountain was organized. To our knowledge, this was the first youth trip of its kind in more than a decade.
4. Re-establishment of the Soccer Club
After more than twenty years, our džemat's soccer club was re-established and officially registered, with the Board and Sports and Recreation Committee providing organizational and financial support.
5. Vancouver Soccer Tournament
Led by Alija Topuz, the Sports and Recreation Committee raised more than $15,000 through community contributions and Board support to enable our soccer team to participate in a tournament in Vancouver.
6. Continued Sports Activities
Our soccer team participated in the Muslim Soccer League in Toronto and other tournaments, with organizational and financial support from the Board.
7. Basketball Tournament
The Sports and Recreation Committee and Bosnian Canadian Association (BCA), in coordination with the Board, organized a basketball tournament to encourage sports participation and strengthen community connections.
8. Gathering of Bosniak Youth
At the initiative of the current Board, a gathering brought together Bosniak youth from Toronto, Hamilton, London, St. Catharines, and surrounding communities to build friendships and encourage future cooperation.
9. Youth-Led Community Contributions
Our youth have also taken initiative in organizing and supporting community events, including:
- Community iftars during Ramadan.
- A special dinner for the women of our džemat.
- A Bajram Sijelo (Eid gathering).
- Bosnia and Herzegovina's Statehood Day celebrations.
- Other social, cultural, and religious activities.
These initiatives demonstrate that our youth are not indifferent to their community. On the contrary, they are willing to contribute their time, energy, skills, and resources when given the opportunity.
2. Concerns Regarding Spiritual Leadership and Youth Engagement
While we recognize and appreciate the considerable efforts made by the Board to organize events and create opportunities for youth, we are deeply concerned by the limited engagement of the current Imam, Haris Ef., with younger members of our džemat.
For years, we have heard the same question being asked: "Where is the youth?"
Yet, rather than genuinely asking young people what they need, listening to their concerns, and examining the role of institutional leadership in their disengagement, the assumption is often made that young people are simply uninterested in attending the džamija.
We believe this assumption is fundamentally misguided.
Our youth are not absent because they lack faith, because they do not care about Islam, or because they have no interest in belonging to their community. Many are simply not being given the spiritual guidance, mentorship, encouragement, and meaningful opportunities for connection that should be central to an imam's responsibility.
During Ramadan, for example, Haris Ef. often led only four rakats of Taraweeh prayer and rarely made an effort to visit the Youth Hub upstairs to connect with the young people gathered there. This was a significant missed opportunity to establish relationships, offer guidance, and demonstrate that the youth were an important part of the džemat.
An imam's responsibility extends far beyond leading prayers.
We need an imam who does not simply wait for young people to approach him, who even then is extremely reluctant to engage, but one who makes a genuine effort to reach them. An imam who takes the initiative to understand their experiences, listens without judgment, offers guidance, establishes youth programs, and actively works to bring the younger generation closer to the džamija.
We need someone who is willing to invest in building relationships rather than expecting those relationships to develop on their own.
A Youth Hub, sports club, or occasional gathering cannot replace spiritual leadership. These initiatives are valuable, but without consistent guidance, mentorship, and genuine engagement, we are addressing only part of the problem.
For too long, the responsibility for bringing young people together has fallen primarily on the youth themselves and the volunteers who organize activities. While their efforts are commendable, the responsibility for nurturing the spiritual development of the next generation cannot rest on young people alone.
It is time for our institution to look inward, acknowledge these shortcomings, and ask itself an important question:
What are WE doing to make this džamija a place that young people genuinely want to come to, feel welcomed in, and consider their home?
3. What We Are Calling For: Meaningful Change
We are not simply asking for more events or additional recreational activities. We are calling for a fundamental improvement in how our džemat approaches youth engagement and spiritual leadership.
We believe the next chapter of our community must include:
Active spiritual leadership: An imam who takes initiative in reaching out to young people, rather than waiting for them to approach him.
Consistent youth engagement: Regular opportunities for the imam to interact with young people outside of obligatory prayers, including visits to youth gatherings and the Youth Hub.
Mentorship and guidance: A genuine commitment to advising, supporting, and guiding young people through the challenges they face in their personal, academic, professional, and spiritual lives.
Youth consultation and representation: Meaningful opportunities for young people to voice their concerns, contribute ideas, and participate in decisions that affect their future within the džemat.
Sustainable spiritual programming: Regular youth halaqas, discussions, educational programs, and initiatives that make Islamic learning accessible, relevant, and engaging for younger generations.
Accountability and commitment: A leadership structure that recognizes youth engagement as an ongoing responsibility, rather than an occasional initiative or an issue raised only when attendance declines.
Most importantly, we believe that the selection of an imam must take these responsibilities seriously. Our community needs spiritual leadership that understands the importance of investing in its younger generation and demonstrates a genuine willingness to do so.
4. Purpose of This Petition
The purpose of this petition is threefold:
- To recognize the initiatives undertaken over the past four years and acknowledge the contributions of the Board, Sports and Recreation Committee, volunteers, community members, and youth themselves.
- To formally express our concerns regarding the current Imam's limited engagement with younger members of our džemat and challenge the assumption that youth disengagement is simply a result of disinterest.
- To call for meaningful change in the spiritual leadership and approach to youth engagement within Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat. With the upcoming džemat elections, we believe community members deserve an honest and complete account of both the accomplishments and the shortcomings of the current term.
By signing this petition, we acknowledge, to the best of our knowledge and personal experience, the activities and initiatives described above, recognize the contributions of those involved, and express our concerns regarding the current state of youth engagement and spiritual leadership.
We also call upon those responsible for the future of our džemat to take these concerns seriously when considering its leadership and the direction it will take in the coming years.
This petition is not an attempt to dismiss the work of volunteers, undermine the achievements of the current Board, or create divisions within our community. It is a call for accountability, improvement, and a genuine commitment to the future of our džemat.
We do not want to spend another four years asking where the youth are. We want leadership that makes them feel there is a reason to be here.
Our youth should not have to repeatedly demand attention, guidance, and a place within their own community. They should be welcomed, supported, and actively invested in.
We are not asking for the impossible. We are asking for an imam who understands that his responsibility is not limited to those who already walk through the doors of the džamija, but extends to those who have yet to find their way back.
It is time to stop pointing fingers at the youth and start taking responsibility for the environment and leadership we provide them.
It is time for meaningful change. We deserve leadership that is willing to fight for its youth, just as its youth are willing to fight for their community.
Respectfully,
The Youth of Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat, Toronto
45
The Issue
Dear Members of Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat,
Over the past four years, numerous activities and initiatives have taken place within our džemat to encourage youth engagement, strengthen community connections, and promote sports, recreation, and cultural involvement.
We believe it is important to recognize these efforts and document the contributions made during the current Board of Directors' (Džematski Odbor) term. These initiatives have provided opportunities for young people to gather, build friendships, represent our community, and participate in its activities.
However, while we acknowledge and appreciate what has been accomplished, we must also address an issue that remains unresolved: the absence of meaningful spiritual leadership and engagement with the younger generation.
A thriving youth community requires more than occasional events, recreational activities, and a designated space to gather. It requires leadership that actively invests in young people, recognizes their needs, builds relationships with them, and makes them feel that they have a place and a future within their džemat.
1. Youth Activities and Initiatives
1. Youth Gatherings and Social Events
Approximately a dozen youth events have been organized, including community dinners that provided opportunities to socialize, build friendships, and strengthen connections within our community.
2. Establishment of a Youth Hub
A dedicated Youth Hub was established for youth gatherings and activities, particularly during Ramadan, as well as throughout the year.
3. Blue Mountain Ski Trip
Through the Sports and Recreation Committee, established during the current Board's term, a ski trip to Blue Mountain was organized. To our knowledge, this was the first youth trip of its kind in more than a decade.
4. Re-establishment of the Soccer Club
After more than twenty years, our džemat's soccer club was re-established and officially registered, with the Board and Sports and Recreation Committee providing organizational and financial support.
5. Vancouver Soccer Tournament
Led by Alija Topuz, the Sports and Recreation Committee raised more than $15,000 through community contributions and Board support to enable our soccer team to participate in a tournament in Vancouver.
6. Continued Sports Activities
Our soccer team participated in the Muslim Soccer League in Toronto and other tournaments, with organizational and financial support from the Board.
7. Basketball Tournament
The Sports and Recreation Committee and Bosnian Canadian Association (BCA), in coordination with the Board, organized a basketball tournament to encourage sports participation and strengthen community connections.
8. Gathering of Bosniak Youth
At the initiative of the current Board, a gathering brought together Bosniak youth from Toronto, Hamilton, London, St. Catharines, and surrounding communities to build friendships and encourage future cooperation.
9. Youth-Led Community Contributions
Our youth have also taken initiative in organizing and supporting community events, including:
- Community iftars during Ramadan.
- A special dinner for the women of our džemat.
- A Bajram Sijelo (Eid gathering).
- Bosnia and Herzegovina's Statehood Day celebrations.
- Other social, cultural, and religious activities.
These initiatives demonstrate that our youth are not indifferent to their community. On the contrary, they are willing to contribute their time, energy, skills, and resources when given the opportunity.
2. Concerns Regarding Spiritual Leadership and Youth Engagement
While we recognize and appreciate the considerable efforts made by the Board to organize events and create opportunities for youth, we are deeply concerned by the limited engagement of the current Imam, Haris Ef., with younger members of our džemat.
For years, we have heard the same question being asked: "Where is the youth?"
Yet, rather than genuinely asking young people what they need, listening to their concerns, and examining the role of institutional leadership in their disengagement, the assumption is often made that young people are simply uninterested in attending the džamija.
We believe this assumption is fundamentally misguided.
Our youth are not absent because they lack faith, because they do not care about Islam, or because they have no interest in belonging to their community. Many are simply not being given the spiritual guidance, mentorship, encouragement, and meaningful opportunities for connection that should be central to an imam's responsibility.
During Ramadan, for example, Haris Ef. often led only four rakats of Taraweeh prayer and rarely made an effort to visit the Youth Hub upstairs to connect with the young people gathered there. This was a significant missed opportunity to establish relationships, offer guidance, and demonstrate that the youth were an important part of the džemat.
An imam's responsibility extends far beyond leading prayers.
We need an imam who does not simply wait for young people to approach him, who even then is extremely reluctant to engage, but one who makes a genuine effort to reach them. An imam who takes the initiative to understand their experiences, listens without judgment, offers guidance, establishes youth programs, and actively works to bring the younger generation closer to the džamija.
We need someone who is willing to invest in building relationships rather than expecting those relationships to develop on their own.
A Youth Hub, sports club, or occasional gathering cannot replace spiritual leadership. These initiatives are valuable, but without consistent guidance, mentorship, and genuine engagement, we are addressing only part of the problem.
For too long, the responsibility for bringing young people together has fallen primarily on the youth themselves and the volunteers who organize activities. While their efforts are commendable, the responsibility for nurturing the spiritual development of the next generation cannot rest on young people alone.
It is time for our institution to look inward, acknowledge these shortcomings, and ask itself an important question:
What are WE doing to make this džamija a place that young people genuinely want to come to, feel welcomed in, and consider their home?
3. What We Are Calling For: Meaningful Change
We are not simply asking for more events or additional recreational activities. We are calling for a fundamental improvement in how our džemat approaches youth engagement and spiritual leadership.
We believe the next chapter of our community must include:
Active spiritual leadership: An imam who takes initiative in reaching out to young people, rather than waiting for them to approach him.
Consistent youth engagement: Regular opportunities for the imam to interact with young people outside of obligatory prayers, including visits to youth gatherings and the Youth Hub.
Mentorship and guidance: A genuine commitment to advising, supporting, and guiding young people through the challenges they face in their personal, academic, professional, and spiritual lives.
Youth consultation and representation: Meaningful opportunities for young people to voice their concerns, contribute ideas, and participate in decisions that affect their future within the džemat.
Sustainable spiritual programming: Regular youth halaqas, discussions, educational programs, and initiatives that make Islamic learning accessible, relevant, and engaging for younger generations.
Accountability and commitment: A leadership structure that recognizes youth engagement as an ongoing responsibility, rather than an occasional initiative or an issue raised only when attendance declines.
Most importantly, we believe that the selection of an imam must take these responsibilities seriously. Our community needs spiritual leadership that understands the importance of investing in its younger generation and demonstrates a genuine willingness to do so.
4. Purpose of This Petition
The purpose of this petition is threefold:
- To recognize the initiatives undertaken over the past four years and acknowledge the contributions of the Board, Sports and Recreation Committee, volunteers, community members, and youth themselves.
- To formally express our concerns regarding the current Imam's limited engagement with younger members of our džemat and challenge the assumption that youth disengagement is simply a result of disinterest.
- To call for meaningful change in the spiritual leadership and approach to youth engagement within Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat. With the upcoming džemat elections, we believe community members deserve an honest and complete account of both the accomplishments and the shortcomings of the current term.
By signing this petition, we acknowledge, to the best of our knowledge and personal experience, the activities and initiatives described above, recognize the contributions of those involved, and express our concerns regarding the current state of youth engagement and spiritual leadership.
We also call upon those responsible for the future of our džemat to take these concerns seriously when considering its leadership and the direction it will take in the coming years.
This petition is not an attempt to dismiss the work of volunteers, undermine the achievements of the current Board, or create divisions within our community. It is a call for accountability, improvement, and a genuine commitment to the future of our džemat.
We do not want to spend another four years asking where the youth are. We want leadership that makes them feel there is a reason to be here.
Our youth should not have to repeatedly demand attention, guidance, and a place within their own community. They should be welcomed, supported, and actively invested in.
We are not asking for the impossible. We are asking for an imam who understands that his responsibility is not limited to those who already walk through the doors of the džamija, but extends to those who have yet to find their way back.
It is time to stop pointing fingers at the youth and start taking responsibility for the environment and leadership we provide them.
It is time for meaningful change. We deserve leadership that is willing to fight for its youth, just as its youth are willing to fight for their community.
Respectfully,
The Youth of Gazi Husrev-beg Džemat, Toronto
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Petition created on November 2, 2026