WMO for All Memons

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

I have been associated with WMO as a Life Member since 2007. I am standing for the Europe Regional Management Committee because I believe deeply in the potential of WMO and in the responsibility we carry towards our community and wider society.

My vision is straightforward:

A WMO that is for all Memons; firmly rooted in its constitutional Objects and Islamic values; governed fairly and transparently; and recognised by what it actually delivers for people.

WMO for All Memons

WMO should be an organisation in which every Memon feels welcome and represented.

We should reach beyond established circles and actively engage families, young people, professionals, entrepreneurs, scholars, women, elders and those who have never previously participated in WMO.

Our organisation should not be defined by personalities, family connections, social standing or wealth.

Ability, commitment, integrity and willingness to serve should determine the opportunities people receive within WMO.

I want us to develop a genuine culture of meritocracy, where talented people are encouraged to participate and where new ideas are welcomed regardless of who proposes them.

Our strength lies in bringing people together.

Delivering the Objects of WMO

The WMO Constitution already gives us a clear purpose.

My priority is therefore not to reinvent WMO, but to help ensure that we actually deliver programmes and activities that fulfil its stated Objects.

These include religious, technical and professional education; relief from poverty and sustainable livelihoods; advancement of Islamic faith and religious practice; and religious harmony and the elimination of discrimination.

Every major initiative we undertake should therefore answer a simple question:

Which Object of WMO are we delivering?

Our time, resources and charitable funds should be directed towards programmes that create measurable benefit.

Strengthening Our Islamic Identity

WMO is uniquely placed to help bring our community — particularly our younger generations — closer to Islam and to the character and conduct of our Noble Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

This should be done positively: through education, good example, compassion, service to others and the strengthening of our families.

Islam is not confined to our acts of worship. It guides how we conduct business, fulfil our responsibilities, resolve disagreements, maintain family relationships and treat one another.

This was an important theme of the plan I put forward in 2023: our muamalat — our dealings, relationships and conduct — are an important part of living according to our faith.

I would like WMO to work with respected scholars and professionals to develop accessible educational programmes for young and old, delivered both physically and digitally and, where appropriate, in English and Memon languages.

Humanitarian Service — Turning Compassion into Action

Humanitarian work has been an important part of my own community service for many years.

I have helped raise funds for Pakistan with Muslim Aid; for an orphanage in Delhi; for a school in Kashmir with the READ Foundation; and, most recently, for medical humanitarian assistance for Gaza with Medical Aid for Palestinians, working alongside members of our Memon communities in London and Leicester.

I want WMO Europe to become known for credible, well-organised humanitarian action.

That means developing strong relationships with reputable humanitarian organisations, mobilising our community rapidly when disasters occur, increasing fundraising and ensuring that assistance reaches people effectively.

But our work should go beyond emergency relief.

Wherever possible, we should help families move from dependency to sustainable livelihoods through education, training and economic opportunity.

Zakat — Education, Confidence and Impact

The Memon community has enormous charitable potential.

I would like WMO to develop a much stronger strategy around Zakat education, collection and effective distribution, with appropriate Shariah guidance.

My earlier proposal included access to confidential Zakat calculation support, education about calculation and eligibility, and properly governed distribution.

If people have confidence that their Zakat is being calculated correctly, administered properly and directed towards credible projects, WMO can significantly increase its humanitarian impact.

Strengthening Families and Resolving Disputes

Strong families create strong communities.

Our community inevitably experiences family, commercial and interpersonal disputes. Too often these disagreements become prolonged, expensive and destructive of relationships.

I would like WMO to explore a professional Alternative Dispute Resolution and reconciliation service, supported by suitably qualified Islamic scholars and professionals.

The emphasis should be upon Sulh — fair and amicable resolution and, wherever possible, reconciliation — particularly in family and commercial disputes.

Education, Careers and the Next Generation

Within WMO we already have an extraordinary pool of experience: entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, accountants, academics, engineers, technology professionals, scholars and people from many other fields.

We should connect that experience with the next generation.

I would like to establish programmes through which successful Memons can mentor, educate and inspire young people, including career talks, professional mentoring, entrepreneurship, business skills and networking.

WMO should become a platform through which one generation actively helps the next.

Governance, Rules and Meritocracy

Good intentions are not enough. A respected organisation also requires good governance.

I believe strongly that the WMO Constitution, Standing Orders and Regulations must be followed consistently and impartially.

The rules must apply equally to everyone — irrespective of position, influence, seniority or personal relationships.

Where rules need changing, we should change them through the proper constitutional process. We should not simply disregard them when they become inconvenient.

I want to promote a culture of:

Transparency. Accountability. Fairness. Meritocracy. Respect.

Positions within WMO should be regarded as positions of responsibility and service, not status.

As I wrote in my 2023 plan, we must “respect and honour our posts and positions with the necessary dedication so that we can perform our roles to the best of our abilities.”

Unity Through Action

Ultimately, I want to help build a WMO that brings Memons together.

Not simply through meetings, but through shared purpose and shared achievement.

Imagine a WMO where our young people come to us for mentoring and opportunity; our families can obtain guidance and support; our professionals contribute their knowledge; our scholars help strengthen our understanding of Islam; our humanitarian programmes respond effectively to suffering; and Memons who previously had little involvement begin to feel that WMO belongs to them too.

That is how membership and participation will grow — organically, through confidence in what we deliver.

My Commitment

I am not standing simply to occupy a position on the RMC.

I am standing because I believe I can contribute my business experience, humanitarian experience, time, energy and ideas to help WMO Europe deliver meaningful programmes.

I will work constructively with anyone who shares that objective.

I will support good ideas regardless of who proposes them.

I will ask difficult questions when necessary.

I will respect the Constitution and the democratic decisions of our membership.

And I will always seek to put the interests of WMO and the community ahead of personalities and positions.

With the right people, clear objectives and sincere intentions, I believe WMO Europe can once again become an active, respected and innovative Chapter that leads through service and example.

WMO for all Memons.
Faith through conduct.
Service through action.
Opportunity through merit.
Governance through fairness.
Unity through purpose.

Naeem SattarLife Member since 2007
Candidate — WMO Europe Regional Management Committee 2026–2029