Islamic Crescents Observation
Project
Founded in 1419 AH - 1998 CE
Bylaws
01 August
2008 CE
P.O. Box 224 Abu-Dhabi - United Arab Emirates
Telephone/Fax: 00971-2-6212146
http://www.icoproject.org
info(at)icoproject(dot)org
Islamic Crescents Observation
Project
Chapter One
Name, Location, Objectives
Article 1:
The project is named
“Islamic Crescents Observation Project”, abbreviated and commonly referred to
as ICOP.
Article 2:
Unless otherwise
indicated, the following terms are defined as:
·
The Project or ICOP: Islamic Crescents Observation Project
·
The President: the President of ICOP
·
The Vice-President: the Vice-President of ICOP
·
Member: every individual who fulfills the conditions of
membership
·
General Membership: All members of ICOP registered in
accordance to its bylaws
·
Administrative Board: the administrative board formed in
accordance to the bylaws
·
Committee: any committee formed in accordance to the bylaws
·
General Assembly: assembly of the members during the ICOP conferences
or the assembly of the members virtually over the internet
·
Project’s Website: the ICOP website (www.icoproject.org)
Article 3:
The project is made up of
individuals or of public and private organizations willing to work for the
achievement of ICOP’s goals and objectives from anywhere in the world; its
location will be the current place of residence of the President.
Article 4: Objectives of
the Project
·
Conducting monthly observations of the lunar crescent and
gathering of information pertaining to these observations through the
participants/members of the project.
·
Performing data analysis of the crescent observations and
dissemination of the results to interesting parties, whether scientific, jurisprudential
(Fiqh) or religious (Shariah), and to the general public.
·
Establishing a comprehensive database, from historical and
modern data, pertaining to the observations of the lunar crescent and the
conditions of such observations.
·
Establishing and developing scientific criteria for the
prediction and feasibility of sighting the lunar crescent and promoting the
best models in accordance to the developed database.
·
Developing scientific “Hijri” calendars in accordance to the
developed database and the aforementioned prediction criteria.
·
Helping in unifying the efforts of scientists in establishing
an internationally accepted calendar.
·
Developing an accurate program for calculating prayer times,
one which should be applicable to all locations in the world, as much as
possible.
·
Providing necessary service to religious institutions for
determining the Qiblah direction in all possible situations.
·
Unearthing, preserving and promoting the great achievements made
throughout the Islamic Civilization in the field of “Islamic Astronomy”, link the
past with the present.
The project aims to
achieve those objectives through the program:
·
Gathering of information pertaining to the lunar crescent:
o
through the analysis of sighting reports of participants;
o
through the uncovering and preservation of historical and
modern archives.
·
Providing services (to private and public organizations) on:
o
lunar crescent maps, prayer times, and Qiblah calculations;
o
archival data of lunar crescent observations and results
from the data analysis.
·
Education (conferences and symposia):
o
from the Project’s location (base)
o
through general conferences
o
through special scientific symposia
·
Establishing relations and cooperation (though regular
exchanges and workshops):
o
among the participants in the Project
o
with universities and scientific organizations
o
among Fiqh organizations and Fatwa institutions
o
among the various national moonsighting organizations in the
Muslim world
·
Participating in conferences:
o
ICOP conferences
o
regional and international conferences in Islamic Astronomy
o
fiqh conferences
·
Participating in expositions and workshops: presenting data analysis
results and other scientific knowledge in the field of “Islamic Astronomy”.
Chapter 2
Membership and Fees
Article 5: Becoming a
Member
1. This is
performed by filling the online application and submitting it to the Administrative
Board, which will approve or reject the application.
Article 6: Membership
Types
There
are three different types of membership: Active, Friend and Honorary members:
Active member: any member fulfilling
the following conditions
o
observe the crescent periodically or regularly participate
in achieving the objectives of the project
o
abide by the constitution of ICOP and follow its bylaws and
pay the required membership fees
Member-Friend: a person interested in
the objectives of the Project but not able to take part in its activities more
than occasionally; such a “member-friend” cannot vote or run for election to
any position; s/he may, however, participate in the discussions and offer
opinions.
Honorary-Member: a person upon whom the
Administrative Board has decided to bestow this honorific title; such a person may
have made significant contributions to the Project or its objectives (directly
or indirectly); the “honorary member” cannot vote or be elected to a position
within the Project.
Article 7: Fees and Membership
ID
1. The membership
fee is 10 (ten) US dollars or its equivalent, to be paid in accordance to the
conditions stipulated on the ICOP website.
2. ICOP Administrative
Board shall review the membership fee at most once every two years.
3. The membership
expires at the end of each year.
4. Each member
should provide personal photo through e-mail or regular mail for the purpose of
issuing a picture ID card with an ID number. The person will be considered a
member of ICOP upon reception of the ID card.
5. The ID card
is renewable every three years.
Article 8: Membership
Expiration
Membership
expires when one of the following occurs:
1. Withdrawal by
the member him/herself;
2. Conditions
for membership are no longer fulfilled;
3. Non-payment
of fees at the due time;
4. Dismissal:
if the member acts in a way that is particularly damaging to the project, the Administrative
Board may decide to end the membership by the majority of votes within the
Board.
5. Death of
the member.
Article 9: Membership Renewal
1. The member
or his/her heirs are not entitled to claim back any fees paid or donations made
to the Project.
2. A member
whose membership has expired for reasons other than the payment of the dues may
apply for membership again only if the Administrative Board deems that the
conditions which resulted in his/her dismissal no longer exist.
Chapter 3
Project Income
Article 10: Income
Income
to the Project consists of:
1. Membership fees;
2. Donations which
do not stipulate any conditions that are incompatible with the objectives of
the Project or any of its bylaws;
3. Revenues
from cultural and social activities, including publications;
4. Bequests;
5. Any other
resources approved by the Administrative Board.
Article 11:
1. The
financial assets of the Project will be deposited in a bank determined by the Administrative
Board.
2. No
disbursement of the Project’s monies can be made without the approval of both
the treasurer and the President.
3. A financial
statement will be presented at each General Assembly for approval.
Chapter 4
Project Assemblies
A: General Membership and
Assembly
Article 12:
1. The General
Membership consists of all members fulfilling the conditions of membership in
accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. Communication between members of
the General Membership will normally be done through the Internet (e-mails or
net-meetings) or during the ICOP conferences. The Secretary will record all
meeting minutes.
2. The General
Membership will be called for an Assembly at each ICOP conference by an advance
notice sent at least one month prior to the date of the conference. The Assembly
will be considered legal whatever the quorum of the present active members (See
article 6).
3. The General
Assembly takes its decisions by simple majority (51%) of the cast votes. In the
event of a tie vote, the decision will be in favor of the President.
4. The general
Assembly will address the following issues:
a. Review the
annual report of the President, which s/he makes on behalf of the
Administrative Board;
b. Draw up
general policies for the Project for the next period;
c. Examine the
financial report;
d. Adopt the
draft budget for the next period;
e. Elect a new
Administrative Board;
f. Address other
issues submitted by the Administrative Board when the call for the Assembly is
made;
g. Address
issues proposed by the General Membership, provided they are submitted at least
one week before the Assembly date;
h. Voting can
be performed by a show of hands or by secret ballot;
i.
Absentee nominations are accepted;
j.
Absentee voting is not accepted.
Article 13:
The Project’s financial
report and the Project’s activities report are sent to General Membership normally
by e-mail, and remarks and suggestions are received within two weeks of the
reports’ submission date.
B : Administrative
Board
Article 14:
1. The project
is managed by the Administrative Board, which is made up of seven members, some
of which are appointed and the others are elected by the General Assembly.
2. The Administrative
Board will elect the President from amongst the seven members.
3. The Administrative
Board is normally elected every two years at the Project’s conference or
special meeting.
4. The
President can replace an executive member (of the Administrative Board) during
his/her term if the majority agrees. The President’s vote carries the motion in
case of a tie.
5. The Administrative
Board is dissolved if more than half of its members have resigned. The General Membership
is then called on for an emergency assembly to elect a new Administrative Board
within one month at most. The resigning Board continues to manage the project’s
affairs until the election of new Administrative Board.
6. The Administrative
Board consists of :
a. President
b. Secretary
c. Treasurer
d. Chair of
the Scientific Committee
e. Chair of
the Education Committee
f. Chair of
the Media Committee
g. Member
7. The President
appoints one of the Administrative Board members as Vice-President.
8. During the
election of Board members, in case of a tie for a position, the selection will
be made by mutual agreement, or by a draw with the consent of the candidates,
or by casting votes again for the two top candidates.
9. When a Board
post becomes vacant, the candidate who had received the second-highest number
of votes will take the vacant position. When no such candidate is available,
the General Assembly elects a new member.
10. The Administrative
Board has the right to form any committee to accomplish a specific task that is
not within the mandate of an existing committee.
Article 15:
The
communication between members of the Administrative Board will be through the Internet or during the
conferences. The Secretary will record the meeting’s minutes and any decision
taken.
Article 16:
1. Every Administrative Board member is required to
participate in the Administrative Board’s meetings, which take place through the Internet, unless
acceptable excuses are given.
2. Any member who
fails to participate in three consecutive Board meetings without a valid excuse
is dismissed from the Administrative Board.
Article 17:
Duties
of the President:
a. Chairs all
meetings of the Administrative Board.
b. Represents
the project in any official gathering, ensures the adherence of everyone to the
bylaws and executes the decisions of the Administrative Board, which may decide
to appoint a lawyer.
c. Supervises
all activities of the Project as well as the Committees’ work.
d. In the
event the President is absent, the Vice-President acts on his/her behalf; s/he
enjoys all authorities and responsibilities of the President.
Article 18:
Duties
of the Secretary:
a. Records the
minutes of the General Assembly and of the meetings of the Administrative Board;
b. Oversees
the execution of all directives issued by the Administrative Board and informs
the President of any violation;
c. Calls for
all meetings.
Article 19:
Duties
of the Treasurer:
a. Collects
all fees and donations to the Project, approves them and signs for them, and
deposits them in a bank chosen by the Administrative Board;
b. Executes
all directives of the Administrative Board concerning the financial affairs;
c. Keeps the
checkbooks and all financial records;
d. Is not
allowed to use the project’s assets except as approved by the Administrative
Board.
Chapter 5
Dissolution of the Project
Article 20:
1. The project
can be dissolved by decision of two thirds of the General Assembly.
2. In the
event of dissolution for any reason, the assets of the project will be
transferred as the General Assembly decides, after fulfilling all the
obligations and commitments of the project.
Chapter 6
Article 21:
The
project can join any (larger) international or Arab organization, network, or
union or merge with another registered organization with the consent of the
General Assembly.
Article 22:
The
project has a moral capacity to prosecute and litigate.
Article 23:
The
project is a foundation whose bylaws are effective and abiding after the first Assembly
and its affirmation.
Article 24:
The
Administrative Board has, with a majority vote, the capacity to reprimand any
member who violates the bylaws of the Project or its directives as listed in Article
8, using one of the following methods (in the order listed):
a. Sending a written
warning to desist from the violation;
b. If, for no
acceptable excuse, there is a second violation, freezing the membership of the
violator for a period of up to six months;
c. If, during
this freeze period, the member acts in a manner that brings, materially or morally,
harm to the project or to any committee or member of the Project, the violator
will be dismissed, and the membership revoked;
d. In case the
violation is a crime in a legal sense, the case will be turned in to the
judicial authorities.