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Islamic Relief in Asia – Our Commitment to Providing Relief to those in Need for Almost 30 Years
By Yusuf Azimi Since 1993, Islamic Relief has been working in Asia, committed to providing emergency relief and integrated programming to those in need. During this time, the region has experienced numerous floodings, landslides, droughts, earthquakes and recurrent disease outbreaks, as well as conflict and economic related disasters. Throughout that time, we’ve established a base in several countries throughout Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Building teams on the ground capable of providing effective and efficient support rapidly, whenever a crisis arises. As we look towards our 30th year of working in Asia, we recognize that although considerable progress has been made, there are…
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National Volunteer Week with The Blueshirts
April 17 – April 23 marks the celebration of volunteers Yusuf Azmi This National Volunteer Week, our volunteers will continue raising funds and awareness for our brothers and sisters in need across the globe through our IRaise Ramadan campaign. They will be assisting with hot meals distributions, meal pack events, hygiene kit assemblies, packaging food boxes, and supporting our fundraising events. National Volunteer week is taking place during the blessed month of Ramadan, one of the busiest times of the year at IRUSA. With the help of our volunteers this Ramadan, our aim is to assemble around 500k meals inshAllah! IRUSA carries out vital work around the world and here at home, responding…
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Madness the Middle East
An overview of Middle East humanitarian affairs By Iqra Abid Hasan In the last three years, the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated significantly. There is a humanitarian catastrophe looming in places like Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen. Skyrocketing poverty and economic collapse threatens families across the region. Not so long ago, uprisings and wars in the Arab world dominated the agenda at United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. Almost all of those conflicts have apparently reached a stalemate with the exception of bursts of violence scattered across time. Therefore, the world’s attention has shifted to other global challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change,…
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Syria: Eleven Years Long
The eleven years since Syria fell The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan, as well as the impacts of COVID19, create a crisis within a crisis for millions of people living there. In the age of social media and interconnectedness, it would be a travesty to ignore the grim situation that is currently occurring in Syria. All that numerous Syrian children have known throughout their lives is war. These dismal conditions have adversely affected their psychological, physical, and social wellbeing, endangering the eventual fate of children who will one day need to rebuild Syria. Humanitarian groups are unable to access many conflict zones, and there is not…
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Afghanistan Disaster, from The Ground
IRUSA President Anwar Khan returns from Afghanistan In 2021, the rapid shift of power in Afghanistan left a vacuum for chaos among many communities still in recovery from a decades long war occurring right outside their front doors. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) filled airport landing strips and even went as far as hanging from airplanes scheduled to exit the country. The U.S. has welcomed over 70,000 refugees since. IRUSA has mobilized volunteers and family services resources to assist those experiencing losing home and homeland in such a rapid manner. Islamic Relief USA was one of the first humanitarian organizations to mobilize cultural competent resources for Afghans arriving as well as…
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30K Meal Pack in Garland, Texas
By Dania Qureshi Growing up, I always saw Islamic Relief (IR) advertisements portraying war-torn countries and families yearning for help. I never really witnessed any calamities myself, but I always wanted to shelter these children and families so they could feel safe and worthy. Although, since I was still studying and had no steady income, I couldn’t help them this way— I could only volunteer and make small donations. My father was looking for volunteer opportunities when I saw a flyer for the IRUSA Meal Pack event on Sunday, November 13 at Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, Texas. I felt the need to participate. My mother accompanied me to a…
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IRUSA Wants you to Go Vote in Every Election
IRUSA Wants you to Go Vote in Every Election A Town Hall Discussion By Christina Tobias-Nahi and Aseel Elborno On October 30, 2022, Islamic Relief USA, in partnership with Poligon and MakeSpace, hosted a Midterms Get Out the Vote Town Hall as part of our Go Vote Advocacy Campaign (irusa.org/govote). The goal of the event was to create an inclusive, safe space for Muslim community members to address issues they care about and discuss their participation in this year’s election. We hoped to ensure that attendees are ready and have a plan to vote. The panel was moderated by Wardah Khalid, founder of Poligon Education Fund, a national civic education…
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IRUSA’s Muhammad Niyaz’s Recent Trip to Pakistan
by Muhammad Niyaz Islamic Relief’s legacy in Pakistan dates back to 1992. Right now, we’re on the ground working to help survivors of the floods and ensure long-term support. Upwards of 550,000 people have been assisted with immediate needs including food, water, hygiene kits, emergency shelter, and cash assistance. In October, I had the honor of going to Pakistan with Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) President, Anwar Khan, to assess the situation and provide immediate relief. In Pakistan, we took a 35 minute boat ride to the village Fateh Khan Gadehi. The ride there was eerie – what was once agricultural land looked like miles and miles of lakes, with some…
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Islamic Relief USA Invited to High-Profile Conference in Bahrain
By: Syed Hassan The Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain hosted its Dialogue Forum: East & West for Human Coexistence from November 2- 5 and Islamic Relief USA’s (IRUSA) Public Affairs and Research Advocacy (PARA) Department had a seat at the table. The meeting focused on the need to resist hate and bigotry between different faith groups, and to encourage empathy and inclusivity. Christina Tobias-Nahi, director of PARA, participated in the forum, by virtue of her being part of the Interfaith G20 Advisory Board. The event was organized by the nation’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Pope Francis was among the guests. One of the goals of the forum is to…
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Pakistan: Road to Recovery
Inside Islamic Relief USA’s Recent Trip By Nabeeha Shah Pakistan has been facing the worst climate disaster in 30 years. The rise in global temperatures has triggered unprecedented glacial melting and monsoon rains, causing disastrous floods in all four provinces of the country including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab. One third of the country is submerged and a staggering 33 million people have been affected by this devastating crisis. Up to 2.2 million people have lost their homes and are without clean water or food, forced to spend their days hungry under the open sky. Over 1.1 million livestock have perished and more than 4.4 million acres of crops…
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East Africa Faces Threat of Worst Famine in Decades
East Africa Emergency By Nabeeha Shah The threat of famine looms over countries across East Africa including Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia as conflict and climate induced drought have left nearly 20.5 million people without food. The number is projected to increase to between 23 and 26 million by February 2023 if immediate action isn’t taken. Over 8.9 million livestock, a main source of food and livelihood for farming communities across the region, have perished. The struggle to find food and water has forced hundreds of thousands of people across the region to migrate in order to survive, further escalating the crisis. The impact of the war in Ukraine is also…
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Hurricane Ian: A Reflection by an IRUSA Blueshirt
Hurricane Ian By Samiya Majid My motivation for wanting to be a doctor [isn’t traditional.] Instead, it comes from my desire to be a more helpful volunteer. I’ve always loved volunteering. I think it just made me feel useful and more fulfilled in my heart. In middle school, I would spend my lunches going to the library to help organize the books. My [desire] to [become] a doctor came from watching videos of Doctors Without Borders and seeing the incredible work they did, [and imagining] the fulfillment [they] felt. I knew I wanted to do [something similar] with my life, but I stuck to local volunteer opportunities, and hoped for…
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IRUSA Attends the 2022 Congressional Black Caucus
The 51st Annual Legislative Conference By Syed M. Hassan Staff from Islamic Relief USA attended the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference at the Washington Convention Center in D.C. between September 28-30. IRUSA had a booth set up at the marquee event, which featured top lawmakers, media personalities, nonprofit leaders, and faith leaders, among others. IRUSA’s ties to the Black community stretches back to its founding nearly three decades ago, and has only increased during that time. Many of the community-based organizations that received support during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic are entities run by members of the Black community. The pandemic has been known to…
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IRUSA to Participate in World Food Day
This Sunday, October 16, 2022 is World Food Day, a day to promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from food insecurity. Across 150 countries worldwide, hundreds of events and outreach activities bring together governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, the media, and the public with the common goal of leaving no one behind when it comes to food security and healthy diets for all. In addition to reaching out to our community in digital spaces this World Food Day for food aid support, IRUSA is also hosting a Day of Dignity event in Southern California (look for live footage from the event on our social media). Along with food,…
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Islam is part of the solution, so Stand up for Justice
by Shahin Ashraf Shahin Ashraf, head of global advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide, reveals the heart of an upcoming campaign to secure justice for Muslim women and girls, and how you can join the movement come November. Islam brought clear rights for women, affirming the value and individual personhood of every woman, their right to life, education, ownership of wealth, choice in marriage and divorce, and unhindered access to mosques and sacred spaces. The last sermon by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a reminder to uphold and respect the rights of women. Islam is also unambiguous in forbidding injustice in any form. Yet, injustice against women and girls is perpetrated…
