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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…
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Monsoons cause flooding in Pakistan, in Bangladesh, and in Afghanistan
by Yusuf Azmi The headlines are becoming all-too familiar as the damage caused by the climate crisis continues to grow and impact people across Asia. This summer’s monsoon season has been one that continues to confound expectations and has caused widespread destruction and loss of life in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Monsoons and floods alone are nothing new to the region; heavy rainfall, caused by a complex series of wind patterns, sweeps through from June through September every year. It’s a part of life for people across the subcontinent, but with every passing year, it’s becoming a time of increasingly fraught emotions and panic as the rainfall becomes increasingly dangerous…
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Why Vote?: Understanding the Connection Between Aid Work and Legislation
By Salma Heram With midterm elections coming up this fall, it’s likely that you’ve encountered one of the many Get Out the Vote campaigns, perhaps from a fellow community member or an advocate at a local non-profit. IRUSA is no stranger to such campaigns, and our advocates have been working tirelessly to get people engaged and ready to vote come November 8. Take our recent Qurbani distribution at Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, VA, for example, where community members received information on how to vote on their way to collect the Eid Al-Adha meat and produce. But why is voting so important, and what does voting have to do…
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A Water Crisis
Water Remains a precious resource that millions struggle to have Volunteer Voice of Hiba C. My mornings Everyday we wake up and drink a cup of water with the people I live with, in a home where no water drips through the roof. We also have water to use for brushing our teeth. We use water for cooking and cleaning. We use water for showering. Water has many uses, and no one should ever have to go without it if they don’t want to. According to the United Nations 2 out of 5 people worldwide do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water at home. Living in…
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Thousands Seek Refuge from Syria Floods
Refugee camps battle with winter and flooding Guest contributor Aishah C. 2021 Brings a Call to Action on Behalf of Syrian RefugeesAs we enter into this new year, many of us are relieved that the collectively traumatic events of 2020 are moving into hindsight. Global resources are being pooled to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and the overall outlook for this year seems to be improving. However, there are many people and families for whom 2020 brought additional complications to already devastating circumstances which are long from over. The tragedies that have been faced by the people of Syria throughout the past decade have been incomprehensibly dire, and instead of hopeful…
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A Warm Hello from IRUSA’s New Chairman, Hamadi Bengabsia
IRUSA’s new Chairman shares a message of gratitude and belief in the next generation of humanitarian relief Assalaam Alaykum, On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am writing to thank every one of our supporters who have helped work towards Islamic Relief USA’s tremendous progress in recent years. Without your tenacity, innovation, and commitment to excellence, our organization would not have experienced such significant growth and emerged as a faith-based leader in the humanitarian and development sector. That growth has meant life-changing service a possibility for people all over the world. Your compassion arrived in the darkest hour for more families than we can measure. I want to further…
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What Flat Tires Can Teach Us About Being One Community
"Though the cir
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Smiles Galore as Mohammed Assaf visits IRUSA Projects
Written by Fareeha Amir, IRUSA Multimedia Manager who travelled with a group of staff with Mohammed Assaf to Jordan in August 2019. Edited by Kelly El-Yacoubi. Mohammed Assaf’s smile is contagious. So it’s no surprise that when he visited Islamic Relief USA projects in Jordan this past August, his positivity came right along with him. The Palestinian singer is most well-known for winning the second season of Arab Idol in 2013, the precursor to his immense popularity as a singer and celebrity figure in the Middle East. But Assaf’s influence extends beyond the microphone. As a child he grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, an experience that has…
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‘Back to School’ For Tunisia Students
Some students in Tunisia were hesitant to attend school due to the sub-par bathroom facilities. Now, they’re excited to attend after a special, important makeover thanks to a $5 million commitment by Islamic Relief USA. Obstacles to Education In Tunisia an education can put a child in the driver’s seat of their own life. Finding a student in the region who doesn’t understand and believe this to be true will be nearly impossible. But while students in Tunisia are eager to attend school for the upcoming year, they often face a challenging dilemma–one that makes the reality of attending school difficult, and sometimes, nearly impossible: adequate bathrooms. In one town…
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For Myanmar Refugees in Bangladesh, Dignity Matters
The following first-hand account is written by an Islamic Relief USA staff member who visited IRUSA relief projects for refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh. During a visit to Kutapalong camp in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh, I sat in a shelter made of straw and bamboo that housed multiple families. Everyone there had fled violence and conflict in Myanmar a year earlier, leaving behind their homes, possessions, and family members. Everyone had lost a spouse, a child, parents, or siblings. The trauma and pain each refugee now lives with is unthinkable: acts of genocide took place before their own eyes, destroying everything they held dear. Everyday, they are reminded of this devastating…
