#Newsletter
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Qurbani the IRUSA Way
Putting Qurbani meat in the hands of our neighbors in 2021 With Eid Ul-Fitr in our rearview now begins Hajj season. And as Hajj season enters upon us, we can now shift focus to Islamic Relief’s largest global and domestic feeding program, Qurbani/Udhiyah. Qurbani is special commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail’s willingness to sacrifice for Allah’s sake. This year is poised to be another successful facilitation of Allah’s barakah. This Qurbani season we look forward to maintaining and increasing impact.This year over 150,000 Qurbani’s will be managed in over 30 countries with the help of you. People may receive livestock meat of goats, cows, or lamb in a quantity…
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My Ramadan Food-Pack Experience
Minhaj Hassan tells his food pack story Back to the blessings It was another weekend devoted to an Islamic Relief USA pack-out in the same Springfield warehouse. And, it felt just as good as the first time. IRUSA volunteers department had organized another food-pack with all COVID-19 limitations and conditions being considered, successfully. This time, the event involved tens of volunteers pouring rice, soy, and beans into cellophane bags and then sealing them up. People were stationed at tables pouring the contents through funnels, and then measuring the bags to make sure they don’t have too much in them. The format was different from the Ramadan Food Box pack-outs that took…
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Palestine in Pain
More than 200 people were killed and a thousand more injured as Ramadan closed; Islamic Relief donors moved quickly to deliver aid to those affected Death Toll Rising Over 200 people have died as result of military assaults on residential areas in Palestine. Among the fatalities are are more than 60 women and more than 30 children. In both the evening and daylight cries and screams can be heard from people who’ve lost lives and loved ones. For decades the Palestinian communities in Palestine and across the world have called for an end to a protracted war on their bodies and homeland. Humanitarian Situation Decaying According to the United Nations…
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Ramadan Food Pack-Outs a Massive Success
Co-written by Christina Tobias-Nahi IRUSA’s volunteer-driven food pack outs return in full force across the nation It was back! A warehouse in Springfield, Virginia was teeming with excitement, dedication, and a sense of mission. Volunteers, of all ages and sizes, were decked out in royal blue Islamic Relief USA T-shirts, ready to — as we say here– make a difference in the world. The event, basically an annual ritual, did not take place last year, due to the then-novel coronavirus pandemic. While the pandemic is still upon us, requiring all to be masked and socially distanced, the precautions are sufficient to safely put on the event. Several long tables were…
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Manal has Her Eye on Her Dream
A snapshot into a dynamic opportunity women’s empowerment projects provide Original post at ANERA Manal is a passionate wedding photographer from the city of Nablus, in Palestine’s West Bank. She thinks of her profession as a way to bring joy to her clients and their families. “If people are interested, I won’t decline an offer!” At 50, Manal has been honing her craft for the last 25 years. She first discovered a love for photography through her husband, and swiftly mastered the basics. She soon felt in complete harmony with the camera. After her husband died, she picked it up as a profession. In addition to weddings, she began filming other ceremonies…
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Muslim Women’s Day 2021
Muslim women blaze trails and make their mark on the world Today, IRUSA would like to express our utmost gratitude and appreciation to Muslim women around the world and right here at home. The contributions to our communities, support to those facing trials, and humanitarian spirit they embody is immeasurable. We are safe in saying that the future is in overly capable hands with the game-changing Muslim women we have leading the charge on multiple fronts. Today we would like to highlight 4 Muslim women who are making their mark on the world. Dr. Kameelah Mu’min Rashad Dr. Kameelah Mu’min Rashad is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation…
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U.N. Women’s Conference features IR Reps
Bringing perspective to sustainable development By Christina Tobias-Nahi, May Hashem, Minhaj Hassan Making a Difference Women making extraordinary differences is a common outcome in many programs that Islamic Relief administers around the world and likes to showcase. The Islamic Relief journey with Gender Equality was institutionalized through the Gender Justice policy developed back in 2014, and was presented at a series of global stakeholder roundtables across many continents. A larger campaign roll out was planned for 2020 but events were postponed due to COVID-19. Meanwhile Islamic Relief has conducted a gender review, mapping their gender empowerment and gender protection (including gender based violence, early marriage etc.) related programs over the…
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Banking on Food Security
Islamic Relief USA, Food Bank of Delaware Remain Committed to Reducing Food Insecurity During Pandemic By: Syed Hassan Powerful Partnerships Our friends at the Food Bank of Delaware have been very busy lately. Unfortunately, that’s largely due to the suffering so many people are experiencing, as the coronavirus pandemic (which this month marks one year) has caused food insecurity to rise dramatically. In normal times, it was a struggle enough to get food for many poor and working-class residents. Some of them reside in food deserts, lacking full-fledged grocery stores. Whatever stores that do exist are likely convenience marts with processed or ready-to-eat foods that are hardly nutritious. The solution…
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Behind the Blueshirts
A candid conversation with one of IRUSA’s prized volunteers, Wafa Omran-Elhindi 1. At a young age, or while growing up, did you have someone in your life who inspired you to volunteer or to be generous? My parents were exceptionally generous people. Not only with their money, but more with their affection, kindness, and time. They had this extraordinary ability to make every single person they know feel loved. At the root of this effusive affection was my parents’ inability to be selfish. My dad in particular, grew up dirt-poor in a tent in a refugee camp. His mother had to sell her only possessions, to pay for his education.…
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MLK Day of Service Brings Hope to Hearts
2021 is off to the races to bring relief to neighbors The great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said the problem of hunger hardly stems from not having the tools to address it. “There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will.” Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) refuses to let complacency and inertia fester around the issue of hunger. It addresses the problem head-on, especially on Dr. King’s birthday every January. For several years now, IRUSA has conducted a Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day, holding food distributions in many urban centers around the country. Ready to Respond The need for…
