#Service
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Open Arms at The Muslim Center in Detroit
Salman Aznan is a Marketing Specialist at IRUSA. He recently attended the Detroit Day of Dignity and wrote a reflection about the experience. “The buses won’t move” said Mika’il Saadiq. “That’s not good.” I thought to myself. “The buses with the beneficiaries?” Maab replied. “Yes.” answered Mika’il. “That is definitely not good!” I screamed in my head. It was a cold, bitter Detroit morning and we arrived at the Muslim center with banners and notebooks in hand ready to document the event. We entered the masjid and walked into the auditorium and the place was bustling with energy. Men and women were unpacking boxes, categorizing coats, socks, and other articles…
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World Environment Day and the Muslim’s Duty
Salam Aznan, Marketing Specialist at IRUSA, reflects on our duty to the environment. Our Duty Out of the many obligations bestowed upon us by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), one of the most neglected aspects of our religion is our duty to the environment. Islam teaches us to be kind to our neighbors, to be generous with o Our Islam There are a wide variety of hadiths and Qur’anic ayahs directing us to protect and to not neglect the sanctity of the environment. In Surah Al-A’raf, Allah (SWT) commands us to not consume extravagantly, “O children of Adam, take your adornment at every…
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IRUSA Responds to Houston Floods
Islamic Relief USA’s Disaster Response Team Manager Hani Hamwi describes his experience delivering aid in the aftermath of the Houston floods. Losing a home is more than just losing shelter and a roof over your head; it’s losing all the little things that make that structure a home. Children lose their toys, school books, and stuffed animals. They watch their parents and caretakers struggle to find a way to stay safe. The most affected are those living in apartment complexes, most of the time with government assistance. They have nowhere to go. Immediately after a disaster, these shelters are crucial. But the experience of living in one can have extremely…
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70% of the World Is Water — But So Often, There’s Not a Drop to Drink
When you think of places where girls have to walk for hours to carry back water, you might tend to think of hot, dry regions of Africa. But water shortages can happen anywhere in the world—from remote villages in Albania to cities right here in the United States. Schoolchildren learn that water covers 70% of the planet—it sounds so plentiful. But the fresh water we drink and use in our homes and on our farms only makes up 3% of the world’s water. And most of that is unavailable—locked up in frozen glaciers or otherwise inaccessible. So providing clean water is more difficult than it might sound at first glance.…
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Flint Water Poisons Americans, Neighbors Come To Rescue
You know what’s not worth saving money? Giving children brain damage. When news broke that high levels of lead had been poisoning the residents of Flint, MI, since April 2014, it was already too late. How did this happen in the first place and how do we fix it?
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Arab Idol Star Mohammad Assaf Talks Hope And Help in Gaza
“Let me explain to you that, living the life of a Gazan is a life of simplicity,” started the young Arab Idol star and UNRWA Goodwill Ambassador Mohammad Assaf, “Where the biggest worry is to find security for your children throughout the day.”
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Faucets With Clean Water Just in Time In Gaza
“Water is the life of everything. I tell you, we can live without electricity, but we can’t live without water,” said Sabah. She lives in one of the most densely populated places on Earth with three young children and an older son: She lives in Gaza.
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Going Giving … On a Tuesday
1 December 2015 -- After Black Friday, and Cyber Monday and perhaps a little too much pie, you've done a lot of getting on days that are essentially made up. So why not officially make up a day for giving? It's about balance. And although giving should be a part of our every day lives, it doesn't hurt to counter all the getting we're doing with a reminder to give.
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From Earthquake Shaken Pakistan: “As the winter weather looms, every bit helps.”
We started the morning early and traveled up a nearby mountain in a small jeep. Only one car can pass at a time. The earthquake broke off parts of the road, and landslides are a constant hazard.
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From Earthquake Shaken Pakistan: “We Can’t Be Too Tired To Help”
It's 2 a.m. when I arrive in Pakistan. I'd be leaving for the field again just four hours later. We took a 7 hour ride to Shangla, which is 90 miles away as the bird flies, but by road in underdeveloped landscape, it's more than 230 miles: First by highway, then by small, side-road, then on mountain roads, and finally along mountain trails to get to the remote areas where the earthquake hurt Pakistan most.
