#SocialJustice
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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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The Right to Vote: Black History Remembered
IRUSA highlights past and present change-agents in the fight for voting rights in America. Fannie Lou Hamer “You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.” – Fannie Lou Hamer A Decision During the summer of 1962, a young African American woman made a decision to attend a local meeting held by the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was responsible for organizing younger African Americans in the charge for voting rights. Her interests was piqued, and she would go on to become one of the most impactful advocates for equitable access to…
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On World Poverty Day, Let’s Do All We Can to Mitigate Suffering
At Islamic Relief USA, every waking hour is devoted to reducing poverty. That’s why it was unusual when I learned there was a particular day dedicated to this cause. According to the United Nations, October 17 is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (also known as World Poverty Day). The UN first declared this day back in 1992. While much progress has been made in the standard of living for many people in many nations around the world, poverty, if not extreme poverty, unfortunately remain common. In the United States alone, there are some 38 million people living in impoverished conditions. To combat this, Islamic Relief USA conducts many…
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Sudanese-Muslim Councilman Lends Support to Islamic Relief USA
Councilman Mohamed Seifeldein visited the Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) headquarters on Tuesday, April 30, thanking the organization for the work it does in saving “countless lives,” as well as requesting its assistance in making the city of Alexandria, where IRUSA is headquartered, even better. Seifeldein, who was elected last November, is the first Muslim to serve on the local governing body. He is a refugee from Sudan, an African nation that recently experienced major political shockwaves when its longtime president, Omar al-Bashir, was removed from power. The councilman, who is a lawyer, said he decided to run for local government after noticing it lacked sufficient representation from the city’s west…
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IRUSA Heads to the Vatican
An Interfaith, International Collaboration Last week, Vatican City held an international conference titled “Religions and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Listening to the Cry of the Earth and the Poor”. Islamic Relief USA was invited to attend the conference and speak on a select panel. The 3-day program focused on 5 main Ps: People Planet Partnership Prosperity Peace The program was jointly organized by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. IRUSA at the Vatican People came from around the globe to participate in interfaith dialogue, and served as representatives for governments, UN agencies, religious leaders, and many faith-based charities. The faith spectrum…
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Gender Justice in the Time of the Great Human Experiment of Co-Existence.
By Aseel Elborno To begin, I will recount the message from God Almighty, who tells us in the Quran: People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware [Qur’an 49:13] I attended the 62nd Commission on the status of women at the United Nations (aka CSW) this past week and left having so many thoughts and ideas to unpack and reflect on. The panels I participated in ranged from Empowering Women…
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The Levels of Faith: Which Phase Are You In?
By Aseel Elborno “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand ( ie engaging your representatives, going to marches, signing petitions, voting, volunteering); and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue ( ie speaking up in social gatherings, writing on social media) and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart ( ie thoughts and prayers) — and that is the weakest of faith.” [Muslim] Islam is a faith that calls for action in the face of injustice. A simple google search with the words Islam and justice will dish out hundreds…
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Myanmar Refugees: Stories from the Field with Imam Khalid Latif
Imam Khalid Latif shares realtime stories from his visit to Bangladesh with Islamic Relief USA. There, he met refugees from Myanmar and heard their harrowing stories. 500,000 refugees have fled Myanmar, and the number continues to rise with thousands pouring into the camps every day. Read parts of his journey below, and be a part of the relief effort here: www.launchgood.com/Aid4Myanmar. The Visible Hunger “Sometimes we eat nothing for days.” I didn’t know that it was possible to actually see hunger instead of just feeling it. But walking around the refugee camps in Bangladesh these past few days, I’ve learned otherwise. This is what real hunger looks like. Let’s show the…
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Beyer Encourages Islamic Relief to Stay Strong
Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Virginia’s 8th Congressional district, which includes the city of Alexandria, stopped by on Sept. 15 at Islamic Relief USA‘s headquarters to give a morale boost. “It’s a great pleasure to be here,” he said. Like many times when a political figure comes into contact with his constituents, Beyer struck a positive tone. He lauded the organization for the great humanitarian work it does and for standing on its principles. And if there was any doubt Islamic Relief USA is located in an undesirable locale, he quickly dispelled those perceptions. Beyer said his congressional district is among the most educated and wealthy in the country. As…
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A Case for Radical Hope
Five short years following the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his refugee community to Madinah — a community still reeling from persecution and sanctions — the young community of Muslims would be presented with their most unnerving political action to date. An army over 10,000 strong, the likes of which the Arabian Peninsula had never before seen, would converge upon the sanctuary city in the name of national(ist) security, intent on massacring its 3,000 resisters and all of the Muslim inhabitants. They would presciently come to be known as the Confederates. Out-resourced and underequipped, the young community of refugees resolved to dig a trench in an effort to insulate…
