#Stories
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Chasing Ertrugul, Racing for Water
by Amani Abdel-Dayem “What a selfless act,” said the yoga instructor when I told her what I was about to embark on. I kept thinking about that comment. Is any act really selfless? One could argue that all selfless acts have an element of selfishness in them. Don’t we do for others because it heals us individually as well as collectively? Friday, August 31, I got an email from Islamic Relief USA with a subject line that read “Imagine YOU on a bike adventure through Turkey.” Eight days following in the footsteps of Ertrugul, father of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire. A six-hour hike and 120-mile bike ride over…
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Survival Is Important, but so Is Livelihood
25th Anniversary Development Spotlight: Europe Islamic Relief offices around the world undertake many noble projects around the world. But one area that doesn’t get enough attention is the Balkan region. A curious fact, considering that IRUSA was founded to respond to the suffering in the Bosnian war in 1993. Ismail Saif, manager of International Programs for Islamic Relief USA, recently visited three nations in the Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo. All of them have Islamic Relief field offices that launched various livelihood projects. Many of them have yielded positive results and in some cases, exceeded initial projections. But, the unfortunate reality is, many of them have been halted or…
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An Eye Toward Progress in Mali and Niger
We all know that Islamic Relief USA supports a lot of projects, mainly through financial assistance and volunteers. It’s always feels good to hear about the good work that is being done. However, seeing the progress being made on the ground must no doubt be gratifying. As I was listening to my colleague, Bilal Aslam, describing his first-hand account of work being performed by Islamic Relief in the countries of Niger and Mali, you couldn’t help but a feel a sense of accomplishment for the organization and its mission. Both Niger and Mali have deep pockets of poverty, especially in their villages. Bilal explained that Niger, for one, is ranked…
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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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A Firefighter in Houston: Rescuer and Evacuee
Firefighter Irfan Mujeebuddin in Houston lived through Hurricane Harvey from two perspectives at once — both as a rescue worker and an evacuee. Irfan was on shift at the fire station the Sunday night after the hurricane struck Texas. A tornado had taken the roof off a friend’s home, but the winds had died down. “It was almost a sigh of relief that there were some damages that were sustained but we made it through,” he said. That is, until they realized the worst was still to come—floodwaters, rising slowly but relentlessly. ‘A Very Tough Night’ Irfan lives west of Houston, a stone’s throw from two dams that protect the downtown…
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IRUSA partners with the Delaware Food Bank – One BackPack at a Time
By Christina Tobias-Nahi Just a couple hours north of Islamic Relief USA headquarters is soon to be the largest food bank in the nation. As IRUSA has been sponsoring a project there, a few staff set off to see for themselves how this small state is tackling a hunger problem effecting 114,000 residents, primarily children and the elderly. Run by Patricia Beebe, a self-avowed throwback from the 60s who has been at the helm for two decades, the first thing you notice when arriving is all the bright, cheery tie-dye colors – on the staff T-shirts, buildings, and the cars parked in the lot. There is also a similarly bright…
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My People of Syria — I’ll Keep Sharing Your Stories
For five years I have watched my people lose their homes and lives to war. For five years I have watched as they scattered around the world in search for safety. From country to country, refugee camp to refugee camp, year after year. For five years, in six different countries and in dozens of camps, I have witnessed first-hand the effects of war and conflict on the people from the same nation my mother, grandmother and her mother were born in—Syria. I’ve seen my fellow Syrians in Lebanon, living in makeshift homes wherever they could find, a masjid construction site, a building boiler room and a leather factory near the…
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With Love, From Lesbos, Greece: A Video Postcard Addressed To You
Nada Shawish is Communications Specialist at Islamic Relief USA. Have you ever wanted to go to the Greek Islands? A postcard has arrived from Greece, and it’s addressed to you from Islamic Relief USA’s CEO Anwar Khan. He’s virtually inviting you there. Watch with an open mind and heart—And see for yourself .. The Greek Islands are a place that people often go to for vacation—this is what they’re like right now: Instead of floating leisurely on calm waters, imagine traveling in dinghies and rafts unsuitable for sea travel, like this one, to try to get across the Mediterranean Sea. These people aren’t site seeing on the beach. Humanitarians have…
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A Change of Plans: Ramadan Packages for Yemeni Refugees in Hargeisa
Nada Shawish, Communications Specialist at Islamic Relief USA, reports from Somaliland. A woman grabs my arm to get my attention. Behind her niqab her voice elevates, “I have something to say.” She pulls me in and turns to Ridwan Adhami, Creative Director of Islamic Relief USA, who is holding the camera. “I would like to speak to you,” she says sternly into the barrel, unwavering. I am Samia …” she said, “I am 24 years old.” And she presses her abaya down to reveal a fully formed stomach. She’s pregnant. Hargeisa, a town in Somaliland, the region north of Somalia, has become a refuge from war nearly overnight for Yemeni…
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IRUSA Bus Tour distributes food for Ramadan
Islamic Relief USA has long distributed food for Ramadan around the world. This year, for the first time, the program is bringing food to Americans in need. Volunteers packaged 3,000 boxes full of food in the two weekends before Ramadan, and these packages are now being delivered around the country. The first boxes were handed out on the first day of Ramadan in Virginia. “It felt very good to give the boxes to people, seeing thåe smile on their faces and hearing them say thank you in many languages,” said Naeem Muhammad. “We had people from many backgrounds and faiths.” Nicole was at the first distribution, picking up food to…
