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Visitors from IR Kenya Highlight Transformative Impact of US Support
Islamic Relief partner offices visit Capitol Hill Donations from Islamic Relief USA supporters, as well as US government funding, play a vital role in programs that are overcoming interfaith conflict and lifting people out of poverty in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous places. That was the message of representatives from Islamic Relief Kenya and Islamic Relief Worldwide as they visited the United States in mid-July 2019 to meet representatives of USAID, the Kenyan embassy, and various officials on Capitol Hill. The visiting delegation included Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Obaid Rahman, Country Director of Islamic Relief Kenya, and Gloria Kivuva, Communications Officer for Islamic Relief…
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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…
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2 Thoughts on Finding a Hajj State of Mind
Wrapped in Love A house with solid pillars holds firm, can survive the worst storms, and keeps the people that live inside safe. So too is the beauty of the five pillars of Islam: with the adoption of each pillar, another layer of security wraps around the heart. When the intentions of Hajj are made and Allah allows a believer to place their feet upon the pilgrimage, fulfilling that pillar forever changes the heart of the one who is blessed to go. As the 2019 Hajj season approaches, the words of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ring loudly and true: “Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or transgression will…
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Women’s Empowerment in Pakistan: Meet Nabila
Nabila, a Pakistani woman, is making great strides as a professional now, but that wasn’t always the case. At 16-years-old, she was married. Within a year of marriage, she became a widow with a baby boy to care for. Her husband had fallen ill and was on his deathbed for 16 days. While she waited at his bedside, his family grew suspicious. They eventually put her and her young son out, believing that it was Nabila who caused her husband’s illness and ultimately death. She had nowhere to go but back to stay with her father. Although he worked hard as a driver, his salary still wasn’t enough to support…
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5 Humanitarian Highlights from Nelson Mandela
Prophet Muhammad said: “(Angel) Jibril kept recommending me to treat my neighbour well until I thought that he would tell me to make him one of my heirs” (Bukhari: 6014). When we look to contemporary examples of what it means to truly embody the principle of care for our neighbors, we see the legacy of Nelson Mandela. He became President of South Africa after being former political prisoner, and championing the rights of disenfranchised South Africans. For many humanitarians across the world he has illuminated a path the we can all find lessons in. Here are a few highlights of his impactful life. 1. MANDELA TOOK 1948 APARTHEID LEGISLATION HEAD…
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Islamic Relief USA’s Goals Centered On Compassion and Social Justice
The following is a guest blog post by Amna Amin, an intern with Islamic Relief USA’s Public Affairs department. Muslims have been in the United States since the 1600s, as many people who identified with the Islamic tradition were among those taken across the ocean via the atrocities of the slave trade in Africa. Of the slaves brought over, approximately 15% were Muslim. Even more had contact with Islam before coming to North America. Consequently, Islamic values became embedded within the earliest culture of the United States. In fact, Thomas Jefferson, one of our founding fathers, owned a Qur’an and even wanted to specifically mention Muslims and their religious freedom…
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Islamic Relief USA Invited To Tour New Headquarters for Food Bank of Delaware
It was a proud moment for the Food Bank of Delaware on the morning of Friday, June 21, 2019. The agency’s brand new, 80,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art food bank—complete with two enormous, walk-in coolers, a freezer, a huge staging area, a cafe, and greenhouses containing locally grown vegetables like tomatoes and peppers—is a symbol of modernity and creativity. Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) was one of the lucky 200-plus guests to receive an invitation to the facility’s grand opening ceremony. IRUSA has been a strong supporter of the organization, having awarded grants to the agency. U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), the first lady of Delaware, and various county officials were among the…
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Where Your Ramadan Food Boxes Reached in 2019
A Truly Blessed Ramadan Words fail to fully describe how abundant the blessings were during this past 2019 Ramadan. We spent lengthy days and even longer nights where we sought and shared mercy. There’s something we should never forget about this bountiful month: from the moment it begins, millions of people unfortunately still face the same challenging trials they face year-round. Hunger doesn’t stop during Ramadan; poverty doesn’t press pause either. Hunger doesn’t stop during Ramadan; poverty doesn’t press pause either. IRUSA was fortunate to receive donations from so many donors like you who remembered this reality, and acted on it as part of your month-long spiritual reflection. You remembered…
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IRUSA Team Challenges Gear Up to Support Water Crises
Out of many challenges, comes one goal: WATER. IRUSA is moving into its second year of team challenges and our host teams are excited to take part in what participants from last year called “exciting” and “fulfilling.” In March 2019, the Islamic Relief USA team trekked across the Sahara in Morocco. In the coming months our teams will travel to Bosnia, Turkey, and Peru. But the why is the most important ingredient of all. Team challenges present a fun an innovative way to support crucial projects that IRUSA is partnering to provide. Here’s a look at what those are: Drought Takes Hold in Somalia Global warming is a crisis IRUSA…
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No Home Doesn’t Mean No Dinner
Islamic Relief USA shares a Ramadan tradition with our neighbors in Washington, D.C. A Powerful Tradition For the last four years, a group of volunteers have been showing up to Franklin Square Park in Washington, D.C., to break their fast with the local population who happen to be homeless. What do we mean by ‘with’ the local population? The Islamic Relief USA community has taken a number of opportunities to provide meals for the homeless, but rarely do we take the time to sit down, have a meal, and just kick back and spend time with them. Starting with the Heart In Ramadan 2019, Islamic Relief USA decided to put…
