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The Ramadan Heart Transplant
{ O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered. } (8:24) Symptoms and Causes for Concern Atherosclerosis is the process of plaque build-up on artery walls from fats, cholesterol, and other substances. When the plaque overruns, blood flow gets constricted, which then causes an array of severe health concerns. But, when arteries in the heart are under the pressure of atherosclerosis for too long, heart disease soon follows after. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS),…
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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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100 Kilometers through the Desert
I thought the desert was just sand dunes, but fast realized that it was rocky, mountainous, flat, hilly, vast, and much more. Our trek was challenging, no doubt. We covered a lot of ground within a short amount of time and camped along the way. We lived in the desert for four days, away from the comfort of our daily lives. And, surprisingly, being detached from the world made me more physically, spiritually, and emotionally connected. I journeyed physically through the desert understanding the capacity of my own body and pushing myself to my limits. I journeyed emotionally understanding my own self, my limitations, my presence, my weaknesses, and my…
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Remembering Rwanda
Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ حِجَابٌ “Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.” Sahīh al-Bukhārī 4090 The Cost of Cruelty Kevin Van Valkenburg is now a decorated senior editor for ESPN. His coverage of golf is renowned. His social commentary regarding the recent power struggles in professional sports has been immaculate. But at 16 years old, Mr. Kevin, as I called him then, extended a small black microphone towards my hairless chin while we sat in my high school lunch cafeteria and…
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Islamic Relief USA Grantees Discuss the Importance of Fighting Hunger in Schools
No Kid Hungry Officials from Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which works to end childhood hunger by connecting eligible kids to federal nutrition programs, spoke at the March 14 forum of the Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) Public Affairs Education Series. They expressed the importance of student access to school meals in order to foster improved concentration and performance toward studies. Hunger amongst students is a significant problem. In the United States, one in six children struggle with hunger. “We feel that feeding hungry children is a moral imperative,” said Elliot Gaskins, managing director of development at Share Our Strength. Programs that Deliver The organization has set an ambitious…
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World Water Day 2019: Humanity Behind Water
Bacteria washing up on they beaches (Say word?) Don't drink the water, son they can't wash they feet with it (Let em' know) Young babies in perpetual neediness (Say word?) Epidemics hopping up off the Petri dish (Let em' know) - Hip-hop artist Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) My friend Victor tapped me with his burly hand and said, “Look out the window.” I struggled for a moment and finally climbed across my bed, placed my hands on the sill, and dipped my head a bit to see the full view. My stomach dropped and rose to my ears all in an instant. There was a mountain range flush green with…
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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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Donor Report: A Poem
Disclaimer: The following poem was submitted by a guest contributor. Guest blog posts do not necessarily reflect endorsed viewpoints from Islamic Relief USA. Donor Report Feel for these families Fill up these pantries Put your heart in your hand and the money will land with ease Donations for what every woman and man needs There's a humanity that these tight demands squeeze Time is sinking, catch the opportunity before the land leaves Oh traveler, who couldn't even afford a shawl We've tossed Js on tree branches while from off your bare feet you had to crawl This is a letter of apology that I'm going to attempt to scrawl What…
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IRUSA Awardees Making Black History Today
The Price of Doing the Impossible Decades removed from Dr. Martin Luther King’s infamous appeal to the moral organs of America, the nation is still grappling with what his dream meant. It may very well be true that vast collections of Americans are still learning what it means to even dream. Dreaming in the land of opportunity is a prerequisite to survival. Without a self-induced slumber, and wondering on the grand possibilities of our lives, you can’t quite call yourself an American. This isn’t to say that in lands known and unknown people aren’t submerged in their own prophetic visions, but as it stands, we have told the world: in…
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On MLK Day, Volunteers Organized Books to Help Pupils At Risk
A Day on, Not a Day Off It was an excruciatingly chilly Monday morning on January 21, a day that served as a foreshadowing of the polar blast that would engulf many parts of the nation the following week. Many people had the day off, so they didn’t have to brave through the brutal conditions. For those who did make sure to reach their destinations to volunteer, though, it proved to be a worthwhile experience. Yes, it was a frigid day. But it also was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The warm hearts and altruism of so many people helped them overcome the below freezing wind chills and gusts. At Islamic…
