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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…
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Four Ways We Ended Our 25th Year
In 2018, here at Islamic Relief USA we were all systems go for celebrating our 25th anniversary—that’s 25 years of service and hope. Check out four of the biggest ways we celebrated the end of this year below. #1: 500K Meals Packed… Islamic Relief USA was founded 25 years ago by young volunteers ready and willing to take on any possible task that fell from the sky. People like IRUSA President Anwar Khan can attest to the drive of IRUSA’s earliest volunteer cohort. They knew what had to be done, even though in some cases the “how” wasn’t readily available. But what makes IRUSA’s volunteers special is that they figure…
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Advocates Call for Multi-sectoral Approach to Prevent Gender-Based Violence
Islamic Relief held a panel discussion Thursday, Dec. 13, at the National Press Club, focusing on the need to take strong action on combating all forms gender-based violence. While both genders are impacted by violence, women are overwhelmingly the victims of domestic violence, genital mutilation, early and forced marriages, and honor killings. On EFMs, a big myth exists that the practice is rare in the United States. However, as pointed out by Lyric Thompson, director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), some 250,000 women were forced into early unions in this country between the years 2000 and 2010. But even that number is likely…
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A Special #GivingTuesday to Yemen
Crowdfunding is an Interesting Universe There’s a crowdfund for almost anything today. You can raise funds to make cherry pie in the actual shape of pi 3.14. A need for a single tooth can be answered by a group of well meaning stranger. There’s also the possible good fortune of having sculptures of bacon created, if desired. No matter how you name it, crowdfunding has changed the way we view and contribute to fundraisers forever. But something special happened in 2018 on this past #GivingTuesday, an annual campaign for people to donate to various causes mostly boosted on social media. An outpouring of compassion rained in across platforms like Facebook,…
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IRUSA-Funded Project Seeks To Tackle Mental Illness, Issues Impacting Muslim Youth
One issue that seems to get little public attention in Muslim circles is mental illness. It’s one of those inconvenient subjects that’s considered taboo or one that doesn’t merit close scrutiny. However, as the Family Youth Institute (FYI), a research organization based in Canton, Michigan, showed recently, more attention is exactly what’s needed. Like other issues, mental illness is alive and, unfortunately, well within the Muslim community. That became obvious during FYI’s presentation on Oct. 19 to Center D.C., a Muslim social group that meets regularly at the Thurgood Marshall community center on 12th Street NW. Madiha Tahseen, a researcher and community educator with FYI, moderated a presentation called Mental Health…
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The HIAS I know
IRUSA’s Christina Tobias-Nahi recently returned from a trip to Lesvos, Greece. She reflected with ReliefLab on her experience partnering with HIAS. This October, I had the pleasure of spending a week traveling with some of the amazing HIAS staff and a board member to visit a partnership project we are working on in Lesvos, Greece. Shortly after I returned from this wonderful experience, HIAS became the target of hateful social media rants from the shooter responsible for the Pittsburg synagogue tragedy. It was clear to me that he did not—could not—know the true HIAS that I spent days alongside serving vulnerable refugees. In light of all of this, I would…
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Islamic Relief USA President Tells U.N. Fellows to Continue Doing ‘The Right Thing’
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) President Anwar Khan encouraged this year’s United Nations Alliance of Civilizations program fellows to continue making a difference in the world. He especially stressed the importance of valuing diversity and protecting people of other faiths, something IRUSA has long been committed to as part of its mission. “It’s part of our work,” Khan said. He emphasized how working with women and young children is instrumental to future success. Khan said when youngsters are not given enough attention or any productive activities, the chances increase of them of resorting to violent extremism. It’s important to “keep them busy, [otherwise] they will have time to do bad things,”…
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Faith-Based Organizations Form Partnership to Improve Outcomes
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) and Islamic Relief Worldwide held a forum last month on September 12, 2018, focusing on the importance of partnerships among faith-based organizations to address major humanitarian crises around the world. Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, participated in the panel discussion. The discussion, titled “Faith on The Frontline,” took place in the Canon Office Building at the U.S. Capitol. The talk also included Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and Bill O’Keefe, Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy at Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Jean Duff, coordinator of the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Social Communities, was the…
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World Food Day Spotlight: Towards food security in Minnesota
Today is World Food Day, an annual celebration around the world on every October 16 (in honor of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945). On this day, Islamic Relief joins many other humanitarian organizations that are concerned about food security worldwide. In recognition of World Food Day, we’re featuring a spotlight on a case study of one of the domestic food security programs we support in Minnesota. Off in the distance an African American woman walks across the empty parking lot of Masjid an-Nur, past the tan fence line and community mural. She flashes a welcoming but quick smile and hurries through…
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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…
