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Safe Landing in Ramadan
Simple steps to make this Ramadan count When Ramadan greeted us last year, the world was in a panic. Everything we knew to be normal was turned on its head. People lost loved ones. They lost livelihoods. Our overall balance was lost. At that time no cure was in sight and it seemed as if COVID-19 would never slow its steamroll through communities. We made the best of Ramadan 2020. Some have said that the seclusion sometimes brought a different source of peace. Now we enter Ramadan 2021 can be a triumphant despite our trials. Here’s how to have a safe landing in the greatest month we know. 1. Qur’an…
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Manal has Her Eye on Her Dream
A snapshot into a dynamic opportunity women’s empowerment projects provide Original post at ANERA Manal is a passionate wedding photographer from the city of Nablus, in Palestine’s West Bank. She thinks of her profession as a way to bring joy to her clients and their families. “If people are interested, I won’t decline an offer!” At 50, Manal has been honing her craft for the last 25 years. She first discovered a love for photography through her husband, and swiftly mastered the basics. She soon felt in complete harmony with the camera. After her husband died, she picked it up as a profession. In addition to weddings, she began filming other ceremonies…
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Muslim Women’s Day 2021
Muslim women blaze trails and make their mark on the world Today, IRUSA would like to express our utmost gratitude and appreciation to Muslim women around the world and right here at home. The contributions to our communities, support to those facing trials, and humanitarian spirit they embody is immeasurable. We are safe in saying that the future is in overly capable hands with the game-changing Muslim women we have leading the charge on multiple fronts. Today we would like to highlight 4 Muslim women who are making their mark on the world. Dr. Kameelah Mu’min Rashad Dr. Kameelah Mu’min Rashad is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation…
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U.N. Women’s Conference features IR Reps
Bringing perspective to sustainable development By Christina Tobias-Nahi, May Hashem, Minhaj Hassan Making a Difference Women making extraordinary differences is a common outcome in many programs that Islamic Relief administers around the world and likes to showcase. The Islamic Relief journey with Gender Equality was institutionalized through the Gender Justice policy developed back in 2014, and was presented at a series of global stakeholder roundtables across many continents. A larger campaign roll out was planned for 2020 but events were postponed due to COVID-19. Meanwhile Islamic Relief has conducted a gender review, mapping their gender empowerment and gender protection (including gender based violence, early marriage etc.) related programs over the…
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Unity in the Ummah
Shifting our perspective to see the beauty in all Volunteer Blog by Mustafa H. Reminiscing about the Golden Era “Arab has no merit over non-Arab other than Godfearingness.” These are the blessed words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) made history in Arabia by doing away with the old polarizing and divisive tribal system. He made massive strides uniting the Arab people and insisted on unity rather than division. One of my personal favorite stories of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the story of how the blackstone was placed onto the Kaaba. Every Muslim understands the significance of the black stone and the Kaaba. It is…
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Banking on Food Security
Islamic Relief USA, Food Bank of Delaware Remain Committed to Reducing Food Insecurity During Pandemic By: Syed Hassan Powerful Partnerships Our friends at the Food Bank of Delaware have been very busy lately. Unfortunately, that’s largely due to the suffering so many people are experiencing, as the coronavirus pandemic (which this month marks one year) has caused food insecurity to rise dramatically. In normal times, it was a struggle enough to get food for many poor and working-class residents. Some of them reside in food deserts, lacking full-fledged grocery stores. Whatever stores that do exist are likely convenience marts with processed or ready-to-eat foods that are hardly nutritious. The solution…
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Burned Out With Nowhere To Go
Already Combatting COVID, Fires Are Displacing Refugees Across The Globe Originally published 3/5/21 on G20 Interfaith Forum IRUSA Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Christina Tobias-Nahi In October, I risked flying during the pandemic to see my father who lives alone in the Rockies. Not only was I checking on his mental well-being after 8 months of being quarantined, but suddenly there was a new danger on the horizon – smoke-clogged skies triggering respiratory issues for older people and a fire encroaching within mere miles of his home. Where would he go, especially with COVID raging? Fortunately for him, early precipitation and winter snows finally brought relief before he had…
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Taking Care of Texas
IRUSA Mobilizes Aid to Texans in Frigid Power Outage An Unexpected Freeze An unusual winter storm sent a wave of freezing temperatures across Texas in the middle of February. On the 14th of the month the state saw multiple locations drop to temperatures of (-18C). Millions were caught completely off guard while witnessing their neighborhoods be enveloped in ice. Since then over 40 people have lost their life and in some tragic cases children have died of hypothermia. The US National Weather Service (NWS) stated that the “Arctic outbreak” flowed in from above the US-Canada border, causing a winter snow storm accompanied by devastating temperatures. Entire districts went without power…
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Hunger in Yemen
Food shortages still a challenge When President Anwar Khan said with all his heart, “They asked me when I was coming back. Yemeni hospitality is amazing, Mashallah. I am not sure, but if I am needed I would love to come back. My focus now is not going back, but to let people know what is going on, to be a voice for those whose cries we cannot hear” we knew that the struggle to provide every inch of support to the beautiful people of Yemen possible would require the best from us. However the outpouring of help and compassion built medical facilities, cured cholera for thousands, and made water no…
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A Water Crisis
Water Remains a precious resource that millions struggle to have Volunteer Voice of Hiba C. My mornings Everyday we wake up and drink a cup of water with the people I live with, in a home where no water drips through the roof. We also have water to use for brushing our teeth. We use water for cooking and cleaning. We use water for showering. Water has many uses, and no one should ever have to go without it if they don’t want to. According to the United Nations 2 out of 5 people worldwide do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water at home. Living in…
