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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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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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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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Sharing Meat with Families in Need: Worship and Service Join on Eid
One-quarter of the world’s population is anemic, according to the World Health Organization. That includes nearly half of all preschool-age children. In that age group, almost half of all deaths are due to undernutrition—that’s about 3 million children every year. For many impoverished families, one major factor in their poor health is their inability to buy meat. On Eid al-Adha, IRUSA donors will turn worship a blessing for many of those families by sending them a gift of meat. Qurbani—also known as Udhiyah—is IRUSA’s biggest food program. This fresh, halal meat donors share is often the only meat the recipients eat all year. It’s both a rare holiday treat and…
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IRUSA-Supported Sewing Academy Grads Hone Their Skills One Stitch At A Time
A famous African proverb states: “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.” That quote also was used by Ieasha Prime, director of women’s programs at Dar-Al-Hijra, to describe the graduating class of the 8th semester of the mosque’s Sewing Academy. The latest class comprised of 12 women. In addition to certificates, each graduate received a Singer Start 1304 sewing machine, which virtually assures them access to a tool to building on their success. Islamic Relief USA helped launch the sewing course in 2014, when it awarded it a $10,000 grant. Within two weeks of the grant, Prime said…
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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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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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A Day Off for Eid and a Special Meal — It’s a Luxury
In the U.S., most families try to take the day off of work and school for Eid to make it more special. This Eid, think about what a luxury that is. Because for Saleha, taking off would make the day less special. Saleha, in Bangladesh, goes to work on Eid like she does any other day. If she were to take off, the family would celebrate by having even less to eat. Saleha’s husband is too old and sick to work, and her son-in-law passed away, so she supports her family of seven all alone by working as a maid. They need the money she earns each day—about $1.85 to…
