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Smiles Galore as Mohammed Assaf visits IRUSA Projects
Written by Fareeha Amir, IRUSA Multimedia Manager who travelled with a group of staff with Mohammed Assaf to Jordan in August 2019. Edited by Kelly El-Yacoubi. Mohammed Assaf’s smile is contagious. So it’s no surprise that when he visited Islamic Relief USA projects in Jordan this past August, his positivity came right along with him. The Palestinian singer is most well-known for winning the second season of Arab Idol in 2013, the precursor to his immense popularity as a singer and celebrity figure in the Middle East. But Assaf’s influence extends beyond the microphone. As a child he grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, an experience that has…
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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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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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When Smugglers Abandon Refugee Boats At Sea
Abdullah Shawky is an Islamic Relief USA Disaster Response Team Member. This is part of the emergency story series from Greece. Salam All, I wanted to share with you all a story of a terrible tragedy that occurred the day before yesterday. Due to Internet connectivity issues, I am only able to send this message today. Today was the most difficult for all of us in the harbor. At around 1pm, we received the first batch of survivors from a terrible accident. Some were injured with cuts and bruises, but others suffered far worse… A makeshift wooden boat (we are now seeing more and more of these show up) was…
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With Love, From Lesbos, Greece: A Video Postcard Addressed To You
Nada Shawish is Communications Specialist at Islamic Relief USA. Have you ever wanted to go to the Greek Islands? A postcard has arrived from Greece, and it’s addressed to you from Islamic Relief USA’s CEO Anwar Khan. He’s virtually inviting you there. Watch with an open mind and heart—And see for yourself .. The Greek Islands are a place that people often go to for vacation—this is what they’re like right now: Instead of floating leisurely on calm waters, imagine traveling in dinghies and rafts unsuitable for sea travel, like this one, to try to get across the Mediterranean Sea. These people aren’t site seeing on the beach. Humanitarians have…
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Islamic Relief USA Joins CARE to Show Human Face of Syrian Conflict
Sharif Aly is Advocacy Counsel at Islamic Relief USA There are close to 4 million Syrians living as refugees. 4 million. The number is staggering and it continues to grow. The United Nations has called the Syrian conflict, the biggest humanitarian crisis of this generation. With no end in sight and most of the media’s attention focused on military and political issues, Syrians caught in the midst of this crisis are being forgotten. Individual stories that create empathy between people are being lost. On Friday, March 27, Islamic Relief USA participated in “Life in Refuge” an event at Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C., organized by CARE and with other NGO partners…
