Tsunami Rescue Efforts
by Sacramento Area Muslims
By Ras H. Siddiqui
L to R:Farouk Fakira,Imtiaz Hussain,Khalid
Azwan,Moneem Salaam and Rafat El Sayed |
The
Council of Sacramento Valley Islamic Organizations (COSVIO)
held an “Asia Tsunami Relief Fundraiser” on Friday, January
14, 2005 at the local La Sierra Community Center to top off
their efforts for the victims of this grave tragedy. Close
to $25,000 dollars were collected at this venue as speakers
from three organizations made their plea to the gathering
and appealed for additional help for people mainly in Indonesia,
Sri Lanka and India who have recent borne the brunt of nature’s
wrath.
This latest fundraiser was a part of a series of programs
that the Sacramento Valley Muslims and their friends can be
proud of as they joined the rest of America to help their
fellow human beings. And in this regard starting on December
31 of last year all the mosques in this area began an awareness
campaign amongst their worshippers with the “Khutbas” before
prayers. “Ghaibana Namaaz-e-Janazas” or a “Mass Funeral in
absence” were held to remember those who are in the hands
of God now. And for those left behind, fundraisers were held
on the same day at Masjid An Nur and the Folsom Islamic Center
which yielded $72,000 and $16,000 respectively. On a smaller
scale the Youth for Better Understanding (YBU) led by our
youngsters held an event at a local Chevvy’s Fresh Mex Restaurant
where around $600 was raised. In addition to this, approximately
$800 was raised in Folsom. And Masjid An Nur and Masjid Ibrahim
are still continuing to collect clothes. And now back to this
latest event, the Downtown “V Street Mosque” collected a total
of around $7,000 out of which $1000 will be sent to the Edhi
Foundation. SALAM donated over $5,000 and a welcome surprise
came from the Muslim Community of Live Oak, California which
donated $9,900 that was presented to Islamic Relief. One brother
from Sacramento has donated $4000 to the Red Cross and $2000
to Islamic Relief. Numbers from Lodi are not in yet.
A group of participants |
The
program started with a beautiful Qirat or recitation from
the Holy Qur’an by Shaikh Refaat El-Sayed. It was followed
by a welcome address by Farouk Fakira, the current president
of COSVIO. “Our collective need to do something has brought
us together here,” he said. What happened with the Tsunami
has humbled all human beings,” he added. Br. Farouk then went
on to welcome the speakers from three organizations, Asian
Relief, Islamic Relief and the Indian Muslim Relief Committee
(IMRC). Khalid Azam from Asian Relief really brought the tragedy
home. His father in law’s extended family in Sri Lanka has
lost 42 members in this tsunami. That is what inspired him
to start Islamic Relief which is not limited by religion or
ethnicity. Khalid spoke of “entire livelihood’s lost overnight.”
Moneem Salaam from Islamic Relief next gave a very professional
presentation on the work that his organization has been doing.
“This is our opportunity to be able to answer the call,” he
said. “Allah is giving us the opportunity here to realize…
It is up to us to reach out,” he added. Imtiaz Hussain from
the IMRC said that “the casualties in India have been under-reported”
and that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been hit very
badly.
He also presented a background of his organization and the
work that it has been doing already amongst the tsunami victims.
Rashid Ahmad and Tamer Ahmad of CAIR Sacramento Valley and
Dr Metwalli Amer of SALAM also spoke at this event along with
a short speech by Saeed Khan from Live Oak. Quality and not
quantity attended this fundraiser. And the $25,000 dollars
or so collected to add to the amount raised at earlier events
brings the Greater Sacramento area’s Muslim fundraising effort
total to about $125,000 (since December 31.). Muslims also
participated in the local KCRA Channel 3 held recently to
help aid Asia Tsunami victims. More than 35 Sacramento Valley
Muslims volunteered to take phone pledges for the American
Red Cross. Our Sacramento area community (including Live Oak,
Folsom etc.) can justly be proud of their aid efforts. A disaster
of this magnitude has brought all of humanity together and
maybe all of us as the collective children of God have briefly
shown the ability to care for those who need our help right
now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
