Natural disasters have claimed millions of lives in Morocco, Libya, Mali, Indonesia, Sudan, and Pakistan. A study found that in America, Jewish people give the most of all the religious faithful, averaging $2,526 annually, to Protestants’ $1,749, Muslims’ $1,178, and Catholics’ $1,142
American Muslim Relief Groups Should Combine their Relief Work in Morocco and Libya
By Dr Aslam Abdullah
CA
During the last seven decades, no other religious community has suffered more than Muslims in wars imposed by fellow humans and tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, and droughts attributed to God as part of His creation schemes.
The wars have destroyed countries like Afghanistan, Chad, Mali, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Chechnya, Central Africa, Bosnia, Kosovo, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kurdistan, and Kashmir. At the same time, natural disasters have claimed millions of lives in Morocco, Libya, Mali, Indonesia, Sudan, and Pakistan.
Muslim religious leaders blame the deviations from Islam as the main reason for these divine and human acts. Political leaders hold corruption responsible for all the disasters, and intellectuals identify the West for creating conditions causing havoc in the Muslim world.
Muslims are not the only group that faces natural disasters or war destruction. Every community has its share of misery. Instead of cursing nature or their communities for lack of religious devotion or outsiders for conspiring against them, they have worked hard to overcome hurdles to deal with the situation in an organized and effective manner. Three million Muslim Americans gave over $2 billion in charity in 2022. A study found that in America, Jewish people give the most of all the religious faithful, averaging $2,526 annually, to Protestants’ $1,749, Muslims’ $1,178, and Catholics’ $1,142.
Every disaster opens up new fundraising opportunities. The latest disasters in Morocco and Libya have activated Muslim relief groups worldwide to raise funds for the victims. These disasters deeply touched Muslims all over the world. They will raise funds to rehabilitate the displaced population.
Powerful earthquake wreaks havoc in Morocco - CNN
What is needed is coordination and cooperation among relief agencies and government institutions to streamline help. It should be the priority, as it would avoid duplication and create adequate infrastructures to organize the relief work.
Muslim relief groups can form central groups in the USA and Europe to coordinate the work. Individual organizations will raise funds at grassroots levels to hand them over to a primary group of their country to organize the relief. It will save money on traveling and hosting volunteers in camps. The group will inform grassroots fundraising bodies of its coordinated activities. It will also develop a memorandum of understanding with government institutions on the methodology of disbursement of funds and using local resources for the work.
The purpose is to ensure every penny raised to help the victims reaches the right person with minimal administrative cause. American Muslim relief groups are mature and can take the lead in this undertaking.
(Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident scholar at Islamicity.org and editor-in-chief of the Muslim Observer newspaper. He is also the Indian Islamic Heritage Project director of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin and the interim President of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, WCMIR.)
