Muslims Help The Homeless in Canada

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

July 31 2006

A walk to fight poverty

Cash raised by Muslims

By JACK BOLAND, TORONTO SUN
Members of Toronto's Muslim community were out yesterday hoping to raise awareness, cash and a roof for a homeless shelter for new immigrants and refugees.


Abdul Hai Patel, an imam who works with the Ansaar Foundation, said they are looking to build a settlement house or progressive shelter that caters to the needs of new Canadians who come from different religious and cultural backgrounds.


"We have to all deal with this problem, one way or the other," Patel said. "It is our duty as a humanitarian gesture to help people find shelter.


"We can't have people sleeping out on the streets," he said, explaining that the Ansaar Foundation, a charitable organization, provides assistance to all the city's homeless community.


$70,000 LAST YEAR
"Once a month we go out and feed the homeless with different foods like samosa and tandoori chicken," Patel said.


Azhar Qureshi, vice-president of the Ansaar Foundation, said last year's inaugural walk along the Martin Goodman Trail helped raise over $70,000.


"We (the Muslim community) are no different than any other concerned Canadians," said Qureshi, who is willing to help interact with Toronto's homeless.


"We hope one day we won't have to have shelters for people," he said.
Also attending yesterday's walkathon was Toronto Councillor Jane Pitfield and York Region top cop Armand La Barge, who is a co-chairman of the event.

__________
The Ansaar Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the homeless in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This organization was founded by a group of concerned Muslims seeking to address the critical issue of homelessness in Toronto. The Ansaar Foundation provides meals and supplies to those in need from every ethno-cultural and religious background. The Ansaar Foundation has taken on the responsibility on behalf of the local Muslim community to lead efforts to alleviate the suffering.

The Ansaar Foundation is currently working with Toronto City Council to establish a new shelter in the GTA that will provide vital meals, temporary residence, counseling, and rehabilitation services on an ongoing basis for people of all backgrounds.

In addition to a shelter, Ansaar is also planning the establishment of a settlement house for new immigrants and refugees. In support of their cause, the Ansaar Foundation is joining hands with other community leaders and is leading the first ever multi-faith, multicultural walkathon for the homeless on Sunday May 22nd, 2005.

To find out more about this and other initiatives, please visit: www.ansaarfoundation.org

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

:sl:
Unfortunately, other than the single article above from Toronto Sun, this recieved no publicity.
Muslims make a humanitarian contribution and all the media are silent.

:w:

[HeiGou]

Unfortunately, other than the single article above from Toronto Sun, this recieved no publicity.
Muslims make a humanitarian contribution and all the media are silent.

While I am sympathetic to the lack of media coverage - and I think there are not enough good news stories involving Muslims in the news - your article said they raised 70,000 Canadain dollars last year. How many inches of press coverage would be adequate or suitable?

Canada has over 75,000 registered charities, of which more than 40% are places or worship such as churches and mosques. Other registered charities include institutions such as universities and libraries. About 23% of registered charities exist to help the disadvantaged. Annual giving in Canada is over $90 billion CAD, if one puts a dollar figure on volunteer time. The most charitable province is Newfoundland and Labrador, which has the highest rate of individual donations per capita. Canadians give, on average, $239 dollars per year to charity. About one third of Canadians volunteer annually and 5% of corporations make donations. In Canada, approximately two-thirds of the funding for charitable foundations comes from the government.

So Canadians give on average 90 billion Canadian dollars. So a "fair" share of press coverage would be: (X/90,000,000,000)*70,000 where X is the number of column inches given to charity issues in general. So this one project is "entitled" to what? 0.7777 millionth of the press coverage given to charities?

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

While I am sympathetic to the lack of media coverage - and I think there are not enough good news stories involving Muslims in the news - your article said they raised 70,000 Canadain dollars last year. How many inches of press coverage would be adequate or suitable?

Canada has over 75,000 registered charities, of which more than 40% are places or worship such as churches and mosques. Other registered charities include institutions such as universities and libraries. About 23% of registered charities exist to help the disadvantaged. Annual giving in Canada is over $90 billion CAD, if one puts a dollar figure on volunteer time. The most charitable province is Newfoundland and Labrador, which has the highest rate of individual donations per capita. Canadians give, on average, $239 dollars per year to charity. About one third of Canadians volunteer annually and 5% of corporations make donations. In Canada, approximately two-thirds of the funding for charitable foundations comes from the government.

So Canadians give on average 90 billion Canadian dollars. So a "fair" share of press coverage would be: (X/90,000,000,000)*70,000 where X is the number of column inches given to charity issues in general. So this one project is "entitled" to what? 0.7777 millionth of the press coverage given to charities?

Considering the gathering was important enough to be addressed by the mayor of toronto, police chief and city councillors, it seems important enough to warrant some coverage in local news! A march through Toronto that drew more people than most rallies and police had to close down several streets for, would most likely be something citizens would want to know about. What is they were marching in support of Al-Qaeda? Then of course they'd be on the frontpage of every newspaper.
I was amused by your calculations but I must point out some obvious flaws. You are comparing what a non-governmental charity organization did for the homeless in Canada in a single march, to the total government AND canadian population spending on any charity in a year! Of course you intended to draw such a ridiculous comparison to bellitle the Muslim contribution. Considering the problem of homelessness has been described as a national disgrace I think projects helping the homeless deserve more attention. And the Muslim community in Canada is something Canadians want to know more about. They would want to know that the Muslim community is working together with non-muslims in a humanitarian cause. And Canadians do not give on average $90B - your own source states they give on average $239 dollars in a year. And you are talking about media coverage over the course of an entire year whereas I am talking about coverage over the course of a day. Nice try, though.

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[Vaseline]

It is true, unfortunately, there is not much publicity on Muslim charity. I just joined an organisation where volunteers, once a month, cook and prepare food in the day and feed the homeless in Hyde Park (Sydney) in the evening and I have really not seen any publicity on it other than the IslamicSydney website and the organisation's website.

[HeiGou]

Considering the gathering was important enough to be addressed by the mayor of toronto, police chief and city councillors, it seems important enough to warrant some coverage in local news!

Indeed. And isn't it nice of the Canadian authorities to do this?

A march through Toronto that drew more people than most rallies and police had to close down several streets for, would most likely be something citizens would want to know about. What is they were marching in support of Al-Qaeda? Then of course they'd be on the frontpage of every newspaper.

True.

I was amused by your calculations but I must point out some obvious flaws. You are comparing what a non-governmental charity organization did for the homeless in Canada in a single march, to the total government AND canadian population spending on any charity in a year!

Well that depends on how you define "charitable" - the Canadian government presumably spends a lot more on welfare. But yes I was. Why do you see that as a flaw?

Of course you intended to draw such a ridiculous comparison to bellitle the Muslim contribution.

That is neither a fair nor a reasonable inference.

And the Muslim community in Canada is something Canadians want to know more about.

Sure. Canadians are open minded people,

They would want to know that the Muslim community is working together with non-muslims in a humanitarian cause.

Absolutely.

And Canadians do not give on average $90B - your own source states they give on average $239 dollars in a year.

Yes but that $90B also included free time. They give $239 and some free labor as well. Which I will admit your article did not try to price for the Muslim project.

And you are talking about media coverage over the course of an entire year whereas I am talking about coverage over the course of a day.

I am happy to adjust it for a per day basis. The fact is the amount of money was so small (even on a per day basis) that unless there was some other factor I doubt it would be covered. I suspect that other factor might have been a desire to show some good news from the Muslim community, but who knows? What is clear is that this is hardly proof of discrimination and in fact suggests the opposite - this news got better than fair treatment.

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Indeed. And isn't it nice of the Canadian authorities to do this?

I am happy these politicians were involved, but my complaints are with the media coverage. I would have thought that was obvious from my post.

Well that depends on how you define "charitable" - the Canadian government presumably spends a lot more on welfare. But yes I was. Why do you see that as a flaw?

1. Instead of comparing one NGO to a similar NGO to effectively evaluate its contribution, you compare 1 NGO to the entire GOVERNMENT AND POPULATION of Canada. That's laughable.
2. You added up ALL charities, not just homelessness (which is described as a national disgrace).
3. You made the comparison OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR! This is the most absurd out of the three flaws in your analogy. I didn't say that this event should recieve coverage over the course of an entire year so why would you compare it to a contribution that took place over the course of an entire year?
This was a significant event in the daily news for Toronto. Streets were closed off for the large march to collect money for the homeless. Politcians and city workers attended the event. It was organized and carried out by a community that has fallen under much scrutiny from other Canadians. And yet - almost completely no media coverage?

That is neither a fair nor a reasonable inference.

Say what you will.

Yes but that $90B also included free time.

Not to mention government spending!

They give $239 and some free labor as well. Which I will admit your article did not try to price for the Muslim project.

Exactly.

The fact is the amount of money was so small (even on a per day basis) that unless there was some other factor I doubt it would be covered.

First off, you're talking about last years amount, not this year's. Secondly, the standards by which you call the amount small are flawed as mentioned earlier.