More U.S. Muslims are participating in this year’s charity campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), The Contra Costa Times reported.
CAIR launched a summer-long campaign, called “Muslim Care”, to promote volunteerism, help the needy and improve community health awareness and youth activities.
Charity is a core value, or pillar, of Islam. Every Muslim is obliged to pay "Zakat", a payment of 2.5% of his/her wealth to benefit the poor.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The upper hand (of giving) is better than the lower hand (of receiving).”
"We want to encourage them (Muslims) to go beyond their mosques and their comfort levels and truly practice the religion," said Rabiah Ahmed, CAIR communications coordinator.
In Sacramento, the Islamic rights group organized four visits to homeless shelters to provide food and basic supplies. In Orlando, Fla., volunteers will host a community-wide picnic. In Columbus, Ohio, Muslims are organizing a school supplies drive for underprivileged children. In Cincinnati, they're hosting a public health fair that includes physician counseling and screenings for cholesterol and high blood pressure.
"We have a lot of doctors in our community, so in terms of providing a much needed service, it's something we need to be doing," CAIR-Cincinnati Director Karen Dabdoub said.
"It's very important for us to let our American neighbors and co-workers see that giving back to our communities is an important part of our religion and is something that we're eager to do," Dabdoub said.
CAIR says that more Muslims are willing to get involved in community social services this year to counter negative perceptions about Muslims and the Islamic religion.
The charity campaign “helps with the image issue. We find that Americans tend to change their attitude when they see Muslims engaged in service work and not just foreign policy,” said Ahmed, CAIR’s communications coordinator.
Dian Alyan, an outreach coordinator for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco Bay area, also says that Muslim charitable activities will help change the way Americans perceive Muslims.
"You can talk about the beauty of Islam until the end of time, but if you're not doing something tangible, then people will always say, 'Where are the Muslims?'", said Alyan, who is also a founder of the GiveLight Foundation, which aids orphans in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Those who wish to take part in the “Muslim Care” campaign can visit CAIR’s website:http://www.muslims-care.org, where they will be able to download a toolkit containing information about how to become a volunteer as well as some suggestions on volunteer activities such as blood drives, health awareness fairs and student tutoring.
CAIR, the U.S.'s largest Muslim advocacy group, has 31 offices and chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada. Its mission is to improve the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil rights, help American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
AlJazeera
CAIR launched a summer-long campaign, called “Muslim Care”, to promote volunteerism, help the needy and improve community health awareness and youth activities.
Charity is a core value, or pillar, of Islam. Every Muslim is obliged to pay "Zakat", a payment of 2.5% of his/her wealth to benefit the poor.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The upper hand (of giving) is better than the lower hand (of receiving).”
"We want to encourage them (Muslims) to go beyond their mosques and their comfort levels and truly practice the religion," said Rabiah Ahmed, CAIR communications coordinator.
In Sacramento, the Islamic rights group organized four visits to homeless shelters to provide food and basic supplies. In Orlando, Fla., volunteers will host a community-wide picnic. In Columbus, Ohio, Muslims are organizing a school supplies drive for underprivileged children. In Cincinnati, they're hosting a public health fair that includes physician counseling and screenings for cholesterol and high blood pressure.
"We have a lot of doctors in our community, so in terms of providing a much needed service, it's something we need to be doing," CAIR-Cincinnati Director Karen Dabdoub said.
"It's very important for us to let our American neighbors and co-workers see that giving back to our communities is an important part of our religion and is something that we're eager to do," Dabdoub said.
CAIR says that more Muslims are willing to get involved in community social services this year to counter negative perceptions about Muslims and the Islamic religion.
The charity campaign “helps with the image issue. We find that Americans tend to change their attitude when they see Muslims engaged in service work and not just foreign policy,” said Ahmed, CAIR’s communications coordinator.
Dian Alyan, an outreach coordinator for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco Bay area, also says that Muslim charitable activities will help change the way Americans perceive Muslims.
"You can talk about the beauty of Islam until the end of time, but if you're not doing something tangible, then people will always say, 'Where are the Muslims?'", said Alyan, who is also a founder of the GiveLight Foundation, which aids orphans in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Those who wish to take part in the “Muslim Care” campaign can visit CAIR’s website:http://www.muslims-care.org, where they will be able to download a toolkit containing information about how to become a volunteer as well as some suggestions on volunteer activities such as blood drives, health awareness fairs and student tutoring.
CAIR, the U.S.'s largest Muslim advocacy group, has 31 offices and chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada. Its mission is to improve the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil rights, help American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
AlJazeera