R amadan S
dition E l a i pec
VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 6 | JUNE 2013
As we fast approach Ramadan, it’s a good time to reflect upon things we want to change about the world and ourselves. With this in mind, Muslim Aid’s 2013 Ramadan campaign aims to inspire an entire community observing their fast, to reflect upon the word; change. What will it mean to you this Ramadan? For some it can be a spiritual awakening, for others it can be a commitment to a new resolution. For us here at Muslim Aid, it means being part of an important cog in the wheel which serves to change the lives of thousands of the world’s poorest people for the better. And that’s what Cover photo: A young girl receives her Zakat ul-Fitr in Lebanon.
Muslim Aid does best. We don’t just stop short at emergency aid. Our mission is to get to the heart and soul of real development and deliver poverty reduction programmes which are longterm and frankly, workable solutions to many of the world’s problems created by poverty, conflict and disasters. Take for instance our Model Village Project restoring the lives of people severely affected by the Pakistan floods in 2010. Throughout 2012, we built entire villages with new housing, complete with schools, science laboratories, health clinics, water and sanitation systems so that communities could re-start their
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lives. Then there’s our Microfinance Programme which has changed the lives of over 70,000 people worldwide providing them with the financial tools to lift themselves out of poverty. All this was made possible by you, our donors, our supporters. Our Ramadan campaign is bigger and bolder this year. We aim to reach more people with our Feed the Fasting programme, Syria and Myanmar emergency appeal, child sponsorship and poverty alleviation projects. In this special issue we highlight our collective achievements from last Ramadan and our
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hopes to transform the lives of thousands this year. Here at Muslim Aid, we want you to be the change for countless of men, women and children who look to us to help them change their lives. After all, we are all inextricably linked by the food that we eat, grown by the poorest communities, to the clothes we wear, manufactured in developing countries. Their world has now become ours. So this Ramadan join us, and be the change.
By Amina Rafique
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Albania, and Syria to Somalia, we provide a nourishing suhoor meal to begin the fast and a revitalising meal for iftar for those who most need it. In the UK, last year our programme reached many homeless. Now, as conflicts continue to rage across the globe and a food shortage looms over the world’s poorest, it is crucial that this vital work continues. It is only with your support that we hope to reach out to those caught in the midst of war and disaster, and share the light of the holy month of Ramadan. Indeed, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said:
With a spend of £360,000, last Ramadan Muslim Aid was able to reach over 250,000 of the world’s poorest people. Through our Feed the Fasting Programme, food packs were distributed to those most in need in a year which saw an escalation of violence in Syria and famine strike in Somalia. Thanks to you, all this was made possible, allowing us to collectively help those more vulnerable than ourselves. Year round, Muslim Aid works to help those living through poverty and hardship, and our Feed the Fasting programme ensures many thousands receive their vital sustenance in this month of worship. By distributing food packs in the world’s poorest regions, from Afghanistan to
“Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward.” (Al Tirmidhi) So, as this month of mercy and charity approaches, let us once again share the abundant blessings with many thousands of our brothers and sisters across the world.
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Reaching over 250,000 people last Ramadan, our Feed the Fasting programme extended to 41 countries, including Indonesia
Whilst in prison, many turn and return to Islam in order to find peace and solace. Away from family, friends, or even just a friendly face, however, this can be a testing experience. Through our Prisoners Project, Muslim Aid reaches out to those striving on the road to rehabilitation, helping individuals make a change for a collective good. Thoughts of charity often bring to mind those living in far off places where people lack the most basic of needs like food, water and shelter. Closer to home, however, there are many desperately in need of help, though are often shunned and forgotten by society. Indeed, for many of those imprisoned for past mistakes and wrongdoing, a life behind bars can often push them further from the rails of mainstream society, making prospects bleak following release. Often coming from deprived areas and troubled backgrounds, many are thrust into a hopeless cycle of rejection and reoffending, with prison being just one stage of this downward spiral.
Since the turn of the millennium, the number of Muslims serving time in the UK has risen, with a survey in 2011 placing the figure at 12% of the entire prison population. In particular, a high number of young Muslims have fallen for the false promise of gang culture and the criminal lifestyle, with a report last year finding that one in five inmates at young offenders institutions (YOIs) identified with the Islamic faith. Offering help to those who have fallen by the wayside is central to the mercy of Islam, as indeed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said:
“The ones who are merciful merciful to them. Be merciful the ones who are in the heav (Rawaahu A
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MA’s Prisoners Project aims to support Muslims that are striving on the road to rehabilitation
Last year, in Ramadan alone we were able to raise around £11,000 for our Prisoners Project, which helped fill many lonely prison cells with the comfort of Allah’s remembrance. By providing Ramadan packs which contained essentials like prayer mats, Qur’ans and Muslim head coverings, as well as organising iftar
l, The Most Merciful will be to those who are on the earth, vens will be merciful to you.” At Tirmidhi)
dinners for prisoners, Muslim Aid helped uplift the spirits of those behind bars in the blessed month of mercy. It is crucial that we build upon our past investment and once again open our hearts to those who need our support. This year, we aim to uplift the Ramadan experience of more prisoners than ever. By providing Ramadan packs, organising iftars, prison visits and also establishing a new mentoring scheme, we hope to make this Ramadan one of abundant and unforgettable blessing, and perhaps make it a memorable turning point in the prisoners’ journey to change. So be part of the solution and support our Prisoners Project this Ramadan to make a lasting change.
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As one of Islam’s five pillars, Zakat is a central duty which requires an annual donation to help those most in need. Mentioned alongside prayer in the Qur’an, the importance of this duty is quite clear, however its rules, regulations and benefits are sometimes not so apparent. What is Zakat? Translated literally as, ‘to cleanse’, zakat is the act of cleansing ones wealth and purifying what remains. By giving up a portion of wealth for the poor, an individual’s wealth is greatly increased in blessing. This is in accordance with the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) saying that:
The payment of zakat also acts as a reminder of the reality that all wealth belongs to Allah, and what we do not use can be put towards benefitting others who are in need. In this way, zakat redistributes wealth in the community and ensures that it is used for collective benefit. Who needs to pay Zakat? The obligation of zakat is only placed upon those who meet certain conditions. The one who must pay zakat is a sane Muslim adult who meets the minimum wealth requirement (nisab), for one whole year. The minimum wealth requirement, which only includes extra unused wealth, ensures that zakat is not placed as a burden or hardship upon those who can’t afford it. For those who qualify to pay zakat, the amount set by Islamic regulations is 2.5% of one’s wealth. Please visit muslimaid.org for our Zakat calculator Who benefits?
“Whoever pays the zakat on his wealth will have its evil removed from him.” (Ibn Khuzaimah & at-Tabaraani).
In the process of paying zakat, all parties involved derive great benefit from this noble act. Those who are eligible to receive zakat include: Those living in complete poverty and have nothing. Those who posess some wealth, but struggle to fulfil their basic needs. The distributers of zakat. Muslim converts – traditionally, this category was for new Muslims who after having become Muslim, faced extreme hardship due to their decision.
Those in debt and are unable repay their burden. Travellers and wayfarers who are in need. What will Muslim Aid do with my Zakat donation? Our 100% donation policy for zakat contributions means, rest assured, every
penny of your donation will reach those who most need it, as we don’t take any administration fees from it. With your zakat donations, Muslim Aid channels aid and assistance to some of the world’s most impoverished communities. From providing emergency relief to facilitating long term solutions to poverty, we are constantly striving to empower and uplift the world’s most vulnerable people.
Zakat can enrich thousands of lives across the globe, giving others hope and success for the future
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People fed on our Feed
13,000
20,0
Flood affected people emerge
People benefited from education, healthcare, and water and sanitation projects to serve Rainbow Family kids and their community
4,223
Orphans and underprivileged children have been sponsored by the Rainbow Family Child Sponsorship programme
2,000
UK prisoners were given prisoners packs to help them through Ramadan last year
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Hospitals in Gaza given essential emergency care for the si
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the Fasting programme
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25,007
Rohingya refugees given healthcare, food, shelter, water and sanitation in Cox Baazar, Bangladesh
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e in Thailand recieved ency aid
900
olds given non-food in Myanmar
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6,000
Sick and wounded Syrians per month given free medical care under MA’s medical clinics in Jordan
3,500
Beautiful smiles from Rainbow Family Kids when they received their Eid gifts from donors
world. 12. e h t t oughou roughout 20 r h t e l p h s of peo de possible t n o i l l i a erved m what was m s s a h Aid le of Muslim small examp a bove is
medical supplies to provide 24hr ick and wounded in Gaza
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........‘Educational parcels’ containing school bags, uniforms, and essential stationery for enrolling in Jordanian public school were given to Syrian refugee children, allowing them to continue their education.
As the situation in Syria deteriorated, Muslim Aid appealed to you to help reach out to those caught up in the conflict. By January this year our UK collections for Syria exceeded over £1 million. Here’s a brief overview of the work we’ve been able to carry out thanks to your support: Food packs containing a month’s supply of nutritious staples including lentils, rice and pasta were provided to Syrian families. ...Relief packs were distributed containing food items, clothes, outerwear, thermals, blankets, coal and mattresses. Additionally, over 2,000 refugee families in Lebanon and 500 families in Jordan received rugs and hygiene packs. As part of our International Winter Campaign, ‘Keep Warm Kits’ were provided for Syrian refugees in the AlZarqa, Al-Russeifa and Al-Hussein camps in Jordan to help them cope through the harsh winter. 2 medical clinics were set up in AlRamtha and Al-Mafraq, Jordan, to provide free medicine and healthcare to Syrian refugees, seeing over 6,000 patients monthly, and refer those who require specialist care to the regional hospital.
In Iraq, Syrian refugees who took shelter in schools and other public buildings were supplied with food baskets, clean drinking water and many non-food essentials including blankets and pillows. Around 2,000 received assistance. Through our Reach More Feed More Qurbani campaign, displaced Syrians were provided with fresh meat on the blessed day of Eid. With no end yet in sight to the conflict, millions of men, women and children are still in an extremely desperate situation: Over 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes According to UNICEF, more than 650,000 children are among the displaced In total, over 4 million people are in urgent need of help and support, with the approach of summer bringing new dangers and challenges to their survival. With the holy month of Ramadan coming, let us ensure that we are able to continue this important work. With your support, we can help answer the call of those whose lives have been torn apart by this conflict.
Syrian refugee children receive care and attention through Muslim Aid
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After the eruption of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2012, livelihoods were shattered in a densely populated region already afflicted by poverty, malnutrition and natural disasters. The outburst of religious hostility, mainly towards the minority Muslim Rohingya ethnic group has seen nearly 200 deaths and the displacement
of approximately 100,000 people. Homes, businesses and places of worship have all been destroyed in one of the worst outbreaks of ethnic violence that the region has seen in recent times. Consequently, many thousands are left without the most basic of needs like food, clean water and shelter. With your support, however, Muslim Aid has provided a lifeline to those affected by the region’s troubles. Our work began with the distribution of essentials, such as mosquito nets, clothing and hygiene packs to 200 households in Basar camp and to 2,700 households in Thea Chung
This year, Muslim Aid have established offices in Yangon and Sittwe in aid of thousands of Rohingya people that live in hop
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camp to help prevent the spread of disease in the overcrowded refugee settlements. Recently, a further 1,000 households received non-food items. Our emergency relief also extended to Bangladesh, where 14,007 refugees from Myanmar were among the 25,007 recipients of healthcare, food, clean water, sanitary and security provisions. To facilitate this vital work, Muslim Aid opened offices in Yangon and Sittwe to ensure that our efforts are sustained. A team was also sent to Myanmar from Muslim Aid UK to visit the refugees and carry out a vital needs assessment. Since
pe for a brighter future
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then, plans have been made for further provision of shelter, healthcare, education and skills development. Despite our efforts, however, the embers of unrest have yet to settle. Recently, violence has erupted in Myanmar’s central region where over a hundred homes were torched, and over 75,000 people are still displaced. It is crucial this Ramadan that we continue to provide assistance to those urgently in need of food, shelter and healthcare assistance. Please donate generously this Ramadan, and help us to rebuild the lives of the many thousands affected by Myanmar’s conflict.
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“Not being harsh and rigid, but
Taufiq Ali Othman,
“A new attitude for a brighter future” Rebecca Rafique, Explorer
“Being on time for God” Salma Khan, Sales Assistant
“A chance to save the world” Zahra Sa’id, Creative Designer
“A little generosity can bring a big change in the lives of people in hardship” Hamid Azad, Assistant CEO, Muslim Aid
“To reawaken my soul” Fatma Sa’id, Photographer
“Being proactive”
Abdul Samad, Engineering student
“Less talking. More walking” Nur Hannah Wan, Writer
“Making a positive change to oneself and the communities of the world for the sake of Allah SWT” Nepa Jamilah Uddin, Ramadan Campaign Manager
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people u
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generous and merciful”
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, Historian
“The word ‘Change’ without action has no meaning!” Sultan Ahmed, Fundraising Manager
“Its doing the unexpected that can bring change” Fatima Hagi, Marketing and Communications Officer
“When actions speak louder than words” Shohidul Islam, Web Administrator
“As fasting is about God consciousness, Ramadan brings in believers a sea-change of goodness to them and the people around them” Dr Abdul Bari
“To forgive each other so that Allah SWT may forgive us” Asmat Sheikh, Mother
“To aspire to be the best this Ramadan” Ehsaan, Nasheed Artist
“Ittaqullah” “Being the link that connects humanity”
Tariq Shaekh
Creative Note, Verbal Artist
until they change what is in themselves.” Qur’an 13:11
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When disaster strikes, or when long term solutions are needed to uplift the lives of those in need, Muslim Aid does its best to be there to lead and support the vital humanitarian work. Without the help of our mosques, however, we would not be able to act as quickly or as efficiently as we have been able to in past times of crisis and adversity. It is the mosques that act as our vital link to the communities up and down the country, the very communities whose support and donations have funded the positive change and relief across the globe. Since 2011, Muslim Aid has held annual Mosque appreciation events to thank those in our community whose unwavering support has made our work possible. In the spring of this year, events were held in London, Birmingham and Manchester to thank and receive feedback from community leaders, with particular focus on our Syria, Burma and Gaza appeals. To see our mosques taking a leading role in humanitarian efforts to alleviate poverty is both inspirational and encouraging. Insha’Allah, we hope this relationship continues to develop so that collectively we may serve humanity and alleviate world suffering.
Muslim Aid gives thanks to the many mosques that have lent their generous support
world’s neediest. An estimated 100,000 benefactors in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka were able to benefit from this programme.
With Ramadan almost upon us, it is worth giving a thought to the payment of Zakat ul-Fitr, which is due on every Muslim before the day of Eid, as well as Fidya and Kaffarah payments for missed fasts. Last year, these donations received by Muslim Aid were put towards our Religious Dues Programme which saw a spend of over ÂŁ125,000 towards helping some of the
Last year we also funded an iftar dinner in the Gaza Strip for 200 men, women and children, thanks to your Zakat ul-Fitr donations. With your money, we were able to pay for this nourishing iftar meal of dates, milk, rice, soup, chicken, salad, sweets and more for those who attended this gathering. This Ramadan, we hope to uplift this holy month for even more people worldwide including a special iftar dinner at the Masijid al-Aqsa, Palestine.
The gift of your Zakat ul-Fitr allows families across the world to enjoy a blessed Ramadan
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“I would like to work changing perceptions of Muslim people in western societies�
culture, religion and approach to humanitarian relief. At Muslim Aid, our volunteers are an invaluable part of our team who we rely greatly upon to allow us to carry out our life-changing work. Last Ramadan, it was our volunteers who were busy on the street, answering the lines and out raising awareness for our campaigns and causes. Meet 25 year-old Mariana Barbosa, a graduate in Conflict Security & Development from Portugal who recently joined us as a volunteer at Muslim Aid. For Mariana, volunteering with us has not only allowed her to be part of the effort to improve lives across the world, but it has also given her invaluable experience of a different
Why did you choose to volunteer at Muslim Aid? I chose to work at Muslim Aid because I really wanted to work at a charity. It was also because I am very interested in Islamic culture. You can read so much about Muslims in books and that, but you never truly know about Islam until you meet its people. I know that maybe what I do is only a little, but I would like to work changing negative perceptions of Muslim people present in western societies. So what have you been working on?
I am working on the Zakat collections, and my role is to call jewellery stores to form partnerships that will allow people to sell their gold for Zakat. This is for the moment, as I’ve only just started.
because I also work at another charity where my colleagues are from a closer cultural background to mine, but I actually feel that my colleagues at Muslim Aid are more genuinely affectionate and caring. They are much friendlier.
Any highlights of your time here? For me it has been learning more about the everyday lives of Muslim people and their daily lives, like their prayers and even just how they greet each other. [Mariana pulls out her scrap book with Muslim greetings and phrases] Would you recommend volunteering at Muslim Aid to others? Completely! I feel very welcome here and am really enjoying my time. Its strange
Do you want to meet new people and learn new things? Are you bursting with energy and creativity? Do you have a passion for helping others and uplifting those most in need of help? Do you want to be the change? Then, what are you waiting for? With many around the world in need of your help and support this Ramadan, visit our website or give us a call to register your interest today.
our Ramadan Pocket Guide (our no1 publication), which will be bursting with ideas and activities for you to maximise your month. Each Ramadan, our guides have helped many through their spiritual journey to achieve a more fulfilling experience.
The time has once again come to prepare for a month of spiritual struggle and remembrance. Yet, despite its magnitude of blessings and rewards, many of us fall short of what we hope to gain in this precious time. Help, however, is at hand. This year, be sure to look out for
Filled with prayers, reminders and even a daily checklist to keep track of your activities and goals, and much more, look out for this perfect companion to help you realise your full potential. So, whether you’ll be looking for the right dua for the occasion, or simply looking for tips to stay healthy, be sure to equip yourself with this Ramadan essential.
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After losing her father in 2003, life was turned upside down for Ashura, who had already spent much of her childhood living with 20 other people in a cramped 3 bedroom flat in Johannesburg. Having been quite close to her late father, the trauma of losing him was quite unbearable. It often brought her to tears as she struggled to come to terms with her loss. For Ashura’s mother, the passing of her husband added an even greater weight to her daily struggle to make ends meet. The strain of the situation affected her high blood pressure, and for Ashura it meant dropping out of school due to depression. After a kind donor sponspored her through Muslim Aid’s Rainbow Family Programme, Ashura was given the vital support she needed to return to school and get her life back on track. The dire financial situation of her family was eased by the provision of daily travel costs and lunch for Ashura. This ensured that she was able to continue her education, and hopefully secure a better future for herself. Unfortunately, Ashura’s mother passed away soon after. Yet Ashura is
MA’s Rainbow Family Programme has supported Ashura in he with her good grades
now in a better position to cope. She currently lives under the care of her aunt, who does not have to worry about school fees, transports costs and other financial difficulties due to the support Ashura’s sponsor has given her. Ashura is now 14 years old, and thanks to her Rainbow Family sponsor, she is
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By sponsoring a child through our Rainbow Family Programme, you can help uplift the life of an orphan living through poverty and hardship. Helping a child to secure a brighter future is a gift beyond value, and can be done by donating as little as 82p a day. Last year, we even sent out the winner of our Golden Ticket prize out to meet the child they had sponsored. This was a hugely rewarding experience for both the sponsor and the child, who bonded and developed an important personal connection. This Ramadan, in the month when good deeds are multiplied many times over, give a thought to supporting an orphan in need, for indeed the Messenger of Allah has said:
er return to education where she has impressed teachers
once again able to laugh and play with the other children at school. Her teachers speak highly of Ashura and her record of good grades for each year at school is the sign of a promising future, Insha’allah. Ashura is a brave young girl, and her smile gives a sign of hope to children all over the world who have been through similar difficulties early in life.
“The one who cares for an orphan and myself will be together in Paradise like this,” (and he held his two fingers together) Support an orphan this Ramadan and be the change.
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There was once a time when 70 year old Muhammad Zainal Abdeen would walk several kilometres in the baking heat just to fetch clean water for his family to drink. As the family breadwinner with a wife and orphaned grandson under his care, the elderly grandfather would also run a small grocery store which was the sole source of his family’s income. With such a heavy reliance on his shoulders, life for Muhammad and others in his small community in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka was only made more difficult by the scarcity of water. Thanks to sadaqah jariyah donations received by Muslim Aid, however, the village of Neeravippity now has its very own well which supplies fresh drinking water to over 30 families. Muhammad no longer strains his fragile health by walking vast distances, and is now able to cultivate a small vegetable garden which he nurtures with water drawn from the new well. “I’ll never forget this great help. Before, we had to collect pure drinking water for more than half a kilometre and were unable to plant crops” - Muhammad Zainal Abdeen With the construction of a well, villagers
like Muhammad will benefit for a lifetime, and generations to follow will receive a vital supply of clean water. For those who helped build the well, however, the blessings and rewards for their good deed will continue to benefit them even they have passed on from this world. This is because acts of continuous charity like the digging of wells or the building of mosques, known in Arabic as sadaqah jariyah, continue to accumulate reward for the giver so long as people benefit from their charity. Regarding this, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said :
“When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him ( for the deceased).” (Sahih Muslim)
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What better time than Ramadan to make an investment of potentially endless reward, and what better way to ensure that your charity makes a lasting change. By giving a sadaqah jariyah donation this Ramadan, not only will your rewards be multiplied manifold, but they will continue to benefit you for countless years to come, Insha’ Allah.
With a new well in his village, Muhammad no longer strains his fragile health in search of clean water
Become a leading volunteer in your community and help the most disadvantaged communities combat poverty.
'It is a duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequeath not to let two nights pass without including it in his Will.' (Sahih al- Bukhari) Have you made your Will yet? Is it still on your to-do list? Don’t know where to start? Muslim Aid can help you make your Will.
Download your FREE Shariah compliant legal Will template now at www.muslimaid.org/Will In partnership with: 1st Ethical Charitable Trust
Through your Will , leave a gift to Muslim Aid and empower lives across the world .
For further information call 020 7377 4200 or visit muslimaid.org Muslim Aid, PO Box 3, London, E1 1WP
Charity Registra on No. 295224
Muslim Aid’s mission, guided by the teachings of Islam, endeavours to tackle poverty and its causes by developing innovative and sustainable solutions that enable individuals and their communities to live with dignity and by supporting initiatives that promote economic and social justice. Vision: The alleviation of poverty, education for all, and the provision of basic amenities for those in need and so create a world where charity and compassion produce justice, self reliance and human development.
We are always looking for dedicated volunteers. If you would like to contribute and help out at Muslim Aid please contact the Volunteer Department at volunteer@muslimaid.org
We would love to hear your feedback. Please send any comments about our newsletter to amina@muslimaid.org
London Office Tel: 020 7377 4200 / Visit: muslimaid.org PO Box 3, London, E1 1WP Birmingham Office Tel: 0121 771 3372 / Visit: muslimaid.org 541 Coventry Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0LL Manchester Office Tel: 0161 861 0782 / Visit: muslimaid.org 557A Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8AN
Charity Reg No: 295224