Short film about Imam Zaid Shakirs “Turn the Desert Green” tour in the UK. This is a tour organised by Islamic Relief to help fund projects in Mali.

One of the most refreshing aspects of the event was the participation of a wide range of speakers. For example, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Professor, AlMaghrib Institute,* and Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Educational Director,Seekers Guidance, and former SunniPath Academy teacher shared the stage for the session “A Vision for the Muslim Community”.

Shaykh Qadhi, who was born and raised in the United States, stated that he sees 3 areas of optimism for American Muslims and 3 areas that need attention.

3 areas of optimism

1. Racial divide among Muslims has been greatly minimized. Compared to the 1970’s and 1980’s, there is much more unity in the America Muslim community. Masajid are filled with Muslims from all different nationalities, races, and backgrounds.

2. Greater identification with American culture. There is no “back home” for the current generation of Muslims as they were born here, identify with this culture, and are comfortable here.

3. Increased involvement in political life and the media. For example, there are now 2 Muslim congressman (Keith Ellison and André D. Carson) and the White House celebrates Iftar.

3 areas needing attention

1. Living a practicing religious life in a secular society. Work needs to be done with balancing the conservatism of Islam with a more hedonistic lifestyle.

2. Right Wing Islamophobia. Muslims are forced to deal with the fake dichotomy “you are either with us or against us.” There are always disagreements in the political realm. Having a different morality does not make someone less American. Every group, including those who identify themselves as Christian or Jewish, have loyalties that are not questioned and they are not accused of trying to impose a “Christian Shari’ah” for example.

3. Producing a new generation of indigenous scholars and imams. The U.S. needs Muslim leaders that are of the East and West and who understand this culture.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, who is Canadian, began with the vision “that America needs to be more like Canada!” On a more serious note, he stated that there needs to be more of a commitment to excellence, “to do the best thing, in the best way, for the best motives”.

Shaykh Rabbani stated that excellence is learned by following the Qur’an and Sunnah and by following the example of others. He mentioned that often Muslims do not expect excellence in the community. Many halal meat stores and masajids, for example, do not meet the standards we expect from other businesses or public places. He stressed the importance at looking at success stories such as the Umma Community Clinic in South Central LA, that provides high quality health care to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Part of excellence, he continued, is how we view ourselves with respect to society-at-large. The Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, was sent to perfect noble character. He (saas) saw the human potential and the inherent possibility of good, and helped others to fulfill this potential.

To achieve excellence, Shaykh Rabbani highlighted 2 things:

How can Muslim community achieve excellence

1. Establish indigenous institutions of Islamic knowledge that train in the highest level of scholarship. In this, both Shaykhs agreed.

2. Cultivate a spirit of service. What are we doing to seek the pleasure of Allaah (swt)?

Shaykh Rabbani ended with advice on how to succeed:

4 things that grant success:

1. Intention is true,
2. Goal is true,
3. Way to pursue that goal is true, and
4. Pursuing that goal in the best of ways.

*Shaykh Yasir Qadir will by presenting at IlmFest (October 3-4) in Baltimore

Source

On September 5, United For Change hosted its inaugural event United Against Malaria, One Body : One Goal.Part 1 of this series of articles spoke generally about this inspiring event. In this Part 2, the insights of Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur, one of the speakers, are highlighted.

At the event, Sister Saleemah received the first United For Change Award For Excellence in Human Service, along with another co-recipient. Among her many achievements (e.g. author, activist), Sister Saleemah is the faith-based programmer for Malaria No More, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, formed to advance the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (see below).

Malaria No More describes itself as “a uniquely entrepreneurial organization” involved with funding, grassroots work, advocacy, and implementation. According to its website,

Malaria No More was born of a simple, startling insight: that ending malaria’s death grip on Africa is the best humanitarian investment we can make in the world today.Nothing else can have the same impact on as many people’s lives and livelihoods as quickly or cheaply.

During her speech, Sister Saleemah described eradicating malaria as the low-hanging fruit of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.

The” low-hanging fruit” is an expression that means to select the easiest targets with the least amount of effort. Fruit trees often have low branches that make its fruit easy to reach. The fruit on the lower branches may not be as ripe or as attractive as the fruit on higher branches, but it is much easier to harvest.

According to Sister Saleemah, malaria eradication efforts represent the low-hanging fruit because they impact each of the 8 Millennium Development Goals and provide the biggest opportunity to save lives.

The UN has described the Millennium Development Goals as follows:

Nine years ago, world leaders set far-sighted goals to free a major portion of humanity from the shackles of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease. They established targets for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, environmental sustainability and a global partnership for development. In short, they adopted a blueprint for a better world – and pledged to spare no effort in fulfilling that vision.

The 8 goals are: (1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; (2) Achieve universal primary education; (3) Promote gender equality and empower women; (4) Reduce child mortality; (5) Improve maternal health; (6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other disease; (7) Ensure environmental sustainability; and (8) Develop a global partnership for development.

The target date for most of the goals is 2015. Unfortunately, according to a 2009 progress report, the unprecedented worldwide economic crisis threatens the accomplishment of these goals, as well as the potential devastating effects of climate change.

Unlike some of the other goals, however, much progress has been made with respect to eradicating malaria. Target 3 of Goal 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other disease) states “Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.”

Malaria is called a disease of poverty because infection and death rates are disproportionately concentrated in the least developed countries. About one million people die of malaria each year and 95% of them, mostly children, live in sub-Sahara Africa. Several factors make the risk of dying from malaria much higher in this region including: the abundance of a more lethal malaria parasite, more intense disease transmission, and weak healthcare systems.

According to the progress report, “major progress has been made in the fight against malaria in recent years, due in large part to increased funding and focus on malaria control. “ In fact, a 2008 Roll Back Malaria Global Action Plan, challenged countries to achieve universal coverage with key interventions by 2010.

Why does eradicating malaria affect the other goals? For example, the target with respect to Goal 4(Reduce child mortality) is to reduce the under age 5 child mortality rate by 2/3 between 1990 and 2015. Although there has been progress in this regard for developing regions as a whole, many countries, including sub-Sahara Africa, have made little or no progress.

In fact, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 1/2 of all deaths among children under the age of 5. Nevertheless, according to the progress report, there have been “remarkable improvements in several key child-survival interventions that are expected to yield further declines in under-five mortality over the next few years,” including the use of insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria. Thus, efforts to reduce new cases of malaria and deaths associated with the disease have a direct impact on this goal as well.

Sister Saleemah shared her parents’ wise advice, “to be a good Muslim you need to serve humanity.”Each of us can do our part to serve humanity this blessed month of Ramadan by contributing as little as $10 to Islamic Relief’s Bite the Bug campaign.

Source

“It was indeed an historic event! I LOVED the entirety of it. The articulation of the speakers was simply superb! I was blown away by the information given, and the profound commitment of the organizers for the cause of those with malaria. I don’t know if I have ever heard, and been more affected by a speech then that of the one given by professor Fatimah Jackson! I thank Allah for the organizers! Let’s do it again!” - Imam Siraj Wahhaj

“It was a great honor to be involved with the recent United Against Malaria program. The organization and execution of the conference were impeccable. The messages were profound, inspirational, and uplifting. This program was not the beginning of my involvement with the issue of malaria. I pray that the momentum built by the program will lead to more effective and focused action  both by myself and others. I think it is fitting to point out the commitment of the volunteers of United for Change (UFC) and the staff of Islamic Relief for the commitment and vision they displayed in making such a potentially catalytic event a reality.” – Imam Zaid Shakir

“I was greatly honored and humbled to participate in the ‘Bite the Bug’ fundraiser sponsored by ‘United for Change’ in cooperation with Islamic Relief. I believe that this event is a very positive sign and bodes well for the future of the American Ummah. Not only does it show our long-term vision and thinking, by raising awareness of social ills that are typically sidelined for political ones, but it also demonstrates a very real and tangible sense of unity amongst the many different groups and organizations that participated. I ask Allah to bless our efforts and cause us to come together for many more beneficial causes, Ameen!’ – Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

“It was an informative program with inspiring steps towards Muslims engaging in global health issues.” - Imam Mohamed Magid

“Malaria continues to devastate the people and economies of Africa, particularly those countries south of the Sahara. A conference geared to identifying an authentic Islamic response to the challenges posed by malaria is timely and very important. Islamic Relief is to be congratulated for an extremely well thought out and executed event. The level of discourse was exemplary, and the integration of spiritual, scientific, and policy initiatives is exactly the format needed to design and implement an appropriate Muslim-centered response. I very much appreciate being a part of this effort and I pray to Allah (SWT) that it will be successful. Too many innocents are lost to the scourge of malaria. Whatever we can do to help our brothers and sisters in ways that are pleasing to Allah will be both right and just. Islamic Relief has given the call and it is our responsibility as conscious Muslims to now do our part. Let keep the dialogue going and back it up with real action, and all real victory is from Allah (SWT)!”  - Dr. Fatimah Jackson

“It was my honor to attend the United Against Malaria launch in our nation’s capital. I was thrilled to join this unprecedented, formal effort by US-based Muslims to join the global movement against malaria. Indeed this work represents our greatest hope for the first humanitarian breakthrough of the century. The conference was well-organized and presented the diverse aspects of this cause as well as how the community can impact the movement. Many thanks to the coordinating committee, Imam Zaid Shakir and Islamic Relief for their tremendous commitment and remarkable leadership.” - Saleemah Abdul-Ghaffur

“The United Against Malaria event was one of the most memorable programs I’ve participated in or attended. It was significant not only because we raised almost $200,000 to combat malaria, but because there was a spirit of love, mutual concern, and a deep sense of the need for unity and cooperation that was manifest throughout. For me, the personal highlight of the program was going for a walk (and some ice cream) the night before the event with Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, in which we discussed some of the most pressing larger religious concerns of the Muslim community in North America–especially in terms of meaningful means of Islamic Finance, and some of the critical legal issues related to marriage–and how we must work together to address them. May Allah make this event the first step in our uniting for change, and in becoming of those who promote justice and good with excellence, in accordance with the radiant example of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).” - Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

“Words cannot do justice to describe the powerful combination of sincerity, knowledge, compassion, and collective concern exhibited during that blessed Saturday, September 5th, 2009, when fellow Muslims, scholars, philanthropists, and altruists gathered to teach and to be taught, to call and to answer the call, and to give and to be asked to give, so that together we would reach a milestone in Muslim American history and show once and for all that functional unity is not only possible but that it has been realized in the fight against Malaria. An ancient proverb of the Dakota tribe captures the essence of this nascent effort of ours, “We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.” Walking in the tracks of the scholars, the giants of our time who attended, spoke, captivated and motivated us to join the struggle against Malaria, we all insha’Allah will be known by the tracks that we have begun to leave and more tracks that we are sure to make, by the grace, mercy, and guidance of Allah, in the near future.” - Altaf Husain Ph.D., MSW

“Rekindling the inner spirit that the purpose of a Muslim is not limited to worshipping The Creator only, but also to serve, show compassion, and a genuine will to extend a hand to others”. - Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy

“Being part of the UAM event was a remarkable experience of living the Hadeeth of the prophet (peace be upon him) describing the believers in their mercy and cooperation as the one body that aches for any harm befalling one of its parts. It was my honor to have been part of this effort in the fight against Malaria along with such prominent scholars and activists. I urge all those who missed this event to still be part of this historic effort by contributing to the cause.” - Ghuydar Bashmaf

“United For Change is a long overdue initiative. It is the organizational manifestation of a realization that only enlightened leaders could have reached, that contrarian rhetoric is not only ultimately futile, but it drains us from time, energy and resources that are better used towards unquestionably positive outcomes. As for United Against Malaria, being a borderline survivor of this powerful disease, I would not wish it upon my worst enemy. My parents often recall how I went into convulsions when the temperature in my 9 year old body hit a whopping 107 F. I do have flashbacks of moments leading into it, but I have no recollection of being placed on a slab of ice and having ice-cold cold water splashed over me to bring the fever down. To this day, my mother prays for that Indian doctor in Bangalore who, with Allah’s permission, saved my life and eventually cured me of Malaria. To know that there are children with no access to the medicine or the treatment that I was fortunate enough to receive in my time of need, is disturbing, especially when we realize just how severe the death toll is, and just how feasible it is for us to make a difference. May Allah raise the ranks of our scholars and leaders for coming together for such an historic initiative, especially Imam Zaid Shakir for initiating and guiding the charge, and Br. Tariq Subhani, Sr. Asma Mirza, and Br. Amadou Shakur for tirelessly working to bring this vision to reality. I felt humbled to be involved in a minor capacity in this first event, and will gladly do so again in a heartbeat.” - Nader Khan

“Thank you so much for the invitation to be apart of this historic conference. We are so pleased by the vision of Imam Zaid Shakir to organize a conference during Ramadan in with which the Muslims could participate in helping a preventable disease that has an enormous global impact on the world. We are hoping that this event on Malaria will inspire scholarship from the Muslim community to solve these important problems, and eradicate unnecessary human suffering, remembering that Allah SWT says saving a life is like saving all mankind. We pray that Muslims will take a grassroots approach to being integral to solving issues through volunteerism with Islamic relief and United for Change, and be at the fore front of leading the way in bettering the human condition. We believe that this conference was the starting point of raising awareness, and trying to change the condition with our hearts, minds, resources and time, and we look forward to many more events that will continue to inspire us to pursue meaningful avenues to please Allah SWT. Thank you again, and may Allah SWT bless your efforts moving forward with success and barakah.” - Aisha Jackson

What can $10 buy you? Not much these days. You can buy a cup of coffee for yourself and a friend at one of the specialty coffee chains. Or, you can buy 1 movie ticket, but forget about the popcorn. Or, you can save a life!

Only $10 will buy a bed net and medicine to save a child or a pregnant woman from malaria. Imagine, forgo 1 movie that you probably should not be watching anyway and save a life. Is there really a choice?

Last night something incredible happened. As one of the illustrious speakers stated, “Tonight is the beginning of a movement.”

United for Change hosted its inaugural event United Against Malaria, One Body : One Goal in Maryland. More than a dozen knowledgeable and inspiring speakers spoke about malaria, what can be done to eradicate it, and what Islam teaches about our responsibility to humanity. There were tears, laughter, indignation, but mostly hope–hope that the American Muslim community can work together to bring real change in the world.

The promise and tragedy of malaria is that it is preventable and treatable.

The promise, of course, is that this deadly disease can be eradicated. The statistics are alarming. About half of the world’s population (3.3 billion) is a risk of contracting malaria; about 250 million people contract the disease each year and over 1 million people die, mostly children under the age of 5. As one speaker summed it up, “You have to be dead inside not to care.”

Simple things like bed nets, medicine, and changes to the physical environment (i.e., removing water sources where mosquitoes breed) can make an enormous difference. Malaria is described as the “low hanging fruit” of public health initiatives.

Malaria was endemic to the United States not so long ago. In fact, many of us learned last night that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main U.S. government agency dedicated to preventing disease and promoting health, was established in 1946 to end malaria.

The tragedy of malaria is that despite our knowledge of how to eradicate it, it has not been done.

Where has the money gone that could have been used to save millions of lives? Much of it has been spent on the two major economic enterprises, armaments and drugs, according to one speaker. That does not particularly bode well for the human psyche to say the least.

Over the next week or so, I intend to post a series of articles on yesterday’s event, the public health and Islamic knowledge that was shared, and why yesterday may have been a turning point for Muslim Americans.

If you missed it, don’t worry. There are and will be many opportunities to help in this campaign to end malaria and to usher in a new era of Muslim cooperation for the greater good.

For more info: The History of Malaria, Islamic Relief’s Bite the Bug campaign

Source: Examiner.com

“We need to put this on the radar of the community,” Tariq Subhani, event chairperson and president of United for Change, a new Muslim umbrella organization, told IslamOnline.net.

Billed as a “historical event” and a “turning point in Islamic work in the US,” the one-day conference will be held on Saturday, September 5, just outside of Washington, D.C.

It is the brainchild of Imam Zaid Shakir, of the Zaytuna Institute in California, who took an eight-day trip with Islamic Relief to see their work to eradicate malaria in Mali last March.

“Seeing the work of Islamic Relief, how they’re filling the gaps and empowering the Muslims in sub-Sahara Africa to take charge of their health and their selves, to see how they’re building a healthcare infrastructure–it was truly inspiring,” Imam Shakir told IOL.

He came back from Africa convinced that an issue like malaria couldn’t be tackled by one group or individual.

He immediately approached all 11 major Muslim organizations in the US, including Islamic Society of Northern America (ISNA), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Relief and the Zaytuna Institute, to come together in a unified effort for this cause.

“I knew it was possible to bring these different groups together for a higher cause – to rally around malaria,” asserted Imam Shakir.

“We pray that Allah helps us to raise the consciousness of Muslims about the devastating effects of malaria.”

Prominent religious leaders like Hamza Yusuf, Imam Siraj Wahaj, Imam Mohammad Masjid, Dr. Fatima Jackson and many others will be speaking about the need for unity and the battle Muslims must wage against malaria.

In the evening after the conference ends, there will be a special iftaar dinner and taraweeh prayers with all the speakers.

With a capacity for nearly 3,000, tickets for the event are selling briskly, Subhani said, expecting a rush of sales on the day before and event.

He hopes the Ramadan spirit of giving and the drive to help fellow Muslims will make people more receptive to the message.

“We can gain a multitude of benefits by attending and supporting this cause,” he said. “The blessings are countless.”

Funds raised from the event will go in part to Islamic Relief for their work to eradicate malaria in Africa.

Long Battle

Islamic Relief is hoping the event would bring much-needed attention to the threat malaria poses to people in West Africa, many of them Muslims.

“Unfortunately in our community we don’t move quickly enough regarding Africa,” Naeem Muhammad, interim community fund development manager for Islamic Relief, told IOL.

“[Africans] don’t get the coverage of Palestine, or issues in Pakistan or Afghanistan. You don’t hear breaking news about malaria or about West Africa,” he regretted.

“But we’re hoping the speakers at the event will be the draw. Each of those imams have constituency, and we’re hoping people will come to see what their imam has to say about this.”

Muhammad said his group has been doing multifaceted work in Mali since 1998.

This included creating water and sanitation programs, drilling wells, establishing health clinics to treat malaria, and founding orphan support programs to help those who have lost their parents to malaria and other diseases.

“Malaria is something that [Africans] have been dealing with for years and years,” he asserted.

“Every 60 seconds a child in sub-Sahara Africa dies of malaria. There are more 400 million Africans affected by this disease, and for one million it is fatal.”

According to United for Change literature, 3,000 African children are dying daily and 12 billion dollars are lost every year in foreign investments and tourism revenues because of the disease.

“Many of those dying are Muslims,” Muhammad said.

“And we’re not talking about it. Inshallah we hope the people will learn. It’s a bit of a tough sell, because there’s not enough understanding about the need and the concern for who it’s affecting.”

The Islamic Relief official added that the fight against malaria has been ongoing by the UN and other government groups and NGOs for years, and they have put together millennium development goals to have malaria deaths eradicated by 2015.

“What if in 2015 they’re celebrating this victory and Muslim voices aren’t there?” Muhammad asked.

“This can’t happen.”

Source: IslamOnline.net

Buy tickets for the main event here and for the iftar event here. For more information on the event click here.

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