IlmFeed
A fundraiser for the families who lost their loved ones in the San Bernardino shootings has raised over $20,000 in 24 hours. The fundraiser, hosted on Muslim-focused crowdfunding site LaunchGood has seen over 292 kind hearted contributors donating from around the globe.
The organizers, MiNDS which is a Family-Centered Development organization based in California wrote on the fundraising page that they wanted to respond to evil with good:
We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action. Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “Have mercy to those on earth, and the One in the Heavens (God) will have mercy upon you.” And the Quran teaches to “Repel evil by that which is better” (41:34).
MiNDS have set a target of $50,000 and they hope they funds will go towards ‘immediate short-term needs of the families, such as funeral expenses’. If the target is exceeded, funds will go towards assisting ‘the families with long-term expenses or possibly donating to the regional center where the shooting took place’.
One of the organizers, Tarek El-Messidi (@Elmessidi) put out the following appeal on his Facebook page encouraging people to share the fundraiser widely:
The organisers have called on American Muslim mosques, Imams, leaders, and groups to endorse and promote this initiative.
So far, the following organisations and leaders have endorsed it:
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- Local Organizations: The MiNDS Network, UPLIFT, MECASoCal, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, CAIR-LA, MAS-LA, Institute of Knowledge (IOK)
- Regional Organizations: Tarbiya Institute, CAIR Florida, CAIR Arizona
- National Organizations: CelebrateMercy, Islamic Networks Group, Islamic Society of North America, Mental Health for Muslims, Zaytuna College
- Local Muslim Leaders: Ustadh Hassan Elwan, Shaykha Muslema Purmul, Shaykh Yasir Fazaqa (OCIF), Shaykh Atef Mahgoub (ICOI), Shaykh Mohammed Faqih (IIOC), Imam Mustafa Umar (IIOC), Dr. Ahmed Soboh (CVIC), Shaykh Suhail Mulla, Ustadh Usman Asrar, Imam Osman Umarjee, Hosai Mojaddidi, Lobna Mulla, Imam M. A. Azeez (Tarbiya Institute), Shaykh Nomaan Baig (IOK)
- National Muslim Leaders: Imam Omar Suleiman, Yasmin Mogahed
- Websites: IlmFeed.com, MuslimMatters.org
Learn more about the initiative here
