iMuslim.tv

Letter from Haiti: A Haitian Muslim’s Request for Help

// January 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Announcements, Blog

An excerpt from a message written by a Muslim based in Haiti:

My brother Didier Ambroise is missing and we have not been able to find him. My Uncle Roblain Legagneur and my cousin Namu Corvington and his wife died buried under their house.

Brother Ibrahim Abdoul Salam’s house was destroyed and his cousin died.

Also brother Abou Bakr’s house was crumbled and his sister died.

Many brothers and sisters are unaccounted for. We do not know if they are alive or dead. May Allah give ease to them in whatever state they may be. Amin.

Read the full letter.

Donate.

Pray.

Charity Week 2009 – Day 1

// October 22nd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Photos, Video

This year, Charity Week will run from the 19th to the 25th October, insha’Allah. Here’s a wee video I made for my ISoc, to mark Day 1:

Please donate online NOW, writing “IMPERIAL COLLEGE” in the comments section of the donation form (we’re in competition with the other participating universities). All money goes to Islamic Relief’s orphan fund. So be generous! :)

Please also leave a comment below (anonymously if you wish) to let me know how much you donated, so I have an idea of the impact of the video, and also, to encourage others to follow suit, insha’Allah.

Update – Photos from the Henna Stall we ran today (Day 4):

Workshop on How to Teach Qur’an to the Blind & Visually Impaired

// September 21st, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Blog

The following was forwarded to me by e-mail. Please pass it on! Also, please contact the organization directly for more information, or if you wish to mirror their work in your own locality, insha’Allah.

Baseera Institute will be launching on 16-20th Oct, 2009, inshallah. It is a charity dedicated to teaching the quraan to the blind and visually impaired, and is set on a similar model to Madressa Noor in South Africa.

Inshallah we will be holding braille workshops for people who wish to teach quraan to the blind and visually impaired from 16-20th Oct, 9am-5pm.

If you know anyone who is blind or visually impaired who wishes to study the quraan then bring them along, or if you are generally interested in our charity project come down.

I have attached the poster with all the details to this email [see below]. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

We also have a group on facebook ”Baseera Institute”. If you have not already done so please join and I will send you regular updates.

Click poster to enlarge.

Water: The Best Charity

// September 16th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Blog

I once read that water is one of the best charities in Islam – annoyingly, I cannot find a reference for that statement, but it’s not difficult to understand why it would be true: charity is meant to make life easier for those who have less, and water is life.

How many barren deserts do we have on the surface of the Earth, that suddenly come to life when Allah sends the rain down?

“…thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).” Qur’an, 22:5

I remember reading about such desert plant life when I was little; how in some areas it may only rain once a year, for a few minutes, and then ‘whoosh!’: flowers begin to bloom, small animals come up from beneath the sand, and every creature makes the most of this brief blessing, before retreating from the heat of the sun.

For this reason, water projects hold a special place in my heart, and why I now encourage you to donate to them whenever you can. In this regard, please check out the following two charities:

• Islamic Relief: “Water for Life”
• Charity: Water (I have linked to the page of fellow blogger, Cookie Monster, as he has set up his own donation page on behalf of Ch:W, and has yet to reach his target)

This morning after suhoor, I was attempting to make wudhu in my bathroom upstairs, but was facing difficulty because my mum happened to be doing the same thing downstairs. All I was getting was random splatters acccompanied by scary sounding gurgling noises – but no actual, running water! I began to get annoyed because I was running out of time before Fajr – but then the thought came to me: “Aren’t I blessed to have even this?”. A few seconds later, mum had finished, and the water returned. It was that easy.

But what if it hadn’t?

What if it was never there to begin with?

How would I cope?

That’s what we have to keep reminding ourselves every time we open the tap…

“Say, ‘Just think: if all your water were to sink deep into the earth who could give you flowing water in its place?’” Qur’an, 67:30

My Big Day Out

// July 27th, 2009 // 7 Comments » // Blog

As I mentioned in my last status update, Thursday 23rd July ended up being quite a productive day for me, masha’Allah. For a start, I was actually active between the normal working hours of 9.30am and 4.30pm. Amazing! I didn’t even manage that during my PhD.

The day involved two major meetings, each relating to the two main projects that currently dominate my unemployed life: Deaf Muslim initiatives (e.g., SignLabs), and blogging. As the content of both meetings was pretty much confidential, I’ll skip the details, and just describe the basic aims.

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Viva Palestina Have Reached Gaza!

// March 9th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // Blog

Viva Palestina Update
15.30 (GMT) Monday 9th March 2009

GROWN MEN CRYING…THE SIEGE IS BROKEN… ON THE DAY THE PROPHET WAS BORN

And they entered side by side like heroes, some on foot some in their vehicles, tears, smiles, hugs, flowers. It was historic, it was legendary. Gaza we are here. We have fulfilled the promise – Viva Palestina! The lifeline from the people of Britain to you, the people of Gaza, has arrived.

We have broken the barriers, we have opened closed borders, we have defied the odds,we have overcome the challenges across thousands of miles and three continents. We are here to be with you, to embrace you, to share your tragedy with you.

After another morning of intense negotiations, a deal was reached to allow all of the members of the convoy to go through. In the end, Viva Palestina had to make the sacrifice of agreeing that some vehicles will have to cross the border from the Al Ouja Israeli controlled crossing point. This includes our mascot, the fire engine and the boat. This was due to the restrictions imposed by Egyptian law governing the Rafah Crossing.

A tearful Talat Ali told me that ‘Rafah is the most beautiful crossing in the world’, he also said that the time , effort and sacrifices put in by all the Viva Palestina family meant that history has been made today – on the day the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was born.

George Galloway made an emotional speech thanking the people of Gaza for the wonderful reception and assuring them that for Viva Palestina and in our millions, “WE ARE ALL PALESTINIANS!” George also reiterated that the people of Palestine have voted and that their voice should be respected.

Today the convoy will head along the Salah Eddine road towards Gaza City witnessing along the way the destruction and death caused by the Israeli war machine. Along the way they will be greeted by the people of Gaza who will know that Viva Palestina is here and that they will NEVER BE ALONE.

Farid Arada

Sign up for e-mail updates, and donate to the cause at VivaPalestina.org

We’re Going To Gaza – More From Viva Palestina

// February 20th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // Video

On February 14th 2009, after only four, short weeks of preparation, the Viva Palestina convoy finally left for Gaza, from its starting point at London’s Hyde Park. Watch interviews with the founder, George Galloway MP, the journalist, Yvonne Ridley, as well as a variety of footage from the departure event.

At the time of publishing this video, the convoy had already reached Morocco. Receive daily updates and send in your donations via VivaPalestina.org.

Happy Valentine Palestine

// February 14th, 2009 // 9 Comments » // Blog

Let’s forget the halality or haramity of Valentines Day for a moment. Today, true love was in the air at Hyde Park.

That was the departure point for the Viva Palestina convoy, who are now all on their way to Ramsgate, from where they will begin their long journey to Gaza.

I didn’t expect it, but I was quite overcome by emotion at times: both with joy, as well as a happy kind of sadness. My heart was genuinely moved by the people around me. We should all thank Allah for allowing us to witness such devotion and selflessness. Alhamdulillah. In fact, such were my feelings, that I was sufficiently motivated to come down to the Apple Store, just so I could blog about it!

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Viva Palestina: Send Your Love To Gaza

// February 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Video

The British MP, George Galloway, has launched a bold, new initiative to help the beleaguered people of Gaza, called Viva Palestina. On February 14th 2009, he will lead a large convoy from London, all the way through Europe and North Africa by road, to personally deliver much needed aid into Gaza.

Find out how you can help at http://vivapalestina.org.

Closed Captions available

What The BBC Don’t Want You To See

// January 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blog

Donate to the DEC Gaza Appeal.

Hat-tip to Media Guy