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"The group is eager to keep
aid campaigns non-stop to help poor Palestinians suffering under
the yoke of the Israeli occupation and siege," said Ibrahim.
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VIENNA — Austrian Muslims have launched a
campaign to provide Ramadan packages for poor Palestinian families
during the holy fasting month as well as `Eid presents for Palestinian
orphans.
"The Palestine Humanitarian Group in Austria
is seeking to provide food packages for the needy Palestinian families
during Ramadan as well as providing `Eid presents for children by the
end of the holy month," Hani Ibrahim of the group told
IslamOnline.net Saturday, September 9.
"The group is eager to keep aid campaigns
non-stop to help poor Palestinians suffering under the yoke of the
Israeli occupation and siege."
The "Feeding Fasting Palestinians"
campaign is aimed at providing food packages for Palestinian families
during Ramadan, which is two weeks away.
"The campaign acquires a special importance
this year as the holy month falls while the numbers of poor
Palestinian families have doubled due to the tightened siege on the
Palestinian lands and government," Ibrahim maintained.
The Palestinians have been facing a severe
humanitarian crisis since the West has frozen direct aid since a
Hamas-led Palestinian government came to power.
Israel has also suspended the monthly payment of
customs duties, worth more than 50 million dollars, it collects on
behalf of the Palestinian Authority on goods that transit through its
territory.
The international siege has affected the
livelihoods of around one million people or a quarter of the
population of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Donations
Ibrahim said Austrian Muslims have raced to donate
for buying the food packages.
"People can either donate three euros to feed
a needy Palestinian or 30 euros to provide a food package that is
sufficient for a whole family for one week," he said.
"People can also donate 15 euros to buy `Eid
presents for the poor and orphaned Palestinian children," he
added.
The Muslim activist said the charity has also
championed a campaign to help the Palestinian orphans during the holy
month.
"Donators can also pay 45 euros to afford an
orphan during Ramadan."
Many tools are used by the Austrian Muslim charity
to raise funds for the Palestinians.
"We are using ads, posters and postal
campaigns to this end," he said adding that donations are sent to
the Palestinians through charities operating in the Palestinian
territories.
Last April, Austrian Muslims have launched a
fund-raising campaign for the Palestinian people.
The "Let's Support for Our Besieged
Brothers" campaign raised one hundred euros per month for every
Palestinian family.
Early July, the Palestine Humanitarian Group also
launched its annual campaign to raise funds for Palestinian students
ahead of the next academic year to encourage them to pursue their
education despite hardships and obstacles under the Israeli
occupation.
Relief Convoys
The group has also launched campaigns to help the
needy people in other Arab countries.
"Despite we are preoccupied by the Palestinian
sufferings, but we have never forgot our brothers in other countries
who are suffering from occupation and siege," Ibrahim said.
He said that group has launched campaigns to help
the Lebanese people during the Israeli offensive.
"We have also rushed to send relief convoys
for the Lebanese people, particularly in the south," he added.
Up to 1,200 Lebanese were killed when Israel
launched a month-long offensive in Lebanon.
The Israeli blitz, which left the Lebanese
infrastructure in tatters, has also displaced nearly a million people.
Muslims are estimated at 400,000, making up 4% of
Austria's 8 million population.
Islam, which was officially acknowledged in Austria
in 1912, is considered the second religion in the country after
Catholic Christianity.
