 |
The Muslim Hands charity has launched the campaign to encourage French Muslims to donate Udhiyah for the poor Muslims worldwide. |
PARIS — With a global financial crisis biting millions of people worldwide, a French Muslim charity has launched a campaign to encourage France's sizable minority to donate Udhiyah for the poor Muslims around the world.
"We want to bring a smile to the faces of the poor and the needy," Kamal Al-Zein, the executive director of the Muslim Hands charity, told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, December 6.
The charity distributed ads asking French Muslims to donate the money or the meat of Udhiyah to the poor people in 50 Muslim countries.
"Many donors come to us saying we eat meat on a daily basis while other poor Muslims only taste it once a year," said Al-Zein.
"We want to bring joy to those poor Muslims and send them Udhiyah," he said, citing the donors.
Last Ramadan, the Muslim Hands charity launched a campaign to feed thousands of poor people and orphans in France during the fasting month.
"The Udhiyah campaign is the second part of our campaign launched in Ramadan to feed the poor and needy people around the word," said Al-Zein.
Established in 1993 in Britain, Muslim Hands is an international NGO offering help to people affected by poverty, natural disaster and conflict around the world.
It has offices in more than 40 countries worldwide and has partnership with world relief organizations including the UN Food Program and UN children's fund (UNICEF).
The group is also running a series of projects for caring orphans and helping people affected by skyrocketing food prices.
Muslim Joy
Al-Zein said his charity will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Udhiyah or the money would reach the poor Muslims.
"Our offices in 40 countries such as the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia are banding together to make sure that Udhiyah would reach poor Muslims."
The Muslim Hands' campaign is not the only one launched by Muslim charities in France, home to six million Muslims.
The Organization of Islamic Relief has launched a similar campaign to offer Udhiyah for poor and needy people in the Muslim world.
A similar campaign was launched by "The Humanitarian Committee for Support of Palestine" to help poor Palestinians in the occupied lands.
"Our campaign aims to show the importance of `Eid Al-Adha (for Muslims) and to bring joy to poor Muslims worldwide," said Al-Zein.
A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during `Eid Al-Adha, to start on Monday.
According to the majority of scholars, Udhiyah is a confirmed Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
It reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of God.
|
