Muslim Online Haiti Fundraiser, Organized on Facebook, Raises $105K in 2 Hours with 400 Donors - CNN iReport on SeekersGuidance & Islamic Relief Fundraiser

Muslim Online Haiti Fundraiser, Organized on Facebook, Raises $105K in 2 Hours with 400 Donors - CNN iReport

iReport — January 18, 2010

Muslim Online Fundraiser for Haiti, Organized via Facebook, Raises  $105K in 2 Hours with Only 400 Donors

On Sunday, January 17, 400 Muslims raised over $105,000 in the span of two hours through the “Help Haiti, Heal Haiti” Emergency Online Fundraiser conducted by SeekersGuidance and Islamic Relief. The average donation amount was $250.

 

[Attached videos include songs, prayers, and appeals by American Muslim leaders for the online fundraiser]

 

Participants from the US, UK, and Canada signed onto an online portal to give generously to the victims of the devastating Haiti earthquake. The event was pulled together by volunteers within two days through a viral marketing campaign on Facebook and Twitter; other American Muslim groups endorsed the event and spread the word. This was one example of how the American Muslim community quickly mobilized to provide relief to Haiti. On Saturday, Islamic Relief flew representatives to Haiti for direct assistance on the ground. The online fundraiser featured prayers, devotional songs, and fundraising appeals by prominent American Muslim Imams and scholars.

 

Muslim leaders joined through pre-recorded and live video appearances, stressing on the religious duty of Muslims to give to their suffering neighbors, often quoting Quranic verses and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, founder of and instructor at SeekersGuidance, drew connections between the character of the Prophet Muhammad and the last speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King said “Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation …. It seems that I can hear the God of history saying, ‘That was not enough! But I was hungry, and ye fed me not. I was naked, and ye clothed me not. I was devoid of a decent sanitary house to live in, and ye provided no shelter for me.’ That’s the question facing America today.” Shaykh Faraz continued, “This is the call of the Prophets. It is the call of compassion. It is a call of mercy. Let us answer that call. The Prophet Muhammad said “Be merciful to those on earth and the Lord of the Worlds will be merciful to you.” If any person is in need, it is the believer’s duty to hasten and assist.”

 

SeekersGuidance, founded in 2008, is an Islamic educational learning portal that combines online courses, weekend seminars, and free digital media to inspire its students to grow spiritually as they apply Islam to their lives. The website also features an award-winning blog, one of the top 10 Islamic podcasts on iTunes, and free question and answer service.

 

Islamic Relief, founded in1993, strives to alleviate poverty and suffering wherever it is found, paying no heed to gender, race or creed. After a quarter-century of service, Islamic Relief now has permanent locations in over 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. It provides emergency disaster relief, and spearheads development projects in multiple sectors, including education, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation.

 

Quick Facts:

 

What?

Islamic Relief and SeekersGuidance hosted a successful two-hour online fundraiser for Haiti’s earthquake victims, raising $105,000 among 400 Muslim donors.

 

Why?

American Muslim religious leaders joined via webcast to encourage participants to alleviate the suffering of their neighbors in Haiti as part of their Islamic duty of charity and compassion.

 

When?

Sunday January 17, 2010 from 2pm to 4pm EST (Video footage available upon request)

 

Where?

Participants joined the event online by registering at www.seekersguidance.org.

 

For more info, contact:

Tarek El-Messidi

tarek@seekersguidance.org

Phone: 865-964-6866