Muslims Around U.S. Donate Millions for Victims in Haiti
After Earthquakes Kill 200,000 & Injure 260,000 others, Muslims raised nearly 1 Million to help Haiti's earthquake victims since..
..Friday prayers last week. The call to Muslims in American went out on Jummah (Friday) all across the country, according to the group Islamic Relief USA.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Muslims have raised more than $800,000 for Haiti's earthquake victims since a call to help went out at Friday prayers across the country, according to the group Islamic Relief USA.
"We will probably reach our million dollar goal by this afternoon," spokesman Anwar Khan told CNN Monday. He said the response for donations has been strong as Muslims look for a way to contribute to relief efforts in Haiti.
Worshippers Friday contributed more than $35,000 at just one mosque near the nation's capital, according to Khalid Iqbal, with the All-Dulles Area Muslim Society, (ADAMS), in Sterling, Virginia.
"Fridays are the day of giving in the Muslim faith," said Naeem Muhammad, whose group is helping organize the fundraiser. He said the day's effort was similar to other faiths passing collection baskets on Sunday.
Muhammad is now in Port au Prince to determine how to best allocate the donations through an assessment team sent by Islamic Relief USA.
His group last week vowed to raise at least $1 million for Haiti in the nationwide call. Organizers had special donation tables in mosques for worshipers to heed the call of their religious leader, the imam.
"When you hear this call," Muhammad said, "we will have to bear witness to this and say, 'What did you do when you heard hundreds of thousands of people were affected?'"
In recent years, Islamic Relief USA has provided aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and for those left homeless by a tidal wave that hit Indonesia.
