Update from the Chairman
Assalamu Alykom, Arizona Muslim Community, As we continue our journey into 2024, I extend a warm welcome to each of you. It is with great pleasure that I reach out to share the aspirations and objectives of the Shura Council for the year ahead. Our foremost aim remains to amplify the collective voice of Muslim individuals and organizations, fostering unity as we engage with the media and advocate for our rights with legislators. A pivotal initiative for the year is the launch of a mobile application, insha’Allah, which will serve as a centralized platform for accessing information from all mosques and non-profit entities. Envision a seamless experience where you can discover events hosted by local mosques or non-profits, and stay informed about the schedule of your preferred khateeb and their mosque. This app will feature a comprehensive calendar of events from Muslim led non-profits and mosques alike, facilitating connectivity and engagement within our community. Furthermore, those in need of zakah assistance will find a streamlined process to apply through this platform. Stay tuned as we unveil this transformative tool. And finally, let us not forget our Muslim ummah in our prayers, particularly those enduring incredible hardship in Gaza. May Allah accept our efforts and shower His blessings upon us all. Warm regards, Ahmed Ewaisha, Chairman, Arizona Muslim Alliance SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
Thank you, Arizona! Winter Drive Raises Thousands for Gaza
[PHOENIX] — Thanks to the generosity of the Arizona community, the Arizona Muslim Alliance raised over $22,000 in monetary donations and contributed over 10,000 winter survival items for displaced families in Gaza. Wheelchairs, blankets, jackets, tents and much more were packed and loaded at the Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) warehouse and are on their way to the besieged land.”As soon as we put the call out, we started getting shipments right away from all over Arizona and the country, which shows you that while our leaders may not be taking the right actions, the people are awake to the struggle of the Palestinians, and they’re not going to forget. They’re not going to sit idly by either, and that is the beautiful thing we are witnessing here now,” said Sumaya Abdul-Quadir, AMA’s program director.” In about three weeks, thousands of new winter gear flooded volunteers’ garages and the warehouse in Chandler. Others sent monetary donations, which AMA used to purchase bulk items like jackets, sanitary napkins, and wheelchairs from wholesale suppliers. The hope is that these desperately needed supplies will bring some comfort to Palestinians facing persistent military bombardment while surviving in crowded, make-shift shelters. “With the current situation in Gaza where 1.9 million displaced Palestinians are living in shelter schools or in tents on the side of the road, and with the temperature dropping during this time of year, it’s important to provide them with warmth and comfort to ease their struggle,” said Samia Abdallah, HHRD’s southwest regional manager. Volunteers from diverse backgrounds and faiths helped pack and load the donations along with other supplies HHRD had been collecting since October. The AMA’s Gaza Winter Drive was the final push needed to fill the truck and send it off. Eventually, all 561 boxes and 289 loose items, such as wheelchairs and crutches, will be transported to Jordan and then airlifted to the Egyptian border to await permission to enter Gaza. HHRD-Arizona is one of about 35 member organizations that make up the AMA. The AMA, the largest Muslim organization in Arizona, serves to unite, strengthen, and amplify Muslim voices in the state. AMA partnered with HHRD due to its long and well-established relief work. HHRD is one of the few aid groups Israel has allowed into the heavily guarded area. “HHRD has teams on the ground ready to go and have been doing this for a long time,” said Abdul-Quadir. “They guided us through the process and helped us choose the most needed items to put on the wishlist and the American people came through. Americans are generous, they are just, and we witnessed that here in our community in Arizona.” ABOUT AMA: The Arizona Muslim Alliance is an umbrella organization of mosques and Muslim institutions across the state. Established in 2016 as a community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, AMA unifies and empowers Arizona Muslims through community building, resource sharing, and education. The AMA stands in solidarity with Palestinian civilians and supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Visit https://www.azmuslims.org/ for more information and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/azmuslims and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/az_muslims/ABOUT HHRD: HHRD is a U.S.-based humanitarian relief and development organization that serves in over 85 countries. The Chandler warehouse is one of 19 regional offices in the country that manages donor care and in-kind donations. The Chandler HHRD office first opened its doors in 2010. Visit https://www1.hhrd.org/ to learn more. To get involved with the Chandler office join https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpinghandarizonasupporters/ BACKGROUND ON GAZA: Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 30,000 Palestinians and injured many more, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an extreme military operation on Oct. 7, 2023, in response to attacks from Hamas. Since then, the IDF said it struck more than 22,000 targets in Gaza. Targets that have been hit by Israeli airstrikes include medical facilities, schools, mosques and churches. The Gaza Strip is described by human rights groups as an open-air prison. The narrow strip of land, home to nearly 2 million Palestinians, is enclosed by concrete walls and barbed wire. Since 2007 Israel has imposed an extreme blockade on Gaza’s land, territorial waters, and airspace. According to the United Nations, Gaza is considered part of an occupied territory under international humanitarian law. Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, email, 480-744-8567 SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
Volunteers Pack, Load Thousands of Supplies for Gaza
[CHANDLER, Ariz.] — After gathering thousands of donations of coats, blankets, wheelchairs, and more, volunteers are ready to load and ship them forward to families in the Gaza Strip who have faced months of persistent bombardment and dire living conditions and now must endure winter rains and cooling temperatures in overcrowded shelters. This Thursday in Chandler, volunteers will load around 550 boxes of donations and 400 loose items like canes and wheelchairs onto a waiting truck. Approximately $35,000 worth of donations came through the Arizona Muslim Alliance’s (AMA) Winter Survival Drive for Gaza in partnership with Helping Hand for Relief and Development’s Arizona hub (HHRD-Arizona). HHRD-Arizona, an established nonprofit, has been collecting supplies for Gaza from the community since October. The final push to fill the truck comes from AMA’s online campaign. All the donations will be shipped to Jordan and then airlifted to the Egyptian border to await Israeli permission to enter Gaza.“With the current situation in Gaza where 1.9 million displaced Palestinians are living in shelter schools or in tents on the side of the road, and with the temperature dropping during this time of year, it’s important to provide them with warmth and comfort to ease their struggle,” said Samia Abdallah, HHRD’s southwest regional manager.HHRD-Arizona is one of about 35 member organizations under the AMA. The AMA is the largest Muslim organization in Arizona and serves to unite and uplift Muslim voices in the state. AMA partnered with HHRD-Arizona because of its long and well-established relief work. HHRD is one of the few aid groups Israel has allowed into the enclosed area. Sumaya Abdul-Quadir, AMA’s program director said, “We have individuals donating, wholesalers who want to donate or sell medical items at cost, diverse communities sharing the cause and joining to donate their time and energy. It goes to show that more and more Americans are waking up to the oppression and injustices being inflicted on the Palestinian people.” We invite members of the press to come watch volunteers load the truck and learn more about how the AMA and its member organizations are trying to raise awareness of this serious global concern. When: Dec. 21, 2023, at 11 a.m. until volunteers finish loading Where: HHRD Arizona hub, 33 E Comstock Dr #1 Chandler, 85225 Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, 480-744-8567 BACKGROUND ON GAZA: Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 18,000 Palestinians and injured many more. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck more than 22,000 targets in Gaza since Oct. 7, when it launched a military operation in response to attacks from Hamas. The Gaza Strip is described by human rights groups as an open-air prison. The narrow strip of land, home to nearly 2 million Palestinians, is enclosed by concrete walls and barbed wire. Since 2007, Israel has imposed an extreme blockade on Gaza’s land, territorial waters, and airspace. According to the United Nations, Gaza is considered part of an occupied territory under international humanitarian law. ABOUT AMA: The Arizona Muslim Alliance is an umbrella organization of mosques and Muslim institutions across the state. Established in 2016 as a community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, AMA unifies and empowers Arizona Muslims through community building, resource sharing, and education. Visit https://www.azmuslims.org/ for more information and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/azmuslims and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/az_muslims/ABOUT HHRD: HHRD is a U.S.-based humanitarian relief and development organization that serves in over 85 countries. The Chandler warehouse is one of 19 regional offices in the country that manages donor care and in-kind donations. The Chandler HHRD office first opened its doors in 2010. Visit https://www1.hhrd.org/ to learn more. To get involved with the Chandler office join https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpinghandarizonasupporters/ Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, email, 480-744-8567 SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
Winter Survival Drive Helps Send Aid to Gaza from Arizona
[CHANDLER, Ariz.] — Moving boxes filled with coats, blankets, hygiene kits, and decorated with uplifting messages are en route to displaced families living in dire conditions in the Gaza Strip. The hope is that these items from Arizona donors will bring a small comfort to people facing persistent military bombardment and crowded shelters. The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA) partnered with Arizona hub of Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) to create the Winter Survival Drive for Gaza online campaign. In only a week thousands of donations flooded volunteers’ garages and the HHRD warehouse in Chandler. Folks donated via an AMA online wishlist and through direct monetary donations. Volunteers packed and loaded these recent donations along with supplies collected by HHRD and other nonprofits like AMA member organization Islamic Center of the East Valley (ICEV). HHRD has been receiving and storing Gaza donations since October, with the final push to fill the truck coming from the AMA’s Winter Survival Drive “What really compelled me to be here was educational, looking into the matter because, before Oct. 7, I wasn’t really educated on the Israel-Palestine conflict. After the attacks took place, I learned about the apartheid, colonization, systems of oppression that the Palestinian people have to face and I really felt empathy and compassion. Stay educated, stay informed to help these people, which is why I’m here today,” said ASU student Cameron Bautista. Bautista said he learned about the drive through social media and showed up at both volunteer dates. Eventually, 561 boxes and 289 loose items, such as wheelchairs and canes, will be transported to Jordan and then airlifted to the Egyptian border to await permission to enter Gaza. “With the current situation in Gaza where 1.9 million displaced Palestinians are living in shelter schools or in tents on the side of the road, and with the temperature dropping during this time of year, it’s important to provide them with warmth and comfort to ease their struggle,” said Samia Abdallah, HHRD’s southwest regional manager. HHRD-Arizona is one of about 35 member organizations that make up the AMA. The AMA, the largest Muslim organization in Arizona, serves to unite and uplift Muslim voices in the state. AMA partnered with HHRD-Arizona due to its long and well-established relief work. HHRD is one of the few aid groups Israel has allowed into the heavily guarded area. Sumaya Abdul-Quadir, AMA’s program director said, “We have individuals donating, wholesalers who want to donate or sell medical items at cost, diverse communities sharing the cause and joining to donate their time and energy. It really goes to show that more and more Americans are waking up to the oppression and injustices being inflicted on the Palestinian people.” By the Numbers: 561 boxes were loaded onto a truck containing blankets, jackets, tarps, solar blankets, hygiene kits, pads, etc. 289 loose items like canes, wheelchairs, tents, and diapers were also loaded About 150 total volunteers for two volunteer events to pack and load the supplies. ABOUT AMA: The Arizona Muslim Alliance is an umbrella organization of mosques and Muslim institutions across the state. Established in 2016 as a community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, AMA unifies and empowers Arizona Muslims through community building, resource sharing, and education. Visit https://www.azmuslims.org/ for more information and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/azmuslims and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/az_muslims/BOUT HHRD: HHRD is a U.S.-based humanitarian relief and development organization that serves in over 85 countries. The Chandler warehouse is one of 19 regional offices in the country that manages donor care and in-kind donations. The Chandler HHRD office first opened its doors in 2010. Visit https://www1.hhrd.org/ to learn more. To get involved with the Chandler office join https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpinghandarizonasupporters/BACKGROUND ON GAZA: Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 18,000 Palestinians and injured many more. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck more than 22,000 targets in Gaza since Oct. 7, when it launched a military operation in response to attacks from Hamas. The Gaza Strip is described by human rights groups as an open-air prison. The narrow strip of land, home to nearly 2 million Palestinians, is enclosed by concrete walls and barbed wire. Since 2007, Israel has imposed an extreme blockade on Gaza’s land, territorial waters, and airspace. According to the United Nations, Gaza is considered part of an occupied territory under international humanitarian law.
AMA Urges All to Join Massive Ceasefire Protest
[PHOENIX, ARIZ., Dec. 8, 2023] — The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA), the largest coalition of Muslim organizations in Arizona, is calling on all residents to unite in downtown Tempe Sunday evening in a large protest for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to show support for the Gazan victims. The rally is one of many local efforts aiming to call attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and suffering in the Gaza Strip. What: All Out for Palestine rally and protest When: Sunday, Dec.10, 2023 at 4 p.m. Where: Start at the Tempe City Hall and march to University and Mill Avenue “AMA’s main focus at the moment is on ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. We have to pressure our government to achieve this urgent and imperative need,” said AMA Chairman Ahmed Ewaisha. “The U.S. is the most powerful country to stop the genocide that the Israeli Defense Forces are committing against Gazan civilians.” The Palestinian-American Community Center (PACC), a nonprofit cultural education organization in Phoenix, is leading this Sunday’s march with the support of the AMA and other Muslim groups. While this isn’t the first rally the PACC has led this year, it hopes it will have the highest turn-out as more Arizonans become aware of the alarming rate of civilian deaths. Already more than 6,000 Palestinian children and over 15,000 civilians in total have been killed since the start of the Israeli government’s bombardment and total blockade of Gaza. Gaza holds 2 million people in an area the size of Las Vegas and is referred to by human rights groups as the world’s largest open-air prison. “From the Boston Tea Party to the protests of MLK and civil rights, protesting has been at the core of social change. Muslims all over the world have used their voice to disapprove of the brutal occupation of Palestine by the Israeli forces, as well as reassure everyone that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism,” said Hazim Nasaredden, Arizona chapter president of the Muslim American Society (MAS-AZ). ABOUT AMA: The Arizona Muslim Alliance is an umbrella organization of mosques and Muslim institutions across the state. Established in 2016 as a community-based nonprofit 501(c)(3), AMA unifies and empowers Arizona Muslims through community building, resource sharing, and education. Visit https://www.azmuslims.org/ for more information. Follow us https://www.facebook.com/azmuslims Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, email, 480-744-8567 SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
AMA’s Statement of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
[PHOENIX, Dec.1, 2023] — The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA), the largest Muslim organization in the state, stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli attacks on Palestinian towns, cities, refugee camps, and medical facilities. We also mourn the staggering loss of all life since Oct. 7. In the Gaza Strip alone, Israeli forces have killed over 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 children, and thousands more are feared dead under the rubble. We Arizona Muslims grieve deeply for family and friends killed, injured, displaced, and traumatized as a result of these attacks. We call on our United States government, which provides major financial and military support to Israel, to demand an immediate ceasefire. In 2022, the U.S. spent a total of $4.8 billion on military, economic, and missile defense aid for Israel. Over the last 75 years, Israel has received more U.S. tax dollars than a ny other foreign country. Furthermore, we condemn the Israeli government’s targeted and indiscriminate killing of civilians and its total blockade of the Gaza Strip, denying food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies to 2.2 million civilians. More than half of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are no longer operational, and the World Health Organization has documented dozens of attacks on medical facilities and rising deaths of medical workers and staff. AMA Chairman Ahmed Ewaisha released this statement: “The atrocities and genocide that the Israeli defense forces have committed over the past 35 days against defenseless civilians, especially women and children, are unacceptable. This is a war crime. If Israel has the right to defend itself, who then takes the responsibility of defending a vulnerable group of civilians against fighter jets, artillery, and tanks? We ask President Biden to call for a ceasefire now to protect the defenseless children and civilians that are currently under attack in Gaza.” The AMA also implores elected officials, media, community leaders, and others to carefully educate themselves on the plight of the Palestinian people, while condemning all forms of bigotry, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. “Just as we do not tolerate antisemitism, we do not tolerate Islamophobia. We ask anyone with a public platform to be responsible and balanced, and to stop the dehumanization of Palestinians, Palestinian-Americans, Arabs, and Muslims,” said AMA Secretary Susan Bassal. “We pray for a future where every life is precious and for safety and freedom for all people, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or religion.” Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, email, 480-744-8567 SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
