American Muslims Pledge $20 Million in Aid for Quake Victims
October 12, 2005
Washington, DC - On Thursday, October 13, more than a dozen major Muslim American groups will hold a press conference to announce their pledge to raise $20 million to provide relief to the victims of the devastating earthquake in South Asia. The leaders will also call on President Bush to form an ad-hoc committee comprised of U.S. governmental and American Muslim non-governmental relief agencies to offer coordinated relief to earthquake victims.
They will also announce that the Muslim Hurricane Relief Task Force, which originally formed in response to Hurricane Katrina, would become a permanent coalition. Members of the re-named American Muslim Task Force for Disaster Relief (AMTFDR) have already dispatched teams to conduct needs assessments and provide direct assistance to earthquake survivors throughout the region.
WHAT: News Conference Announcing $20M Pledge for Quake Victims & Calling on President to Form Ad-Hoc Committee
WHEN: Thursday, October 13, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Lisagor Room, National Press Building, Washington, DC
Official reports indicate that at least 40,000 people have been killed in the devastating earthquake that shook Pakistan, Kashmir, India and Afghanistan. U.N. officials report that at least 3.5 million people are now homeless and vulnerable to infections and disease.
Member relief organizations include (in alphabetical order): Hidaya Foundation, Indian Muslim Relief Committee, Islamic Relief Worldwide, ICNA Relief, KindHearts, Life for Relief and Development, and the Zakat Foundation. Other professional foundations -- including the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) and the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) -- are organizing American Muslim physicians to travel to the region and offer medical assistance.
"A coordinated program between all Muslim organizations in North America will help improve the quality of service to provide immediate assistance to the affected people in the region," ISNA President Muhammad Nur Abdullah said.
Other task force members include: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Freedom and Justice Foundation, and National Council of Pakistani Americans (NCPA).
Additional groups who agree to the taskforces guidelines will be added as the relief efforts develop. The Taskforce guidelines for collection and distribution of funds will focus on financial transparency and accountability as set forth in relevant government regulations and standards.
