Amazing Women – Super Humanitarians Part 2

The third woman is a successful social entrepreneur. She received a micro-loan from an NGO to the value of approximately 20,000 rupees ($235), after her husband lost his job. With the loan, she started a business from home, buying items from a Cash & Carry and making door to door sales. She travelled 450km round trips from Rawal Pindi to Peshawar in order to buy stock for 50% less.

She told me she makes a 6000 rupees profit every month (30% of the capital money). I looked at this woman, and then looked at myself, and then at the situation of the unemployed people in developed countries, and could see that the solution will come from here, from Mariam.

I promised her that I will be visiting again in a years’ time and asked her what she thought she would have achieved by then. She just smiled and told me: ‘I’ll have a small shop by then’.

This was the icing on the cake of my visit to Pakistan. When we visited the flood affected areas, we found that poverty is very, very resilient, and is well equipped with metaphorical tools, machineries and arms to destroy life. However, I saw that the people are more resilient. They are in partnership with resilience, perseverance, determination and strong will. I believe they will achieve this and rebuild their livelihoods.

Amazing Women – Super Humanitarians Part 1

During my visit to Pakistan, I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing women- true community leaders and super humanitarians: two widows and one entrepreneur. Today I will share with you the story of the first two women who were left widowed when their husbands died, leaving them with young children to feed and look after.

The first widow is paralysed from her legs down, and cannot stand or walk. She can, however, draw a great smile. She has been looking after two young children who are going to the nearby school; two girls who want to become doctors. She has amazing strength, especially as she is also looking after one of her nephews, because his mother is mentally disabled.

Her disability gives her the main drive to build her family, to support her brother’s family, and to work part time and earn extra money to help make the dream of those children come true.

The second astounding woman is another widow, who looking after her 14 year old daughter, as well as a young girl aged 5 that she adopted. She has a great ability and strong-minded dream to build the future of the two children and make to make the best possible life out of future.

The two are widows are determined to expand their message of love and support to extended family and the outside community. With the money they could have, they could build a much greater society than we have. The will of two women, strengthened by their social and physical conditions, as well as being part time community workers, is strong.

To be continued...

No entry - Somalia part 2

Does Somalia have a door with a No Entry sign on it? Is all access truly barred? This is a complex issue; however it seems to me that if some can have access to so-called “no access” areas, why can’t others try to gain the same level of trust that other organisations are enjoying?

I was also hoping Muslim countries could raise more money for Somalia. We need from them: awareness, allowing the visits of donors and the sending of funds. Astonishingly, some of those countries are committing a severe crime against humanity by preventing people saving lives.

I will tell you a story. During my brief visit at Benadir Children’s Hospital, three children died. Their parents didn’t even have enough money for a burial and coffin. Instead, they were wrapped in a dirty blanket, washed by tears of their mother.

Muslims reading about this scene- what do they feel in their heart of hearts? In the month of Ramadan, while these children are dying, some have a colourful table full of a variety of delicious dishes for Iftar. How do Muslim women feel when they hear about the mother? How do Muslim businessmen feel, when they are investing in Arab horses, private jets and Ferraris?

What will Ramadan bring for us if we don’t save these families and these children? For people who repeatedly spend money to visit Holy places: what is the benefit, versus the benefit of spending this money to save thousands of lives in Somalia?

For this month of Ramadan, we tell Muslims: Allah is very generous, for He gave us Ramadan. If we want to go to Heaven, we must help others. Putting our belief in action will clear this ugly scar off the face of humanity, and will prove that we will stop committing crimes against humanity.

Somalia - the crime of 21st Century Part 1

We organised two small conferences in Nairobi last week; the first, convened by the Muslim Charities Forum, aimed to unite local faith based charities from Somalia and Kenya.

On the following day, 15th August, The Humanitarian Forum organised a larger conference with more diverse participants, agencies, international NGOs, plus local agencies.

I remember a word of wisdom from Mark Bowden, UN Humanitarian Coordinator: ‘We cannot prevent drought; we can prevent famine. Access is difficult but not impossible’. I completely agree with Mark- in order to help, we must take that extra step and walk that extra mile. A few organisations managed to walk this extra mile and succeed. Why can’t others?

On the other hand, we can’t prevent famine alone- it’s all about working together for the sake of everybody involved. This is why I call it a crime of the 21st Century: we’ve let this situation drag on and on for two or three decades, without finding a concrete solution to the problem.

Early warning systems are all good; however, working together is the solution. East and West, North and South- partnerships should be based on trust and sincere cooperation.

I question international corporations, as well as every individual. My message is simple: None of us can run away from being responsible for Somalia and any other countries nowadays.

To be continued...

Love will keep us together...

Last week I attended the funeral of the three young people who died during the riots in Birmingham. It seemed to me that the death of a child can bring unity to a community; a new spirit of youth engagement, respect, and peace building.  Such a sad occasion can turn into community renewal and empowerment.

We all need to look after the welfare of Britain as a whole, not just the welfare of a group. For example, when there is limited police presence, we need to act on behalf of our community and call all parties for reasonable discussions.

The lack of volunteers in community projects and civil society in general is proving to be a stumbling block. More engaged communities means tighter bonds and a better relationship between civil society actors, community workers and the Government.

I was pleased beyond words to see the spirit of the local Muslim community. During Ramadan, while Muslims were fasting and praying at night, there were people protecting the homes of neighbours and friends.

We are all citizens of the same country. We should all look forward to building the future of the country, and strengthen the bond of social relationships between every community in our country.

My message is simple: I urge everybody not to think of revenge, as revenge has no value and no connection to faith. Faith is a great protector, our own police force inside our heart. If we strengthen our faith, we will be protected by our faith.

Love will keep us together: love for our community, love for our country and love for God!

The road to nowhere...

I was in the Gulf when I heard what happened in the UK just last week. The horrific scenes made me question what’s happening in our country, in our land, by our people. What are the reasons behind what’s been happening? This is not the country that I belong to and have been living in for decades. These scenes could be seen in Hollywood or Bollywood, but not on UK streets.

What are the reasons? How can we readdress the multiculturalism, multi-faith, multi-ethnicity as a driving force in our life for the better future of our country? How can we stop going on the road to nowhere and get a sense of direction?

How can we build the real “big society”? I believe it can be done only by empowering every citizen, making them a pillar of this big society. There are some issues that need to be discussed:

How can we revisit university fees or social benefit cuts? How can we listen to the elderly who cannot pay electricity and gas bills during winter? How can we address the issue of the single parents? How can we open up about the young homeless people of London and Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow? How can we discuss the lower standard of our education? How can we talk about the National Health Service?

As you can see, there are many things to be discussed; however the scenes of last week are unforgivable and unforgettable.  We need to sit down together as one family and every one of us must be able to speak up and be listened to with respect.  We don’t want to see such scenes again anywhere.

The remedy for it is empowering the citizens of our country. Our big society should be based on empowerment before we can build a partnership between every citizen in the neighbourhood. Only then we will be able to stay off the road to nowhere and on track to deliver the best for our country and humanity.

I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of the dead and my prayers for them and their families.

Yemen, the sleeping beauty

For most of this year, Yemen has shown that it could be a failing state.  According to a UN official, Yemen is heading towards so called “somalization”. The people of Yemen must listen to the logic of their existence in Yemen- we have 2 use certain criteria for our existence in certain parts of the world. We should listen, respect, comprehend, act collectively, stay focused on our country and accept everyone and anyone.

If we don’t use this criteria for Yemen, it could become like Somalia or any other failed state. This would have a great negative impact not only on people of Yemen, but on the region as a whole. There is a strong link between the neighbouring countries and Yemen. It is needless to say that there are a lot of Yemenis living in the region of the Arabian Peninsula.

Yemen’s stability and sustainability should be used as a life saving machine to the whole region of the gulf. Please give Yemen the kiss of life so it will wake up from its slumber!

Gulf and MENA cannot live with an unstable Yemen.

On the move...

Somalia is on the move with you wherever you go. I write this on my way to the humanitarian coordination meeting in Nairobi, organised by The Humanitarian Forum, OIC and Muslim Charities Forum.

I was in Saudi Arabia having a meeting with King Khaled Foundation and making Umhrah, when I received an urgent call from a friend of mine to jump on a plane to Beirut.  Before midnight, we juggled with connections between Cairo, Jeddah and Beirut. I took a flight at 3:30 am to land in Cairo at 4:30, then to take another flight at 9am to be on time to meet the Chairman of the Houses of Parliament in Lebanon.

Humanitarian work doesn’t leave much time to sleep or rest in this holy month of Ramadan; however I was energised by the spirit of the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Houses of Parliament in Lebanon. They promised they would do their best to try and help as much as can when it comes to Somalia.

We went to see other organisations and tried to give them an insight of what is happening in Somalia. I was surprised by the number of people who wanted to do something; however they don’t know how to help or what to do. Our role was to give them direction and guidance and ask them to coordinate and network through local authorities.

Lebanon is not far from Somalia physically - only a few thousand miles separate them. Despite the distance, the spirit of the Lebanese people came flying faster than the speed of light to reach Mogadishu and the people in need.

I was awed by the spirit of a Lebanese young man, who started going on TV shows and talking about help for Somalia, raising awareness about the local needs, without even having the backing of an organisation! His name is Al Zaeem- a true leader. If there were many like him, they would do wonders knocking at the doors of authorities.

I came back in high spirits, with the newfound knowledge that Lebanon is not just a tourist attraction, but full of people who want to do something for Somalia.

Yours, mine and ours

Your Ramadan, my Ramadan, our Ramadan. It is a God-given month to Muslims; a token of appreciation from God to Muslims. A time for reflection and a time for sharing and thinking about those less fortunate.

Let us make this Ramadan, our Ramadan, a time for giving! Support the people in need in all four corners of the world and share the joy of Ramadan!

$85 or how to help a family of refugees in Yemen

Photo Courtesy of Adel Yahya/IRIN

Sometimes, the poor are quicker to help than the rich. You might not see this in Bollywood, Lollywood (Lahore), Collywood (Cairo) or Dollywood (Dubai). However, sometimes reality is even better than film.

In February this year, I was happy to witness the festival of giving, when Tunisian communities kicked into action to help the people fleeing the unrest in Libya. I recounted then the sheer joy I felt at the way people were coming out of their houses with whatever they had (Tunisia is after all a developing country) to help the newcomers with food, clothing, blankets and other essential items. The same happened in Kosovo in 1999, when Albanian families looked after the displaced.

The exact same thing is happening in Yemen, where people fleeing the unrest in Abyan in the South are being looked after by local communities, in host families and school halls. The poor are the first to give, without any questions asked or strings attached.

People fleeing their homes without as much as a piece of bread to eat are being looked after by impoverished families, who struggle themselves to obtain the next meal.

In this holy month of Ramadan, Humanitarian Forum Yemen has gathered together a group of local, solid and accountable Yemeni charities who will feed and clothe the poor families of people who have fled their homes in Southern Yemen. It costs $85 to help a family for a whole month. Please help us make them smile and feel secure.

The smallest of donations can contribute towards helping a family in need for over a month. Contact The Humanitarian Forum for more information in English and Arabic by phone:  0 (44) 20 7368 1645 or email info@humanitarianforum.org.

To donate online, click the donate button on this page.

Remember, $85/ AED 313/ QAR 310/ £52/60E can help a family in need for over a month!

$85 or how to help a family of refugees in Yemen

Photo Courtesy of Adel Yahya/IRIN

Sometimes, the poor are quicker to help than the rich. You might not see this in Bollywood, Lollywood (Lahore), Collywood (Cairo) or Dollywood (Dubai). However, sometimes reality is even better than film.

In February this year, I was happy to witness the festival of giving, when Tunisian communities kicked into action to help the people fleeing the unrest in Libya. I recounted then the sheer joy I felt at the way people were coming out of their houses with whatever they had (Tunisia is after all a developing country) to help the newcomers with food, clothing, blankets and other essential items. The same happened in Kosovo in 1999, when Albanian families looked after the displaced.

The exact same thing is happening in Yemen, where people fleeing the unrest in Abyan in the South are being looked after by local communities, in host families and school halls. The poor are the first to give, without any questions asked or strings attached.

People fleeing their homes without as much as a piece of bread to eat are being looked after by impoverished families, who struggle themselves to obtain the next meal.

In this holy month of Ramadan, Humanitarian Forum Yemen has gathered together a group of local, solid and accountable Yemeni charities who will feed and clothe the poor families of people who have fled their homes in Southern Yemen. It costs $85 to help a family for a whole month. Please help us make them smile and feel secure.

The smallest of donations can contribute towards helping a family in need for over a month. Contact The Humanitarian Forum for more information in English and Arabic by phone:  0 (44) 20 7368 1645 or email info@humanitarianforum.org.

To donate online, click the donate button on this page.

Remember, $85/ AED 313/ QAR 310/ £52/60E can help a family in need for over a month!

Are you a Super Humanitarian?

What do the best athlete, the best student; the best leader and the best reformer have in common? The same thing that makes you a super humanitarian. It’s the passion and drive for better. A Super Humanitarian believes in helping others and that others can help others as well. He/she who serves others without expecting gratitude or a reward is a Super Humanitarian.

You will not often find a Super Humanitarian in the front line. They are often at the rear, working in the background and enabling others to work as well. Super Humanitarians work to change the suffering and sorrow into happiness and smiles.

Super Humanitarians don’t just spend their wealth helping others. They spend their lives! They are the ones who inspire us to follow our dreams and shape our lives.

Super Humanitarians don’t even claim to know everything- they believe in listening, learning and engaging in discussions for everybody’s sake.

Your neighbour could be one. Your son or daughter could be one. Your wife could be one. Your mother could be one. Your friend could be one. The person who sells newspapers down the road from you and whom you say “Hello” to every morning could be one.

Tell me: Are you a Super Humanitarian?

Let us work together to make the world a better place and save humanity.

Never again

I was in the UK in 1995, when I heard the story of a girl in Bosnia who had taken her own life. I was very touched by this story and now, as I look back, I realise nobody knew what was happening in places like Srebrenica. Nobody knew, even if we knew what was happening in Bosnia since 1992.

The wake up call came only later, as over 10,000 men were killed in the city and mass graves of unknown fathers, brothers and husbands were found.

We should never allow this to happen again anywhere: not Burma, DRC, Africa, Asia, South America or Europe. We need to stop people from ethnic cleansing. Ethnic cleansing doesn't have boundaries, culture, religion or geographical location. It can happen in Germany, Poland or Bosnia.

We need to join our hands together and acknowledge that history will always carry such scars from the wounds inflicted on the face of humanity. Ethnic cleansing is a crime against humanity- not just against one tribe or one religion.

Never again!