Muslim community thanks the federal government for their aid commitment to Pakistan and urges all Canadians to donate generously to help in the relief efforts

August 24, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montreal, Quebec, August 24th, 2010- The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) thanks the Canadian government for its pledge to match all donations made to Canadian registered charities earmarked for the Pakistan flood relief efforts.

 

“We applaud the generosity of our government and encourage all Canadians to donate abundantly,” stated Salam Elmenyawi, president of MCM. “The victims of the floods remain in critical need of emergency assistance and with each passing day the need for food, clean water, shelter and medical aid increases drastically. There is no time to lose.”

 

The federal government announced this weekend that it will match dollar-for-dollar all eligible donations made by individual Canadians to registered charities between August 2nd and September 12th, in addition to the $33 million already pledged to the Pakistan flood relief efforts.

 

“Given that we are in the holy month of Ramadan when we should be increasing our acts of goodness and charity, Canadian Muslims should be at the forefront of giving and helping all those in need,” Elmenyawi said. “In addition to regular charity, one’s Zakat and Zakat-al-Fitr can also be given to this cause. Donations should be marked to indicate they are for the Pakistan flood relief efforts and whether they are charity or Zakat.”

 

MCM also calls on all mosques to continue their fundraising efforts during Taraweeh and Friday prayers. All mosques are also asked to report their collected donations to MCM and direct it to any trustworthy registered charity organization within the deadline to have the funds matched by the Canadian government. MCM has thus far transferred $25,000.00 to Pakistan to assist in the relief efforts and anticipates sending more this week.

 

The devastating floods are now in their third week and continue to spread. The latest estimates indicate that nearly 2,000 people have been killed, six million are homeless, and more than 22 million have been directly affected. The floods are estimated to have affected a fifth of Pakistan's total land area. The floodwaters have also destroyed thousands of schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and crop fields. The water-born diseases further threaten the health and safety of millions, particularly children. According to the UN, the number of people affected from the floods could exceed the combined total of those from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

 

MCM would like to thank all Canadians who have already donated to the relief efforts and reminds everyone to give thanks for their blessings and say a prayer for the victims, as well as for all those suffering around the world.

 

 

CONTACT:

Salam Elmenyawi

Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM)

Ph.: (514) 748-8427

Fax: (514) 747-9139

E-mail: info@muslimcouncil.org

Website: http://www.muslimcouncil.org

 

 

The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) is an umbrella organization representing a number of Islamic institutions in the Montreal region. There are over 200,000 Muslims in Montreal, about 900,000 in Canada and 1.7 billion worldwide.

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