Abbasi Youth raise £8,200 in City Centre Street Collection for Tsunami Victims

On 8th January 2005, the Abbasi Youth Committee of Birmingham Jamaat gathered 75 volunteers from their Jamat aided by youth from Leicester and Peterborough to carry out a street collection for the Tsunami Victims. The youth also managed to attract volunteers from other Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities to help in raising money for the victims of this disaster that occurred in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. 

Despite the poor weather, the youth were not deterred in their task, raising a staggering £8,200. The highlight of the day was the offering of Dhohr and Asr Namaaz. As there wasn’t any obvious sheltered place to pray in the busy city centre, one of the volunteers decided to ask if the Birmingham Cathedral could be used. The priest in the Church felt delighted at this request and warmly welcomed the youth by creating room at the back of the Church and offering facilities for Wudhoo.

Volunteers praying in Birmingham Cathedral

Many of the volunteers were surprised by the donations offered by Big Issue sellers and beggars, perhaps their better insights into what it feels to be homeless made them react so heartily. One of the volunteers, Ali Mehdi Lalji, summarised the day’s work as, “Going out on the road today was a very satisfying experience. It is wonderful to see how many people of all faiths and backgrounds come to help one cause collectively. A genuine heartfelt sympathy can be seen and felt from the public”.

The Youth Network Desk (YND) of the World Federation would like to thank all the volunteers who participated in this event, in particular to Ali Dharamshi and Shelina Merali of Abbasi Youth Committee, whose tireless efforts and organisation ensured the day was a huge success. May Allah (SWT) reward them and all the volunteers for their success. Aameen.

For further information about the event, or on how to volunteer for further collections in Birmingham and the London Underground, email ynd@world-federation.org

If you want to pray to Allah for better means of subsistence, then first give something in charity - Imam Ali (AS)