Muslim Aid sends "Christmas Hampers" to Sri-Lankan Christians

[Umm]

You would think that starving Muslims would be a priority to get an Eid food package, but obviously not! I wonder if Muslim Aid informed donors that their money would be used for such an occasion.
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If you feel any concern for the following Muslim Aid "project", please
write to Muslim Aid with what you think, please use proofs from the Quran,
sunnah and the statements of the muslim scholars. To: mail@muslimaid.org

Also a you can find articles on christmas and celebrations at www.islamqa.com


http://ramadan.muslimaid.org/event.asp?EventID=48&Refresh=12%2F28%2F2006+6%3
A38%3A32+PM

MUSLIM AID DISTRIBUTES FESTIVE HAMPERS TO CHRISTIANS IN SRI- LANKA
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24/12/2006

The hampers were packed with both dry essentials and seasonal treats,
including cakes, jelly, raisins and biscuits. Distributed among the
poorest of the Christian communities, the hampers were designed to provide a
spark to the holiday season. They provided the underprivileged Christians
with otherwise unattainable supplies.

"It is a special Christmas distribution since it's done by a Muslim NGO
for the Christian community", said the president of the Baptist Church,
Reverend Kingsley Perera, who coordinated the distribution. He thanked Muslim Aid for this gesture to its Christian brothers and sisters, saying that "we are all brothers and sisters that have originated from Abraham."

100 hampers were distributed among disadvantaged Christians in district
of Ratnapura. A further 105 hampers were distributed in the Diocese of
Kurunegala, under the supervision of Rt. Rev. Fr. Kumara
Illanagasinghe, Bishop of Kurunagala. A further15 hampers were distributed at Christ Church Dehiwela. Country director of Muslim Aid Sri Lanka, Amjad Saleem and his staff were on hand to distribute the hampers.

The distribution of the Christmas hampers demonstrates the
all-encompassing sense of benevolence and charity provided by Muslim Aid as taught by Islam.

For further information and photos, please contact Abdul Jolil Miah on
0207-377-4221 or abduljolil@muslimaid.org


For further information.

Contact name : Abdul Jolil

[morbius]

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism – all major religions of the world demand that we must give to the poor. I haven’t seen in either of them that those poor must necessarily be of the same religion.

Should you be in dire need, would you refuse charity or help from the Christian? As we want to receive, we should also give. And this time of year is excellent time for charity to Christians in need.

That is my humble opinion on the matter.

[abu_ibrahim]

Muslims have no problem in non Muslims being helped, as it is good things as they would see Muslims helping in rebuilding homes and providing food.

However we oppose in having our money to be used by this charity to give hampers during a paganistic festival like Christmas.

[gag order]

the money is allocated to the cause specified by the donor. it is then distributed in the country specified by the donor.

perhaps the money used to purchase the hampers came from unspecified general donations, interest money, and gift aid claimed back on tax?

so the question is not wether our money is bieng misappropriated to unspecified causes but how seriously it contravenes the sharia, ie donating towards the upkeep of a pagan festival (though this was not intended) the net result of this action only helps to perpetuate the myth of christmas.

however just for the record, we are not forbidden to help non-muslims out of poverty. if the nearest aid camp is muslim and non-muslims turn to it in need then we are obliged by our own standards of benevolence.

[morbius]

Even many agnostics or atheists respect Christmas, not as a religious holyday, but for what is usually known as “Christmas spirit” – time when people try to be extra nice to each other (although we shouldn’t need reason to be nice, we should be like that all year long).
When I was in collage and for several years after, my Muslim friends I had those days would usually call me home to wish me a marry Christmas and I would do the same for Byrams. There is a big difference between celebrating other religions’ holydays and simply having respect for them.