Charities fear fall in giving this Ramadan

star ledger ^ | August 21, 2009 | Jeff Diamant

[Coleus]

Yousef Abdallah's annual Ramadan duties promise to be tougher than usual this year. The Islamic holy month is expected to start tonight, so the Northeast operations manager for Islamic Relief USA, one of the nation's largest Islamic charities, and his staff are preparing to travel from his office on Route 46 in Totowa to about 80 mosques across the region, seeking donations.

But Abdallah knows the down economy means people have less money to give this year. He also knows that many Muslims already donated to Islamic Relief in 2009, during fundraising campaigns targeted to help people in the Gaza Strip and Pakistan, and therefore might donate less this month than they did last year. Still, charitable giving is an essential component of Ramadan, and, nationally, Islamic Relief typically receives about 25 percent of its annual donations during Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar.

Abdallah doesn't expect his office, one of three around the country for Islamic Relief, to match the $1.1 million it received from northeastern mosques during Ramadan 2007, or the $1 million during Ramadan 2008, but he hopes to raise about $930,000. "People really trust this organization," he said. "They see the work that we do. We work in their home countries. When they go back to their countries in summer, they see our signs all over the place. I hear that all the time: "I went to your country and people were talking about you.'"

[highlander_UW]

The title is misleading (probably intentionally so). When reading the title I thought, why would that affect giving, but now I see what they meant to say is ISLAMIC charities aren’t receiving as much in donations.

[rdl6989]

The poor muzzies might have to cancel the jihad this year for lack of money to buy Semtex.

[Misterioso]

Does this have to do with the price of oil?

[Eagles6]

There it is.

[WayneM]

Count me out this year. And for the foreseeable future.

[cardinal4]

One less homicide belt..

[Nathan Zachary]

"He also knows that many Muslims already donated to Islamic Relief in 2009, during fundraising campaigns targeted to help peopleterrorists in the Gaza Strip and Pakistan

Yeah, we know.

[Dinah Lord]

And may I add that this couldn’t have happened to a better bunch of savages.

[OCC]

He also knows that many Muslims already donated to Islamic Relief in 2009, during fundraising campaigns targeted to help people in the Gaza Strip and Pakistan

Maybe even devout Muslims recognize lost causes in tough economic times?

[Ronin]

Too bad there are laws against sending brown oganic matter through the mails. I would love to make a contribution.

[rdl6989]

Let the brown deliver the brown.

http://www.ups.com/

[hinckley buzzard]

what a shame...all those bombs that won't go off, all those jewish chldren that won't be dismembered.

[beethovenfan]

Rama-dama-ding-dong.