Head of Campaigns Blog - July 2009

As-salâmu 'alayku m wa rahmatuAllâhi wa barakâtuhu,

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

I start by praising  Allah (SWT) and then  sending peace and blessings upon His messenger Muhammad (SAW), the Companions and all the righteous believers until the Day of Judgment.

I pray that this email finds you in best of health and emaan!

My name is Oussama Mezoui, AlhamduliAllah once again I have been co-opted into the FOSIS NEC to serve as Head of Campaigns. I pray to Allah that I am able to do justice to  this role and serve you as you deserve to be served. Indeed, my role is all about justice. As head of Campaigns it is my desire to run campaigns on a number of varying issues with the intention of raising awareness for some of the most pivotal issues that affect not only our Ummah, but our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

Over the last 12 month millions of Muslims and non-Muslims alike in countries far afield continued to suffer at the hands of unjust regimes, illegal occupations and corrupt rulers. While in Pakistan innocent women and children were forced to flee their homes, in China the ethnic persecution of the Uighurs continued. While bombs rained down on Gaza and killed hundreds of sinless children, in Africa thousands of children lost their lives to malnutrition and disease. While in Iraq and Afghanistan innocent lives were lost to occupation forces, in Tibet the firm hand of China tightened its grip.

Of course, injustice occurred closer to home too. While a third of children here in the UK went to sleep still below the poverty line, thousands of nameless citizens went to sleep on the cold concrete slabs of UK streets. While high numbers of children woke up in adoption centers with no one to love them, thousands of elderly people went to bed with no one to care for them.

While the FOSIS Campaigns Committee will continue to raise awareness for the issues that afflict our brothers and sisters of all creeds, it will aim this year to be at the forefront of social change here in the UK. This year sees the launch of the FOSIS Community Project (FCP), A UK wide campaign that aims to achieve three objectives.

1. Feed the hungry
2. Visit elderly people in Residential homes
3. Visit sick children in hospitals.

The Prophet (pbuh) enjoined Muslims to love the poor and treat them kindly. He said: "He is not a perfect Muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbor go hungry." The Prophet's love for the poor was so deep that he used to pray: "O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at resurrection among those who are poor." With the above Hadiths as our corner stone, we aim to instigate social change and to improve the lives of the down trodden and forgotten members of our society. On the weekend of August 1st, trials will take place in London and Cardiff, where FCP will go out and feed the homeless. To get involved please email communityproject@fosis.org.uk

Of course the Campaigns Committee will also run International Campaigns. The Prophet (pbuh) said “The Muslim Ummah is like one body. If the eye is in pain then the whole body is in pain and if the head is in pain then the whole body is in pain” With this Hadith as our guiding principle, the Campaigns Committee aims to run nationwide campaigns highlighting the suffering of those in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir and of the Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China.

FOSIS CAMPAIGNS ARE ONLY AS EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL AS YOU MAKE THEM. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT head.campaigns@fosis.org.uk AND GET INVOVLED!  WITH YOU WE CAN FEED MORE HOMELESS. WITH YOU WE CAN VISIT MORE LONELY ELDERLY PEOPLE. WITH YOU WE CAN INFORM MORE PEOPLE ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THOSE IN NEED!

JazakumAllahukhieran

Oussama Mezoui