Muslim Hands

Muslim Hands logo

Muslim Hands - United for the Needy is an international NGO working in over forty countries worldwide to help those affected by natural disasters, conflict and poverty. The organisation was established in 1993 in Nottingham, UK. It has faced criticism for its membership in organizations that have been tied to the Muslim Brotherhood but it has been approved that they have no link with The Muslim Brotherhood.

Muslim Hands beliefs and values

Muslim Hands is dedicated to tackling the root causes of poverty around the world by eradicating the many inequalities around us and the long term development of building a fairer and safer world.

Its stated mission is: To be at the forefront in delivering relief from poverty, sickness and the provision of education worldwide. To provide an ethical service for the collection & distribution of funds in an effective, efficient, transparent and wholly accountable manner.

Muslim Hands believes everyone has the right to a sustainable livelihood, and the right to a life of dignity, free of poverty, exploitation and oppression. The charity is seemingly devoted to serve those in need irrespective of their race, colour or faith.^[1] It is a member of the Muslim Charities Forum.^[2] It was founded in the United Kingdom by Syed Lakhte Hassanain, a well-known scholar of Islam, who is also a founding member and secretary of the Muslim Charities Foundation.^[3]

History

According to the website muslimhands.org.uk, it was the crisis in Bosnia that prompted a community in Nottingham to send aid to those suffering in the conflict, which marked the formation of Muslim Hands.^[4]

Since then Muslim Hands has strived to provide an ethical service for the collection and distribution of funds in an effective, efficient, transparent and wholly accountable manner on behalf of the local community.

The charity has enabled communities across the UK to respond to countless more emergencies across the world and also established schools, healthcare clinics and livelihoods programmes around the world.

Muslim Hands work

Muslim Hands has three main points of focus: development work, which tries to lift communities out of poverty with long-term sustainable solutions based on their needs; humanitarian work, assisting those immediately affected by conflict and natural disaster, and more recently; community welfare and development facilitating and developing local community based projects in the UK.

Muslim Hands projects are based on sustaining long term solutions to the problems facing the world’s poorest populations. So, aside from responding to crisis and disasters they sustain long term development programmes dedicated to fulfilling their mission statement by way of education, medical care, livelihood, orphan support and water programmes.

Controversy

In 2008, the Israeli government banned Muslim Hands, along with 35 other organizations, however this does not last long once Muslim Hands has approved that they do not any political affiliation.^[5] T

Working in emergencies

Over the years Muslim Hands has responded to countless emergencies and has developed a real reputation for direct field work amongst the Nottingham and wider communities. They regularly act on behalf of other UK NGOs to deliver aid supplies to areas where they have an existing field office or volunteers.^[6]

They have been present on the ground for widely publicised disasters such as the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent Horn of Africa. They have also been present for crisis that have never attracted media attention such as the sub-zero winters in Kashmir, cholera outbreaks in Guinea Bissau and acute droughts in Somalia, Mali and Niger.

Their method of working in emergency situations is to help provide immediate relief, early recovery and long term rehabilitation work.^[7]

Locations

Muslim Hands works in over 50 of the world's poorest countries, and has fundraising offices in London and Nottingham in the UK, as well as in France and South Africa.

With a network of specialised staff and permanent field offices around the globe, the charity works closely with individuals and communities to restore hope and help build futures.^[8]

Awards and nominations

In January 2013, Muslim Hands was nominated for the Charity of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.^[9]

References

External links

• Official website
• Muslim Hands on Facebook
• Muslim Hands on Twitter