ICV Annual Report 2019-2020
15 April 2019
Mosques are a haven for charity – Muslims dig deep for Good Friday Appeal
Every Friday afternoon Muslims across the world attend their local Mosques to take part in Jumu’ah prayers (Friday congregational prayers) and donate funds to charitable causes. This month, Mosques across Victoria are uniting to collectively raise $30,000 for the Good Friday Appeal. The Good Friday Appeal raises money to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to provide world class care for our children. The appeal brings all sectors of the community together to raise funds every year, and the Islamic Council of Victoria’s (ICV) member mosques and societies are on board again this year. More than 200,000 Muslims across Victoria regularly donate to charity, as zakat (charity) is the third pillar of Islam. Embedded in our everyday lives, Muslims across Victoria are pooling their Friday prayer donations from now until Good Friday to help raise much needed funds. ICV President Mohamed Mohideen said Mosques are a haven for charity. “The Qur’an says – ‘Those who spend in charity will be richly rewarded (57:10)’ Nobody ever became poor from giving, we believe the more charity we give – the more we are rewarded. We are excited to be a part of such an important cause in helping save lives.” The RCH treats thousands of patients every single year – including our very own 4-year-old Haidar, beloved son of our sister Lauren Parry. “When I was 20-weeks pregnant at my ultrasound, I found out there was something wrong with his heart, my world turned upside down. Critical aortic stenosis which will most likely turn into hypoplastic left heart syndrome – and it did, it’s when one of the main arteries to the heart is narrow and the blood can’t flow through the heart properly which makes the right side of the heart become enlarged and the left side stops developing,” Lauren said. Despite being offered a termination of the pregnancy, Lauren felt she had to fight for her baby. Only 2 hours after his birth at full-term, Haider was transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital and underwent 8 hours of open heart surgery, with complications, transferred to their intensive care unit and stayed in hospital for a totally of 7-weeks after birth. Since then Haider has been in and out of RCH with follow up surgeries and has been diagnosed with other developmental delays including speech and muscle. “He will eventually need a heart transplant, the RCH have been wonderful help and support through his life so far and without them he would not be here today. I am forever grateful, please dig deep,” Lauren said.The Good Friday Appeal raises much needed funds for equipment, research and education to support the work of RCH. If you’d like to take part in our $30,000 Good Friday Appeal pledge please visit: https://goodfridayappeal2019.everydayhero.com/au/royal-children-s-hospital-appeal-by-victorian-muslims Interviewee and photo opportunity: Haider’s parents / ICV Executive Member Ruqaya Almargini and President Mohamed MohideenRelated posts
