E-Library

What are Harmful Traditional Practices and where do they come from? There is no clear and universally agreed definition of Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs). HTPs stem from value-based discrimination against particular groups of people, and they challenge the human rights of the people affected by them. The roots of HTPs are in particular cultural and social norms and beliefs, and particular interpretations of religion. These lead to unequal power relations between women and men (gender inequality), and male domination throughout society. There is some contention about the inclusion of ‘traditional’ when looking at harmful practices, but the full term ‘harmful traditional [...]

The Islamic Relief Response Islamic Relief has experienced many disasters and emergencies within its relief and humanitarian work. We initially believed that the current crisis in Syria would only have an impact at national level. Like other humanitarian organisations, we could not predict the extent to which the whole region would be affected. Since the crisis started in 2011, Islamic Relief has provided support for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. As the crisis and the humanitarian conditions inside Syria continued to worsen, we decided to expand our operations to inside Syria, using [...]

Programmes conducted by Sameen Zafar, University of Nottingham, UK. Waqf (plural: Awqāf), is a type of charitable giving in the form of an endowment that is dedicated for the sake of God (Allah), to serve the public good. It is a mechanism that is based in Islamic tradition and has historically been widely utilised across the world as a form of ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah). This has taken many forms, from the building of schools and hospitals from properties that have been designated as Waqf, through to the disbursement of funds towards community projects, earned from Waqf property rent or hire. [...]

Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser, 2015 war ein Jahr mit einigen Herausforderungen: Während in Syrien der Krieg weiter tobte und wir unsere Hilfe dort sowie in den Nachbarländern weiter fortsetzten, kamen viele Flüchtlinge – oft unter Lebensgefahr – nach Deutschland. Daher setzten wir unseren Fokus 2015 auch auf die Flüchtlingshilfe innerhalb Deutschlands wie auch auf die Transitländer Griechenland, Italien und Mazedonien. Dank der neu gegründeten Islamic Relief Kleiderkammer konnten wir den Flüchtlingen in Deutschland zunächst einmal verstärkt mit dringend benötigten Sachspenden helfen. Dabei stoßen wir bis heute auf überwältigende Unterstützung – durch Unternehmen wie DHL oder Simwert wie auch durch ehrenamtliche Einzelpersonen [...]

Welcome to the Autumn Issue of the IR Academy E-Newsletter IR Academy Leads the Establishment of New Consortium The Consortium can be used as a platform for developing training material for the humanitarian sector, addressing current gaps in the sector. With six other members bringing together academia and humanitarian and development organisations from the UK, USA and South Africa this is an exciting time for Islamic Relief. The Consortium includes, in addition to Islamic Relief the following core member organisations: ActionAid, Plan International, Coventry University, Praekelt.org, Osman Consulting and ACTION Support Centre. The process of formulating the consortium has already opened [...]

Learning Brief: Gender Study In October 2015, qualitative programmes was conducted using focus group discussions and interviews with beneficiaries. The objective was to assess how the programme may have influenced gender roles. In addition, the programmes aimed to identify the barriers people encountered when accessing basic public services and humanitarian aid, and provided an insight into the individual experiences and challenges faced by women and men, and boys and girls. The limited number of interviewees, however, only provides a snapshot of the situation of Syrian refugees in Irbid. The findings from the study aim to contribute to the growing body of [...]

People, partnerships and innovation for change Elderly Man Tills Land to Build Own Home Maximo Capiciño was among those who lost their homes in Billaba, Leyte because of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. At 72 and without a land of his own, he struggled to rebuild his life from the devtastation, along with 35-year old son Edgar who is a person with disability (PWD). Kind and soft-spoken, Maximo spoke about his family and the struggle he has endured since 2013. "My wife passed just a few years ago and after Yolanda it was just me and my son here. I have a [...]

UCL Migration Programmes Unit | POLICY BRIEF There is increasing interest in the roles played by faith-based organisations (FBOs) and local faith communities (LFCs) in providing assistance and protection to refugees and asylum-seekers. However, this interest is often This Policy Brief may be downloaded for personal programmes purposes. However any additional reproduction for other purposes, in hard copy or electronically, requires the consent of the author(s). If cited or quoted, reference should be made to the full name of the author(s), the title, the policy brief series, the year and the UCL Migration Programmes Unit as publisher. This Policy Brief summarises [...]

Syria Emergency It's now been five years since crisis began in Syria. More than 400,000 people are believed to have been killed, and many times more injured. About 4.8 million Syrians have been forced to leave the country, and more than 6 million are internally displaced, making this the largest displacement crisis in the world. For five years, millions of Syrians have lived with the fear of violence on a daily basis. Entire towns and neighborhoods are isolated, and many people cannot leave their homes. Work and school have been put on hold. The most basic necessities are scarce, including food, [...]

Working together for a better world Brought to you by Islamic Relief USA and the Alliance to End Hunger Many individuals, organizations such as IRUSA, and coalitions like the Alliance to End Hunger are working together to build the public and political will to end hunger by supporting programs that encourage and assist with food and nutrition. There are many ways you can do your own part to help with food and security, as you will notice through this guide. Office http://irusa.org/ Citation Islamic Relief USA (2016) Your Ramadhan Action Guide 2016, Islamic Relief USA, Alexandria, VA, USA.