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 The Western Samoa Muslim League today donated two truck loads of aid to the emergency office in Apia today, with more to come. The League co-operated with two Muslim charity organisations in Australia and New Zealand to provide the aid.
Al-Ghazzali Centre based in Sydney and Rasheed Memorial Dawah Trust from Auckland, co-operated with the League to provide the aid to the government for emergency distribution to victims of Tuesday’s tsunami. The two organisations have also sent volunteers to help rebuild Samoa.
10 volunteers, including lawyers, accountants, and IT professionals, have come from both the Muslim community in Australia and New Zealand to assist. They have been visiting villages across Falealili and Aleipata, and offering assistance with clearing damaged areas and helping families rebuild makeshift homes. The Muslim community is also offering to help assist distribute the aid they donated today as part of assistance they are volunteering to the Samoan authorities.
Dr Laulu Stanley of Vaiusu, where the Western Samoa Muslim League is based, said that there was also more aid to come from overseas, including family food packs from Fiji. There was a coordinated effort between Muslim organisations in Samoa, NZ, Fiji and Australia to send family food packs from Fiji, each pack containing food to feed a family of 8 for 1 week.
The two truck loads of aid already delivered was an above weight contribution from the small Muslim community.
“Our faith requires us to care for our people as humans” said Dr Stanley. “We are fellow humans first and that is why this contribution is so important to us. We are aware that all of this aid will be going to our Christian brothers and sisters. We pray for their strength and safety and we send our best wishes and love to all of them.”
 Dr Stanley like many others has lost a number of family members in the Islands.
The two truck loads of aid today were the result of donations received in a 24-hour period from Muslim communities in the Pacific.
Auckland lawyer and Secretary of the Rasheed Memorial Dawah Trust, Aarif Rasheed, says the South Pacific community is a relatively small one in which communities needed to support
each other regardless of race, faith or other differences.
“We are focusing our efforts in Auckland on encouraging communities to volunteer their efforts to worthy causes in the community, rather than just relying on the government or other volunteers. We all need to take responsibility for the affairs of our fellow human beings. We have strong ties to Samoa and this was another example of helping a community that was obviously in need. Aarif, who was born in Auckland and who’s best friend is Samoan, says the Rasheed trust will be sending more funds as they are received back home. “The Samoan people are a great example of patience and maintaining dignity and harmony through hardship” says Mr Rasheed.
As another example of practical cooperation for assistance of other faiths, the 10 Muslim volunteers will also be helping in Vaiusu with Samoa’s biggest Mangrove project, planting 1000 Mangrove seedlings before returning home. Imam Afroz Ali, of Al-Ghazzali Centre in Sydney, who is founding member of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, points out that the Muslim organisations now have a proven track record in such activities.
“We have gained much experience over the last several years with charitable volunteers work in Sydney. We have been busy regenerating river bank areas, and have been feeding 400 Homeless people per month for the last seven years on a weekly basis, and this given our volunteers valuable experience and a strong sense of helping our fellow humans in need. Co-operating with likeminded organisations across the Pacific for such a good cause is a high priority for us. We will be providing ongoing support to the Samoan people and it is an honour to do so to such people.
 Every day from today until Monday, Imam Afroz will be speaking to the public at the Vaiusu Islamic Centre on the importance of respecting nature and the environment around us, and about our common goals as peoples of humanity.
All are welcome to attend, says Dr Stanley. “We invite everyone just to meet and contribute their views and suggestions so we can continue to work together for the betterment of Samoa as a whole.
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