7 ways Muslims in the West challenge Islamophobia with kindness

After a historic Jewish cemetery was vandalized in Missouri last month, two Muslim activists launched an online campaign in solidarity with the Jewish community of Missouri. 

The LaunchGood campaign saw an outpouring of support, raising its $20,000 goal in less than two hours.  

The campaign ultimately saw a spike in its funds after J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, shared an article linking the crowdfunding campaign on her Twitter account.  

The campaign has raised a whopping $161,668 at the time of writing. Organizers say that the extra funds will be used to repair other Jewish cemeteries, including a cemetery in Philadelphia where 400+ graves were vandalized. 

This is all thanks to Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian American activist and the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, along with Tarek El-Messidi, founder of the Islamic non-profit, CelebrateMercy.

In December 2015, 14 people were killed and 22 others were seriously injured in a terrorist attack at a regional center that serves those with special needs in San Bernardino, California. 

The perpetrators, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, were reportedly radical Muslims who supported ISIS. 

So, a collective of Muslim groups in the U.S. launched a campaign called 'Muslims United for San Bernardino' on LaunchGood, raising $30,000 in two days. Starting off with a $175,000 goal, the campaign ultimately raised $215,515, which were donated to the families of the victims, as well as the attacked regional center.

The campaign was launched by Faisal Qazi, the president of MiNDS, an award-winning non-profit organisation, and Tarek El-Messidi, a prominent Muslim activist. It was endorsed by several Muslim groups, including the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California (ISCSC) and the Council of American Islamic Relations. 

After a series of attacks targeted black worshiping centers in South America in 2015, three Muslim organizations joined forces to raise funds to help restore the churches.  

In the spirit of Ramadan, the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, the Arab-American Association of New York and Ummah Wide started a LaunchGood campaign that raised $100,470, reaching its $10,000 goal in just two hours.

"As Muslims we know the importance of protecting the vulnerable and respecting people who call on God in their various tongues," the campaign's page wrote. 

"We want for others what we want for ourselves: the right to worship without intimidation, the right to safety, and the right to property." 

For the past 18 years, Muslim doctors have been providing free medical care at Alshifa Clinic in Muscoy, California. The clinic serves all patients, regardless of their nationality, faith or race.

"Our religion tells us to take care of humanity," Dr. Talat Khan told ABC. "This is an under-served community, mostly Hispanic and African-American population here - very poor people."

The clinic mainly runs on donations from the Muslim community, along with a small contribution from the government. 

"I'm Christian and it's just amazing. They have a lot of love. That's the main thing. That's what binds all of us no matter what your nationality is - is the love," a patient said.

Earlier this year, the American Muslim Community Center (AMCC) in Orlando, Florida, launched a free medical clinic for needy people and uninsured families. 

The clinic offers free health care to residents of Central Florida who do not have insurance and live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. This means people who make $23,760 and families whose income is $48,600 or less per year.

Physicians from the AMCC mosque volunteer at the clinic and a local drug store provides the needed medication free of charge. 

“Our goal is to serve humanity - no strings attached. Everyone is welcome,” AMCC chairman told the Orlando Sentinel. "Part of our faith is to serve those who are in need."

Marché Ferdous is a Muslim-owned restaurant in Montreal, Canada, that offers free food to anyone who cannot afford it. It hands out free meals based on good faith, no questions asked. 

“We do not ask any questions, we do not judge people,” Iranian co-owner Yahya Hashemi told Global News. “They want to eat, [we] give them the food. That’s it, that’s all.”

The owners decided to offer free food at the eatery as a way to thank the country that has welcomed them and reflect "the real image" of Islam, according to The Huffington Post. 

Last Christmas, London's Shish Restaurant offered free three-course meals to homeless and elderly people on Christmas Day. The restaurant put up posters saying, "No one eats alone on Christmas day! We are here to sit with you," urging people on social media to spread the word.

Also, Light of Bengal, a Muslim-owned curry house in Winchester, feeds the needy during Eid and Christmas. Last Christmas, the restaurant served some 40 homeless people free of charge. 

"Nobody else does it, but there are a lot of homeless people and they need food," the manager told The Independent. "It’s something different and we’re giving something back.”