IRW’s new leader speaks about his experience as a child refugee, the challenge of Islamophobia and his vision for the future.

Naser Haghamed joined Islamic Relief as an IT manager in 1993 and went on to help set up IRUSA, to spearhead the development of TIC and to lead the International Programmes Division.
He has lived in six countries and speaks English, Arabic and Tigrinya.
Today, he lives with his wife, Samia, and their five children in Yardley, Birmingham.
Here, he speaks about his experience as a child refugee, the challenge of Islamophobia and his vision for the future as CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

 

Who has inspired you most?

“My inspiration was Dr Hany El-Banna [the founder of Islamic Relief], who has put this organisation ahead of everything else. Islamic Relief was his priority. He had dedication and commitment, and he always focused on the beneficiaries, wanting to help as many people as possible.”

 

What part of the job has affected you most?

“In the year 2000 had a visit to Ingushetia [near the border with Chechnya] to see refugee camps where we were distributing food and setting up our own clinics and ambulances. I remember how cold it was. The design of those camps and the latrines… it was a typical refugee life and I saw how grateful the people there were to receive our help.”

 

And you’ve experienced forced migration, yourself?

“Yes, when I was 13. The war in Eritrea started to get fierce and the liberation movement were taking control of the bigger cities so my dad, who had been co-operating with the rebels, decided to leave the country. He had to travel to Ethiopia using paperwork supplied by a friend of the family. From there, pretending he was going to Hajj, he fled to Saudi Arabia to escape. After that, my mum was harassed by the local army and police who wanted to know where my dad was, so we realised we couldn’t stay. I remember we walked to the border city of Asmara and took transport provided by the rebels going to Sudan. When we were stopped at the border we said we were going to a family wedding. It was quite scary and it has certainly influenced me. I remember I was captain of the football team and I had to return all the kit to the rest of the team but I wasn’t able to tell them I was leaving. That was very difficult, leaving behind my friends and not being able to be honest with them. I didn’t know where we were going, what problems we’d be facing or how we’d be travelling. It was quite emotional and something I’ll never forget.”

 

“The toughest challenge Islamic Relief currently faces is Islamophobia and increased radicalisation”

 

What sets Islamic Relief apart from other INGOs?

“We’re the largest Muslim organisation of our kind, combining western and contemporary thinking in approaching and delivering aid with the Islamic faith. When it comes to Muslim charities Islamic Relief is very inventive and leads the way. The Qurbani meat canning project is a good example. Traditionally Qurbani was a Muslim sacrifice of animals, distributed to the poor in the same country. Islamic Relief came up with the idea of collecting donations to have an animal sacrificed in another country, and then canning that meat where fresh produce was not available easily. Other charities are still copying us to do that.”

 

What are the major challenges facing Islamic Relief?

“The toughest challenge Islamic Relief currently faces is Islamophobia. Conflict, stringent laws and fear is making it much harder for an organisation such as ours to achieve its mission. As a result we have banking issues because banks are becoming more risk averse so remitting funds to volatile places and conflict zones is becoming increasingly difficult. This is now affecting charities across the board. Another issue is that we are not getting access to deliver aid in besieged areas and civilians are not being protected. It’s a challenging situation and it’s getting worse by the day.”

 

“Eighty per cent of people suffering are suffering because of conflict and the world is watching and doing nothing about it.”

 

Islamic Relief launched in 1984 in response to a famine in Sudan. Three decades later, we’ve just launched an appeal for the same cause. Does that suggest the system is broken?

“Yes, to some extent I think it is. I think a lot of charities are just copying each other and we haven’t been innovative enough in eradicating poverty. But there are other elements outside our control such as climate change, corruption and war. Take the examples of Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where the people didn’t need that much aid 10 years ago but now they are probably 30-40 years behind and we’ll be working for the next three decades to rebuild those countries. Eighty per cent of people suffering are suffering because of conflict and the world is watching and doing nothing about it. The world’s superpowers have to reform the UN with greater commitment to holding accountable different regimes, powers and groups to adhere to international laws.”

Poverty is rife in most of South Africa, and Bonteheuwel in Cape Town is no different.

With high levels of unemployment, gang culture and drug trafficking in the area, Fuad, his wife Nazeema, their three children and his elderly mother-in-law are one of the many families struggling to survive in Bonteheuwel.

Fuad used to be a taxi driver, but an administrative error at the traffic department resulted in his driver’s license being revoked. As the only breadwinner, this meant that their lives had taken a turn for the worse.

Now, with nothing and no one to turn to, Fuad and his son often walk the streets of Cape Town to collect scrap metal that they hope to sell for food. With an elderly mother-in-law with Alzheimers to support, her special needs are to be catered to at all costs. “[She] needs to eat soft vegetables every day.” But that’s not Fuad’s only worry. “My daughter suffers from asthma and my eldest daughter is on drugs…there is no place I can go to for help.” Every day is a struggle for Fuad and his family. He explained that they need to buy vegetables daily, but their staple meal for the day is bread: “When we cannot afford to buy a half loaf, I go around asking the neighbours for any stale bread that we can toast.”

Islamic Relief South Africa provided Fuad and his family with a food pack containing flour, rice, porridge, lentils, oil, fish and snacks amongst other things, ensuring that they remain food-secure during the month of Ramadan. Fuad said: “Ramadan is a blessing from Allah (swt). I can be the amirin my household again and I am relieved that my prayers were answered when He sent Islamic Relief to our community.”

Approximately 1.5 million people across the globe will receive a Ramadan food pack this year.

Islamic Relief has been distributing food aid in Murshidabad, one of the most deprived districts in the West Bengal, for the past five years. This Ramadan was no different, with over 1,000 food packs distributed in this district alone.

“I am a widow living with my daughter who is a divorcee,” 40-year-old Mujkira told us. Both Mujkira and her 20-year-old daughter, Manera, work together to ensure they have enough food to eat on a daily basis. “We don’t have any source of income as such,” Mujkira said sadly. “For grinding ten kilograms of rice, we get one kilogram of rice powder as a wage.”

The pair live in a small house in Sherpur and face many challenges accessing water as well as food, with their nearest tube well quite a walk away. “The food shortages and lack of safe drinking water cause many health problems for us, but there is no proper medical facility nearby and we cannot afford whatever is available.” During Ramadan, Mujkira often worries about how they will break their fast. As part of Islamic Relief’s food distribution programme in India, volunteers visited Mujkira and Manera to find out more about their circumstances. “They understood my situation and needs, and they selected me as a needy person and gave me a Ramadan food pack.”

Islamic Relief provided Mujkira and Manera with a food pack containing rice, flour, pulses, sugar, chick peas and tea leaves, ensuring that they remain food-secure during the month of Ramadan. Mujkira said: “This food packet will be enough for me and my daughter during Ramadan, inshaAllah! I am very happy and relieved that I’ll not have to worry about our meals and will be able to concentrate on prayers.”

Approximately 1.5 million people across the globe will receive a Ramadan food pack this year.

Every Ramadan, Islamic Relief Bangladesh provides food packs to the most vulnerable people in poverty stricken and disaster prone districts of the country.

Samad used to work in Mymensingh before an accident damaged his back. Now he cannot put pressure on his spine, engage in any physical activity and, as a result, is unable to make a living. “My wife makes cakes and sells them in the market every day,” Samad said. “If the sale goes well, we get to eat. If the sale doesn’t go well, we don’t get to eat anything that day.”

As his wife’s business relies heavily on external factors, anything from bad weather to not being able to afford materials for cakes can affect whether they have a meal that evening. “We never get enough food, but we thank Allah (swt) for the little we do get. But most of the time it’s like fasting has become a regular practice in our lives.” Although Samad cannot support his wife through work, he remains hopeful. “I try to help my wife at least with the chores of the house. But she is strong, very strong, and she has kept us going for all these years.”

Islamic Relief Bangladesh provided Samad and his wife with a food pack containing rice, lentils, chick peas, soybean oil and sugar, ensuring that the couple remain food-secure during the month of Ramadan. “I would like to thank Allah (swt) for sending this food to me through Islamic Relief.”

Approximately 1.5 million people across the globe will receive a Ramadan food pack this year.

Camps reach capacity as families flee Fallujah and Makhmur in scorching summer heat.

Islamic Relief is distributing emergency food packs to thousands of people who have fled their homes in Iraq.

As Iraqi security forces attempt to retake areas held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) families have left everything behind and are now without shelter in the scorching summer heat.

More than 85,000 people have fled their homes since military operations to recapture the city of Fallujah began one month ago.

The scope of the crisis has outpaced humanitarian capacity.

Humanitarian organisations have no access to Fallujah and an estimated 50,000 civilians are still inside the city, with limited or no food supplies and few sources of safe drinking water.

The newly displaced people are taking shelter in three camps in urgent need of food, water, sanitation and fans to overcome the searing heat as summer is at its peak.

At the same time, 200 miles (350km) to the north, increasing numbers of people are fleeing their homes following military operations in Makhmur District.

Since Sunday (June 19, 2016) nearly 3,000 people from Makhmur have arrived at nearby Debaga Camp (shown above), which is now well over its 5,000-person capacity.

 

Distributing food packs at Debega Camp

 

Islamic Relief has distributed 331 food packs to 1,655 people in Debaga Camp and is planning to distribute 3,000 more to 15,000 people in the three camps outside Fallujah.

We have been operational in Iraq since 1996 and our presence and established networks put Islamic Relief in a strong position to access hard-to-reach areas.

Extra support is urgently needed to supply vulnerable displaced people with food, water and hygiene items.

At a glance:

• The humanitarian crisis in Iraq is one of the largest and most complex in the world, impacting nearly one-third of the population.
• Ten million Iraqis currently require humanitarian assistance.
• There are reports of people drowning, being injured or being killed by snipers or improvised explosive devices in their attempt to flee Fallujah.
• Before this most recent military operation 75,000 displaced people were already residing in camps near Fallujah.
• With rising temperatures and lack of clean drinking water the risk for disease outbreaks is high.

Millions of children across the world face daily struggles, whether it’s through destitution, war, drought or disease, and all too often become orphaned as a result.

For many orphans living in single parent households, with guardians or even by themselves, the threat of poverty is constant. The Islamic Relief orphan sponsorship scheme is a lifeline for these children, providing their guardians with the ability to cover all of their basic needs, including food, healthcare and education.

Eight-year-old Ismail* from South Africa is the 50,000^th orphan currently sponsored through Islamic Relief.

 

Ismail playing football in a field near his home.

 

In a small township of Cape Town, South Africa, Ismail lives in a community where almost 80% of the residents are unemployed, dependent on social grants and live below the poverty line.

It is an area riddled with gang violence and substance abuse, and Ismail, his mother and three siblings know full well what living in such a place can do to a family. When Ismail was seven years old, his father was killed in front of them. His 17-year-old brother also narrowly escaped death, and now the family live in constant fear of their surroundings.

Even something as simple as getting to school safely worries their mother, who works as a street sweeper and earns less than $5 a day. As the children are guaranteed a meal at school, Ismail’s mother takes a risk everyday by sending them to attend classes. With four children to care for, life isn’t easy for her and she struggles to provide her family with the emotional and financial support they need to survive living in the township.

A local care worker referred the family to Islamic Relief, advising them of the orphan sponsorship programme. After interviewing the family and assessing their suitability, needs and requirements, the Islamic Relief team in South Africa placed Ismail on the orphan sponsorship programme.

Now, Ismail’s mother no longer needs to worry about the lack of food, with monthly food hampers delivered to their home, as well as Ramadan and Qurbani food packs. Ismail also has access to healthcare, which includes psychosocial support via a grief and loss programme that helps him deal with past trauma. To encourage education, the family have also been given stationery, uniforms and bags.

The support provided through Islamic Relief will ensure that Ismail and his family live a healthy and prosperous life for many years to come.

 

Ismail stands outside his house with his mother and sister.

 

Islamic Relief’s sponsorship scheme has been building a brighter future for orphans across the globe since 1986.

*Name changed for protection purposes