With an internationally known speaker in British member of parliament George Galloway, many attendees traveled from as far as Baltimore to attend the Falls Church, Virginia event, called “Reaction Time”.
After a short address by the editor and a video highlighting the value the newspaper brings to the greater DC and Baltimore metro region, Mahdi Bray, the Executive Director of the Muslim American Society’s Freedom Foundation, conducted the fundraising. Supporters donated about $45,000 in cash and pledges.
“Alhumdulillah we are grateful for the support. We reserved a large hall that could fit 1200 people, and we expected a strong show of support from Virginia readers, especially given the caliber of speaker we brought [in George Galloway]. But in the end, Allah rewards us for our efforts and intentions, not the results. All we can do is make the call. It’s up to our readers to answer,” said editor Minhaj Hasan.
Supporters were very pleased with the event, which started at about 4pm and ended with dinner before maghrib.
“The event was the most organized fundraising event I’ve ever attended,” commented Imam Faizul Khan of the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA). Imam Faizul and ISWA are very supportive of the newspaper, the only media dedicated to the Muslim communities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC.
George Galloway electrified the audience with his address, discussing his experience taking an aide convoy into Gaza recently, the role of the US in the turmoil in the Muslim world, and the need to speak truth in the face of oppression and oppressors.
“You need to keep the Muslim Link alive, and bring it back to being a bi-weekly,” said Galloway. He also challenged the American Muslim community to do what British citizens did and send a large aide convoy from America to Gaza. If American Muslims don’t help the people of Gaza, Galloway said Palestinians might think American Muslims support their nation providing Israel virtually unlimited access to weapons used to kill Palestinians. On behalf of MAS, Mahdi Bray accepted the challenge.
“I visited the rubble of houses myself and there were shards of missiles still there. I picked them up and each one said ‘made in the USA’,” said Galloway, left the next morning for Canada but was barred by the Canadian government from entering due to his “support of Hamas”.
A gifted orator, Galloway is immensely popular worldwide with Muslims and anti-war proponents. His address will be available at muslimlinkpaper.com in the coming days.
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