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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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October 2005 |
Indiana Muslims aid UMCOR for Hurricane Katrina Relief
HAMMOND, Ind. - The Friday after Hurricane Katrina struck, the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center took an offering to aid its victims. Then came the task to determine what to do with the $10,000 they collected. Imam Mongy El-Quesny, the spiritual leader of the mosque, realized that the Islamic charities he was accustomed to utilizing did not have centers in the deep south, and that the Muslim community existing in New Orleans was among the evacuees. That is when the Imam came to the United Methodists for help.
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"We trust you, and for this reason we ask that the United Methodist Committee on Relief use our funds to help the victims of this hurricane." - Imam Mongy El-Quesny |
The Northwest Islamic Center has had a relationship with First United Methodist Church of Hammond for a number of years in their joint effort, "Children of Abraham," which ships medical supplies to third world countries. It was this relationship that made the Imam aware of UMCOR.
In a conversation with Calumet District Superintendent, David Schrader, Imam Mongy El-Quesny said, "We know about United Methodist relief projects around the world, and how American United Methodists have helped so many people. We trust you, and for this reason we ask that the United Methodist Committee on Relief use our funds to help the victims of this hurricane."
The Rev. Byron Kaiser, senior pastor of Hammond First, stated that the mosque's offering will be hand delivered to UMCOR's Sager Brown Center by a work team which is traveling with Reverend John Randall of the Fort Wayne Hope UMC. Hammond First member Champ Merrick, who is president of Children of Abraham, made arrangements for Islamic Center volunteers and Imam El-Quesny to accompany him and other North Indiana Conference volunteers on this project.
While most of Randall's team visits the Jackson, Mississippi UMCOR Center, volunteers from the mosque and Hammond First will travel to Baton Rogue, Louisiana, where 100 Muslim families have been relocated from New Orleans. Merrick, El-Quesny and their team will bring these evacuees 250 health kits donated by UMCOR, along with two vans full of food collected by Hammond First and prescription drugs needed by some of the evacuees, which were donated by physicians who are members of the mosque.
Afterwards, they will rejoin John Randall's "Chainsaw Gang" to clear debris in Hammond and Madisonville, Louisiana. Kaiser commented about how meaningful it was to have members from Hammond First in Indiana participate in helping a sister city with the same name, and to allow Imam El-Quesny and mosque members to see how the United Methodist Committee on Relief will use their contributions.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008