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Organized by Tarek El-Messidi

Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue

$238,624

raised of $150,000 USD goal

5819 supporters, 00h : 00m : 00s left
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Impact: Pittsburgh, PA
Registered 501(c)(3)
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Support Shooting Victims with Short-Term Needs (Funeral Expenses, Medical Bills, Etc)

Muslims Unite to Help Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims

  • ​UPDATE 1 (Oct 27, 9 pm EST): We are overjoyed to reach our $25,000 goal in only six hours. We have just increased the goal to $50,000.
  • UPDATE 2 (Oct 28, 11 am EST): The campaign has gone viral as it begins receiving international media attention (see media stories below). We have now hit our 2nd goal of $50,000, before the 24-hour mark! The campaign has been raising $2,000 every hour! The goal is now $75,000.
  • UPDATE 3 (Oct 28, 10 pm EST): In about 30 hours, we've raised $100K; that's over $3000 per hour! Goal raised to $125K. 
  • UPDATE 4 (Oct 29, 10 AM EST): This morning, we transferred the first installment of funds ($25K) to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh to immediately begin disbursing help to the families. 
  • UPDATE 5 (Oct 29, 12.30 PM EST): We have just increased the goal to $150K and will not increase it again until we assess - with our partners on the ground - if the families' short-term expenses will exceed that amount. We are overwhelmed with how viral the campaign has gone so far. Many of the donors, at least 25%, are not even Muslim; they are Jewish and friends of other faiths. 
  • UPDATE 6 (Oct 29, 6.00 PM EST): We are shocked to have hit yet another milestone of $150,000 within only 50 hours. We are currently assessing whether any more funds are needed for the victims' families, but we are keeping the campaign open. Any leftover proceeds, after disbursing funds to victims' families, will be spent on projects that help foster Muslim-Jewish collaboration, dialogue, and solidarity. Please consider donating to help other victims of a recent hate shooting in Kentucky at this link: Muslims United for Kentucky Hate Victims. 
  • UPDATE 7 (Oct 30, 3 PM EST): We have transferred the second installment of funds ($25K) to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh (ICP). The ICP rep has met with the local Jewish Federation and twice with the funeral home to begin planning fund disbursement to the victims' families. 
  • UPDATE 8 (Thursday, Nov 1, 7 PM EST): As of today, we have transferred a total of $110,000 to ICP to disburse among the victims' families (average funeral costs are $10,000 each). Due to the overwhelming, rapid response to this campaign, we have shortened it to end on Sunday rather than Tuesday. The remaining amount of $40,000 will be transferred by early next week. Please see Update #6 above on how leftover fundraising proceeds will be spent (the funds beyond our final goal of $150,000). 
  • UPDATE 9 (November 20, 12 PM EST): On November 7, we transferred another $45,0000 to ICP (Islamic Center of Pittsburgh). This completes the final transfer of funds - now a total of $155,000 - for ICP to disburse to the victims' families. ICP will manage disbursement of the funds to victims' families. Please see Update #6 above on how leftover fundraising proceeds will be spent. As we decide on long-term projects to fund with those proceeds, we will provide updates on this page. 
  • UPDATE 10 (November 25): We are pleased to report that - on November 21st - the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh gave a $155,000 check to the Tree of Life synagogue (the funds raised by this campaign). Please see this jointly-signed letter acknowledging that 100% of these funds will be disbursed by the synagogue to the victims' families by December 15, 2018.
  • UPDATE 11 (November 28, 2 PM EST): This afternoon, we transferred the additional funds raised ($84,534) to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh for them to deliver to the Tree of Life synagogue. As stated above in Update #6, these additional funds (beyond the $155,000 raised for the victims) will be spent on projects that help foster Jewish-Muslim solidarity, collaboration, and dialogue. 100% of all funds raised - both for the victims and for these collaborative Jewish-Muslim projects - have now been transferred. 
  • UDPATE 11, PART 2 (Nov 28): We are so grateful to have received two letters / receipts from the Tree of Life Synagogue today to acknowledge and thank us for the funds that we granted to them from this campaign. Both letters were signed by the President and Rabbi of the synagogue. Please see those letters here. 

The Shooting

11 people have been killed in Saturday morning's shooting (October 26) at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Multiple Jewish-Americans, who were attending Saturday morning religious services, have been killed and many more have been injured (including some police officers). 


Resources

The Campaign

In a campaign organized by CelebrateMercy and MPower Change, the Muslim-American community extends its hands to help the shooting victims, whether it is the injured victims or the Jewish families who have lost loved ones.

We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action. Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the Heavens will show mercy to you." The Quran also teaches us to "Repel evil by that which is better" (41:34). 

The Funds

Fundraising proceeds will help with the immediate, short-term needs of the injured victims and grieving families - including funeral expenses and medical bills. No amount of money will bring back their loved ones, but we do hope to lessen their burden in some way. The fundraising target will be raised if we quickly hit the initial goal of $25,000 (Update: That initial goal was reached in only 6 hours. We raised the goal a few times until we stopped at $150,000). Please see Update #6 above on how we will use any fundraising proceeds that are raised above the final target of $150.000.

Though this is a Muslim-led campaign, we welcome friends of all faiths to contribute (all donations are tax-deductible). CelebrateMercy will immediately begin transferring funds raised to our local partner on the ground: The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh (ICP). ICP will be working directly with the Tree of Life synagogue to distribute funds to affected families. 

We will also be working closely with Pittsburgh's Muslim leaders to help publicize this campaign among their own congregations. All donors to this campaign will receive updates on the progress of fund distribution.

Is It Not A Human Soul?

While these senseless acts have filled us with sorrow, we reflect on the message of unity, tolerance, and mutual protection found in the Constitution of Medina: a historic social contract between the Medinan Jews and the first Muslim community. We are also inspired by the example of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who stood up to pay respects for a passing Jewish funeral procession. When questioned on why he stood for a Jewish funeral, he responded, "Is it not a human soul?" [Source: Bukhari]. 

A Message of Unity

Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate and violence in America. We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event. 

For inquiries, email [email protected].

Media Coverage

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