Major Muslim groups in the United States have raised $20 million to provide relief to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.
The officials said that the pledge would be formally announced at a press conference later on Thursday at which leaders of the groups would also call on President George Bush to form an ad-hoc committee composed of US governmental and American Muslim non-governmental relief agencies to offer co-ordinated relief to earthquake victims.
They would also announce that the Muslim Hurricane Relief Task Force, which was originally formed in response to Hurricane Katrina, would become a permanent coalition. Members of the re-named American Muslim Task Force for Disaster Relief (AMTFDR) have already dispatched teams to conduct needs assessments and provide direct assistance to earthquake survivors throughout the region.
Member relief organisations include Hidaya Foundation, Indian Muslim Relief Committee, Islamic Relief World-wide, ICNA Relief, KindHearts, Life for Relief and Development, and the Zakat Foundation. Other professional foundations including the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) and the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) are organising American Muslim physicians to travel to the region and offer medical assistance.
Other task force members include Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Freedom and Justice Foundation, and National Council of Pakistani Americans (NCPA).
The taskforce guidelines for collection and distribution of funds would focus on financial transparency and accountability as set forth in relevant government regulations and standards, a press release said.