Muslim communities raise thousands for Pittsburgh shooting victims
Within hours of the deadly attack Islamic groups set up online campaigns to support their Jewish neighbours
The Muslim community in America has been praised for its swift and generous fundraising response in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh shooting.
Within hours of the Saturday morning attack, two Muslim groups – CelebrateMercy and MPower Change – had set up online efforts under the hashtag #Muslims4Pittsburgh to raise money to help the families of the victims pay for things like funeral costs and medical bills.
They hit their $25,000 target in six hours, and this doubled to $50,000 less than 24 hours later. By Monday morning the total stood at an incredible $115,000.
The campaign was set up through the platform LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform focused on the global Muslim community, and the two groups said they would transfer funds to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, which will then work with Tree of Life to send the funds to victims.
“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,” they said. “We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action.”
The main fundraising campaign, through the GoFundMe website, had raised more than $550,000 by Monday lunchtime, but it was the Muslim community’s efforts that drew attention, and the leaders of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh got a standing ovation at the Pittsburgh vigil, as he told congregants about the fundraising efforts.
READ MORE:
- Vigil for Pittsburgh massacre victims to be held tonight at JW3
- OPINION: After Pittsburgh, Muslims must intensify our fight against antisemitism
- OPINION: Pittsburgh: Let’s respond
- #ShowUpForShabbat: UK community urged to attend shul after Pittsburgh attack
- PSC ‘considering further steps’ against patron Jenny Tonge over Pittsburgh post
- Israeli Chief Rabbi doesn’t name Pittsburgh shooting site a synagogue
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
