SINGAPORE: A new Malay-Muslim organisation has embarked on a humanitarian project to provide 5,000 blankets to Syrian refugees in Turkey and raise donations for the people of Gaza.
Qiswah – the organisation behind this – will deliver the blankets in December to help refugees cope with the harsh winter months. Its “Stitching Lives” project will help Syrians displaced by the inter-communal conflict in their country to patch their lives back.
The project is organised in partnership with other Malay-Muslim organisations such as Jamiyah and the Muslim Expatriates Network and supported by the Inter-Religious Organisation.
To promote the cause, a mass-sewing cross-stitch exercise was held on Saturday (Nov 15) with some 800 people of various races and faiths taking part. Participants also incorporated messages of hope in their cross-stitches which will be replicated on the actual blankets.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who graced the event, said the project underscored how various groups can work together, within and across communities, for a worthwhile cause. He added that the community also has a part to play in the fight against radicalisation, “for example, by helping to guide any individual who may have espoused radical views and encouraging them to seek religious advice from accredited religious teachers.”
“They could also alert the authorities who can take the appropriate steps to help them. In this way, we safeguard each other, our friends and our families,” he added.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
