How to help the people of Gaza

How to help the people of Gaza
Taken from Muslim Council of Britain Website

Join a Peaceful Protest and Let Your Voice be Heard



You will by now have witnessed the horrific scenes of murder of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli missiles. There has been widespread revulsion about this massacre and a sense of helplessness from people around the world, unable to do anything about it. Aside from our prayers to Allah to seek His Mercy, many of us may wonder what we can do to help the people of Palestine and persuade our government to condemn the Israeli military machine and stop giving it diplomatic cover to carry out its task with impunity.

You can join other MCB affiliates to make a difference, and do things yourself in your own community and call for change from the grassroots:

1. Donate Money
The Palestinian people are in urgent need for your donations for urgent medical aid and you can donate to:

MCB affiliate - Interpal, the specialist charity helping Palestinians:
Phone: Call the Interpal hotline: 02089619993
Online: Go to website and follow the online instructions
Interpal Account Details: Account Name: Interpal, Bank: Islamic Bank of Britain, Sort Code: 30-00-83 Account Number: 01095401 BG52LOYD3096401024192

Other MCB charity affiliates specialising in the region are: Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid, Muslim Hands and Ummah Welfare Trust.

2. Join a Peaceful Protest and let your voice be heard

• Emergency Demonstration:
Sun 4 January 2pm Israeli Embassy, High St, Kensington, London (Nearest tube High Street Kensington.)

• Daily protests:
5 - 9 January, 5.30pm-7.00pm Israeli Embassy, High St, Kensington, London

• National Demonstration:
Saturday 10 January March to Israeli Embassy, High St Kensington, London

Check the MCB website for further updates.

3. Sign the petition. (Demand that Israel immediately stops its bloody campaign in Gaza)

There is also another petition underway on the Downing Street website: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Israel-Sanctions

4. Lobby Your MP.
Get your community to write, call and meet your Member of Parliament. Our MPs have been elected to serve us and we should make sure that we contact them and pressurise them to do something against this Israeli brutality. Lobby your MP to sign or initiate an Early Day Motion that calls on our government to condemn the Israeli government for massacre of Palestinians. Be polite, to the point and make your request specific. You can find out you your MP is here.

5. Get yourself heard.
Participate by writing letters to the editor and taking part in television, radio and online discussion forums. Remember to keep your points succinct and polite. You can find some letter-writing tips here.

6. Seek Coalitions.
Change starts at home so you might also wish to seek local coalitions and work with people around you, of all faiths, to highlight the plight of the Palestinians. This is an issue of humanity and we should work to seek coalitions across faiths.

7. Call the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Express your concern with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, please call 020 7008 1500.

The MCB has written to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and has asked for tougher action against Israeli war crimes. We sought a meeting with the Secretary of State to make our points known. Click here for further information. In addition, a wide coalition of groups has published an open letter in the national press, click here for the letter.

8. Remember the power of prayer.
MCB is initiating amongst its affiliates and the ulema Special prayers, Qunooot Al-Nazilah, this prayer of the Prophet is recited when Muslims face calamities. For further information, Click here