Young Muslims raise £400k for charities at Heaton Park run

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association took part in a 10k for charities including The Royal British Legion, Save the Children, NSPCC, and Barnardos.

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Thousands of young Muslims from across the country gathered in Manchester’s Heaton Park to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association took part in a 10k run to raise more than £400,000 for charities which included The Royal British Legion, Save the Children, NSPCC, Barnardos, CLIC Sargent, UNICEF, The Silver Line, British Red Cross, Macmillan Cancer Support, British Heart Foundation, LLR, RNIB, and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability.

Organisers said it was to help combat negative stereotypes that often surround Britain’s young Muslims.The event was part of the ‘Mercy for Mankind’ series of charitable initiatives with volunteers raising money for those in need irrespective of religion, race, gender or creed.Mirza Waqas Ahmad, the association’s national president, said: “We held our flagship charity fundraising event on Remembrance Sunday and marked our respect for those who fought for our freedom by starting the run with the two minutes silence at 11 am.

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“Our youth are regularly serving their local communities through activities such as donating blood, planting trees, visiting the sick and elderly, and making a positive contribution to the community and country as a whole. We do this as Islam teaches us service to humanity is a part of faith and every act of goodness is charity.”Young Muslims have also been collecting for the Poppy Appeal in the run-up to Remembrance Day on Wednesday.

David Cameron told the association: “Your participation in the Poppy Appeal collections is a display of your clear commitment to community work, tolerance and peace“I welcome such positive action by young British Muslims and I am sure that it will inspire others to make similarly positive and constructive contributions.”Former international England cricketer Ryan Sidebottom attended the event. He told the crowd: “It’s absolutely special what you’re doing. You’re raising fantastic money for wonderful causes.”

He told the who said: “It’s a really great honour to be here. Everyone involved, the volunteers everyone that’s giving up their time, well done to you. Mercy4Mankind, you’re doing a wonderful job. It’s absolutely special what you’re doing. You’re raising fantastic money for wonderful causes so please keep up the good workSurfaraz Mustafa, a spokesman for the association said: “The event is key to help change the narrative at the moment regarding young muslims and show that we engage with the whole community.”

The association is Britain’s largest Muslim youth organisation and the leading Muslim youth group challenging extremism.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/young-muslims-raise-400k-charities-10413048