Muslim group crowd-funding good works

Last summer, during the Muslin period of Ramadan, I wrote (July 9, 2015) about a web site run by a group of American Muslims called LaunchGood.com.   It makes it possible for various groups in the global Muslim community to raise money for good works through online crowd funding.  One project is providing bikes for Afghanistan orphans.   Another encourages and supports people adopting refugees who have had to leave their homes.

The one last summer that got my attention was raising funds to help rebuild the African-American churches that had apparently been burned by hate-crime arsonists.  The web site released this follow up as the new season of Ramadan is starting (June 6th).

In the three years it has been operating, LaunchGood.com has raised nearly $10 million through crowd-funding for over 700 projects in 49 countries.

For Americans, who have little knowledge about Islam, this is a small window into the peaceful, charitable, and respectful nature of 99.9+% of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims.  The group calling itself Islam State is not Islam.   These good people at LaunchGood, along with my friend Axil, my neighbor Amir, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), and millions more good people -- these are the faces of Islam.   My respect for them continues to grow.

Ramadan is a time of fasting . . . but it is much more.   It is a time for reflection and good works, for volunteering time and giving help to others.    It is also a time for renewing ties to family and community.

Ralph