Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) ambassadors headlined events in the USA, Italy and Egypt during April and May.

USA

Egyptian actress and IRW ambassador Hanan Turk participated in a series of events across the United States, raising money for Islamic Relief. The six celebrations took place across the country between 16 April and 2 May and raised over $1 million which will help make life easier for vulnerable people in Egypt, Gaza and the West Bank. The celebrations included speeches and presentations, as well as performances by local schoolchildren and Hanan Turk.

Italy

IRW Ambassador Sheikh Omar Abdulkafi, an Egyptian scholar, attended a festival hosted by Islamic Relief Italy on 1st May. The celebration, which was broadcast live on Al-Jazeera, was presented by television personality Alaa Basyouni and raised over 500,000 Euros, setting a new record for the amount of money raised in a single day by Islamic Relief Italy. Dr Ragheb Sergani, an Islamic Historian and Dr Salah Sultan, President of Islamic University of Michigan, also attended the festival.

Egypt

Islamic Relief in Egypt sponsored a week-long carnival in Asyut, with singing, music and drama performances by children. The festival aimed to encourage creativity and to raise awareness about living with a disability in Egypt and the wider Arab world. One play highlighted prejudices against children with disabilities, by suggesting that Shakespeare’s Hamlet had a stutter. Children from Islamic Relief’s Early Intervention Centre put on a play and won a bronze award for their performance. The event took place in early April and was attended by Islamic Relief Chair of Trustees, Dr Mohammed El-Alfy.