Waterloo Region Record 
Sat Feb 6 2010 
Page: B4 
Section: Faith 
Byline: Mirko Petricevic 
Source: Record staff 

Anyone who regularly prays from a pew, bows in a mosque or worships in a temple simply could not miss recent appeals by their religious leaders to help the people of Haiti.

Christian aid organizations are well represented in the ranks of charitable groups helping earthquake victims. Just scan the agencies listed in The Record’s “How To Help” guide to witness the Christian presence.

But leaders of non-Christian congregations are also urging their members to respond to the Jan. 12 disaster that has devastated the tiny island nation and is believed to have killed 200,000 people.

Any attempt to compile a comprehensive list of local congregations working to help earthquake victims would certainty miss more than one faith community’s heartfelt efforts.

So the following is just a sample of some of their campaigns.

Imams at local mosques have been urging people gathering for Friday prayers to help Haiti earthquake victims.

Giving charity is one of the five pillars (main tenets) in Islam. Observant Muslims are required to donate a small percentage of their non-essential assets (savings and investments) each year to the poor. The practice of donating the obligatory amount is called zakat.

But Abdul Mannan Syed, imam at the Waterloo mosque, said he is not highlighting zakat when urging people to donate to earthquake relief funds because Muslims are supposed to help anyone in trouble at any time.

“Here, we are talking about a devastated community (needing) urgent help,” he said. “And as a Muslim you have to come forward . . . You look at the world community as a family of God. Whenever they are in trouble, you need to come forward . . . give whatever you can.”

Leaders at Temple Shalom Reform congregation in Waterloo are urging fellow members to donate money and relief supplies to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario, said Michelle McDonnell, the congregation’s president.

Announcements urging people to donate were made at Shabbat services and an email appeal was sent to 55 member families.

The Canadian Jewish Congress’ website is soliciting donations for either the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Greater Toronto or Combined Jewish Appeal of Montreal.

But McDonnell said leaders are directing people to donate through MCC Ontario because the office is local and they trust that the organization will get aid to where it’s needed.

“We decided to support directly because we know that the items are specifically going to go there (to Haiti),” she said.

Ven. Deba Mitra Bhikkhu, a monk at the Phommaviharam Buddhist Temple in Kitchener, said Laotian members of the congregation have already collected $1,200 for Haiti earthquake victims.

It was donated to the Canadian Red Cross.

During the religious service on Feb. 20, Sri Lankan members of the congregation plan to hold another special collection for Haiti earthquake victims.

Bhikkhu said every person has his or her own reasons for donating money for disaster relief.

Buddhism teaches compassion and generosity and sharing the wealth with fellow human beings, “especially with those who are in desperate need,” he said.

Members of the Golden Triangle Sikh Association Temple near Petersburg regularly collect donations for the local food banks.

And when disaster strikes somewhere in the world, they also hold special appeals to help victims, said Chattar Ahuja, temple spokesperson.

“We think it is our duty to help out,” he said.

So far the 250-family congregation has donated $5,220 to MCC Ontario’s relief efforts. Donations are still being collected.

Congregation leaders have also called for donations of sheets and blankets that will be put in disaster relief kits.

Some members of the congregation have donated through the Canadian Red Cross, Ahuja added.

Devanand Ram, president of the Cambridge Hindu Society, which runs the Radha Krishna Mandir temple in Cambridge, said he hopes his community can raise at least $2,000 in donations for earthquake relief.

He said he knows of no Hindu organizations working in Haiti. Donations will be directed to the Canadian Red Cross earthquake relief fund.

Ram said he wasn’t aware that the federal government has pledged to match earthquake relief funds that are donated by Feb. 12.

“We as a Hindu organization (are) gonna do our part for mankind regardless,” he said.

mpetricevic@therecord.com