RSO to Host 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive

By September 6, 2012

The Muslims for Life Blood Drive will take place Sept. 10 to Sept. 12 in the Multicultural Center in commemoration of the 11th anniversary of Sept. 11.

In remembrance of Sept. 11 and the lives lost on that day, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA launched a nationwide “Muslims for Life” campaign across the nation. “Muslims for Life” has 71 chapters in about 50 cities that will attempt to collect 10,000 units of blood to save 30,000 lives, according to official event information.

The UA Al-Islam Students Association, an RSO on campus, the Multicultural Center and the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will come together to have the blood drive.

Sofia Naseem, president of the Al-Islam Students Association, said the the association is primarily in charge of organizing the event.

“We asked the Community Blood Center to work with us and help us execute the event so their nurses will be doing all of the work,” Naseem said.

Last year was the first year for the blood drive on the UA campus.

“We had a really good turnout last year. The blood drive began after Sept. 11, because we wanted to raise awareness about Islam and educate others about us. Extreme acts by Muslims that were shown on the news do not reflect us, and now many correlate extreme actions with our religion. We want to show the community that we’re good people and we want to do good things for the community,” Naseem said.

There will be a sign up sheet to give blood in the Multicultural Center. Donors may come from 10 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Times slots will be given in 15 minute intervals.

Pizza, drinks and free T-shirts will be provided for donors.

“We want everyone to have a positive experience and be healthy while giving blood,” Naseem said.

  • Arafat

    This is a nice gesture to be sure.  But what is this noise about the true Islam?

    As someone who has devoted countless hours studying Islam it is clear to me that Islam is unique among all religions.  Unique in some very disturbing ways.

    For instance, no other religion has a prophet who enslaved others, raped women pillaged carvans and while villages, tortured those who refused his teachings and who demanded his followers fight and kill others who deny Islam’s supremacy.

    The Qur’an and hadiths are clear on all these facts.

    Islam is also unique in that what is considered a sin in all religions:  killing, rape, torture; is given a free pass in Islam if done in the name of Allah.  For instance, the notion of going to Paradise and meeting virgins there is not a westernized, andt-Islamic concept but is something that is true to Islam.

    So, I admire your efforts to raise blood, but I hope that when you do so you give the donors an HONEST picture of what Islam really is instead of the propaganda version.