Panel: The Social Role of Religious and Faith Communities
Christina Tobias-Nahi is the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Islamic Relief USA.
Islamic Relief USA, as a member of the Islamic Relief federated family, adheres to the seven Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross/Crescent Movement, which provides an ethical, operational, and institutional framework to humanitarian organizations working globally. The key principles of humanity, neutrality, and impartiality are core to helping people in need during armed conflict, natural disasters, and other emergencies without naming the actors who might be responsible for the suffering caused. Also, as dignity is part of our mission, working with any and all affected populations regardless of creed is paramount.
The major priorities for Islamic Relief as a global family are hunger and food insecurity, climate change, refugees, internally displaced persons, and most recently gender justice and women’s empowerment, including the rights bestowed on women in Islam that are not always culturally practiced, often keeping them marginalized. During the past couple of years, our health work has also been raised in profile with vulnerable populations that are disproportionately impacted by the impacts of COVID-19, which include disruptions to education and loss of livelihoods especially impacting women and mothers.
