Iraqi refugees who were forced into exile in 2014 after the emergence of ISIS living in a refugee camp in Syria.

DETROIT — Zakat, the third pillar of Islam, is almsgiving for the relief of the poor. Many Muslims fulfill this mandatory religious obligation during Ramadan. 

The holy month of fasting is a time to get closer to God and give back to the less fortunate. That is why so many charitable groups host iftar fundraising dinners during Ramadan. 

Metro Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Muslims in the United States and every week during the holy month several iftar dinners are held to bring relief to the Arab World’s refugees and needy. 

The Southfield-based Life for Relief and Development is one of the largest Arab American humanitarian groups in the country and will be hosting several Iftar dinners around the country. 

“We are holding several throughout the country to raise funds for refugees in Iraq and Syria,” said Life for Relief and Development Chief Operating Officer Mohammad Alomari. “During Ramadan people remember those who don’t have food and are less fortunate.”

He said the charity is 90 percent dependent on donations; and while money is raised all year round, there is a significantly noticeable rise in donations during Ramadan. 

“This is the time when we see a significant spike in donations because people are in the spirit of giving,” Alomari said. 

He added that many refugees in Syria and Iraq have nothing with which to break their fast, because they are so poor. 

“A lot of people are in the refugee camps and in abandoned buildings and they are waiting for handouts, cans and dry food,” he said. 

The recent developments the Arab World has witnessed since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings make the need for humanitarian aid in the region more critical. 

Syria Relief and Development hosted the event Iftar4Syria at the Islamic Center of Detroit on Thursday, June 18 for Syrian refugees. The dinner focused on four critical areas of need in Syria: health, education, food, and rehabilitation.

“Ramadan is a time to give to the less fortunate. 

This is a time for people to help their needy brothers and sisters in Syria,” said Syria Relief and Development President Dr. Jihad Qaddour. 

And while Iftar dinners in the United States can be extravagant, Qaddour pointed out that many refugees in the Arab World’s war torn countries can’t even have daily Iftar dinners. 

Several people in Syria don’t have access to either electricity or stoves, which make it difficult to prepare iftar. 

“It is very important to talk to the community and alert them about what is going on over there,” Qaddour said. “The needs are great for shelter and medical care. The conditions are so bad there. It is very devastating.”

He added that the charity presently has people on the ground in Syria distributing  meals to refugee camps. 

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is also holding a fundraiser Sunday, June 28 at Greenfield Manor in Dearborn to raise money for a Children’s Cancer Center in Gaza. Many cancer patients are prevented from receiving treatment in Gaza due to the lack of equipment and drugs for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Cancer patients often die while waiting for a permit to travel outside Gaza for treatment due to Israeli restrictions. 

Maysoon Hamed, a board member of the PCRF Detroit Chapter, said the group also chose to hold its annual benefit dinner during Ramadan because it is a time for giving. 

 “There are different ways to get involved,” she said. “They need more resources. Just because an attack is over, it doesn’t mean people don’t need help. They need help reestablishing their community back there.” 

Hamed said the dinner is already sold out with more than 800 people expected to attend. 

“We hold our annual benefit dinner during Ramadan, because it is a time where the community comes together to pay their charitable obligations,” she said.