Humanitarian Day in Orange County

Ever since the year 2000, the Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity (CPHD) has held a one-day event during the month of Ramadan to serve the community. Known as Humanitarian Day, it was founded during the holy month in downtown Los Angeles' skid row.

Associate director for the ILM Foundation, Umar Hakim, and the lead organizer of the event says that this is a "social service project that happens every Ramadan and it is happening in Southern California from Orange County all the way to Oakland."

The ILM Foundation founder Imam Saadiq established the foundation in 1998 and means "knowledge" in Arabic with the acronym meaning intellect, love and mercy.

During that time the community focused much attention to international issues up until the events of 9/11.

The outlook by the Muslim community quickly shifted from international to domestic with the hopes of redefining the Muslim identity within the US.

Ramadan is not only a time for Muslims to refrain from food and drink, but it is also a time to reflect and to give back to the community.

"It is important to give back to the community. The creator has given social obligations," Hakim said. "These include taking care of family as well as your surrounding family which is your community. During Ramadan when we are fasting, we make an attempt to provide a humane service to humanity surrounded by god's mercy."

Humanitarian day has provided free health screenings and referral services, food, blankets, new clothing, toys, specialty items, hygiene and back to school kits and much more to those in need in previous years.

This year the CPHD, Orange County Islamic Foundation (OCIF) and local Islamic centers will host a Humanitarian day in Santa Ana Aug 5. Registration will begin at 10:00 am at the Santa Ana Civic Center parking lot.

"For the past five years we have partnered with the OCIF. That has also sparked other collaborations with other OC organizations like ISOC, ICOI, IIOC," Hakim said. "We've all come together under the banner of the coalition to preserve dignity."