Ramadan Inspires Local Clothing Drive

Posted: Sep 28, 2008 4:21 PM EDT

By Elise Roberts – bio | email

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) – This month the Muslim community is marking the holy month of Ramadan. It is the 9th month on the Islamic calendar. It is also a special time of prayer, fasting and service.

Muslims in South Mississippi are wrapping up the month of Ramadan with its annual clothing giveaway. Sunday, the Biloxi Islamic Center was draped in clothing. From suits to sandals, there was something for everyone.

“We started off small. We didn’t get a lot of publicity, so we didn’t get a lot of people to come out and participate. But each year the crowd is getting bigger and bigger,” said Sabree Rashid.

While there is no short supply of clothing, the mission of this effort is about more than just putting a shirt on someone’s back.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about Muslims and the religion around the world. So programs like this give people the opportunity to see the positive side of the faith as opposed to some of the negative images that they get,” said Sabree Rashid, president of the Biloxi Islamic Center.

The center is the only one of its kind in South Mississippi. The congregation is made up of 500 members. And this month, those members are exercising their faith by helping their community.

“When we moved here in the 1980s, we wanted to be good neighbors, so this is a way to show that we want to be good neighbors by attending to the needs of our neighbors,” Rashid said.

The clothing giveaway is also a part of the annual Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, prayer and charity. After 30 years of serving here on the coast, South Mississippi Muslims say it only gets better.

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