The Help Gaza telethon, organized by Maldives media, has raised a record MVR 21.5 million (US$1.4 million) in aid for victims of the war in Gaza.
The 36 hour 30 minute long telethon began at 2:30pm on Friday with the initial MVR6.3 million (US$ 400,000) collected through the religious Adhaalath Party’s Help Gaza Fund.
A series of activities including jumble sales, fishing competitions, sports competitions, traditional drum ‘bodu beru’ shows and fairs were held throughout the weekend to raise funds.
Donations were collected through collection boxes, SMS, checks and Bank of Maldives (BML) Point of Sales systems. The Maldives Police Services and Maldives Scouts oversaw security at collection boxes. BML was in charge of collecting and managing donations.
Within the first nine hours an estimated MVR10.8 million had been raised. By noon on Saturday over MVR11 million was collected. When the telethon ended at 3am on Sunday, the steering committee estimated it had collected over MVR20 million.
The amount is double that collected for the mosque fund in 2012 (MVR10million).
“Historic Success”
The Help Gaza Telethon’s steering committee member Mohamed Asif ‘Mondhu’ has attributed the fundraising effort’s “historic success” to the empathy Maldivians feel for the people of Palestine.
Media Coordinator and Sun Editor Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir has pledged to ensure funds reached Gazans through Qatar’s Red Crescent. None of the money would be used for overhead costs, Hiriga said.
According to Hiriga, an estimated MVR9.5 million of the MCR21.5 million needs to be realised. He has called on donors to ensure contributions are deposited at BML within the next two days.
He commended the Maldives media’s joint efforts, and said he believed the large amount of donations came in response to the “worst suffering Israeli’s have put Palestinians through in recent history.”
The telethon came amid renewed violence between Israel and Palestinian militants after a three-day ceasefire ended on Friday.
More than 1,900 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in four weeks of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, the UN has said.
Donations
The Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) donated MVR1million from soldier’s wages, while the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and President Abdulla Yameen’s cabinet pledged MVR500,000 each to the fund.
Yameen and Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed have also pledged to donate a month’s wages (MVR50,000 and MVR75,000, respectively). Although the president’s official salary stands at MVR 100,000, Yameen only takes MVR 50,000 in a bid to reduce state expenditure.
The state’s independent institutions have also donated MVR300,000 from wages. These include the Judicial Services Commission, the Civil Service Commission, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Auditor General’s Office, Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, Anti-Corruption Commission, Police Integrity Commission, Customs Integrity Commission, the Tax Appeal Tribunal, and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission.
Shaviyani Atoll Funadhoo Island residents donated money raised through a fishing competition, a slow motor biking competition and a bashi competition.
“Our aim is to ensure every citizen participates in this national effort,” Council President Ahmed Ibrahim told local media on Saturday. He said he hoped to raise MVR100,000 for the Help Gaza Fund.
Haa Alif Uligamu Island fishermen went big game fishing and pledged to donate all proceeds from selling sailfish to the fund. Each sailfish was to be sold at MVR800.
The jumble sale at Kalaafaanu School in Malé saw auctioning of wedding dresses, one child’s birthday cake and furniture. Children emptied their money boxes into collection boxes in Malé.
At 4:30pm, hundreds clothed in black gathered in the rain at the Usfasgandu area in Malé for a prayer for Palestine and a moment of silence for the dead.
“This event was very well received. So many people turned up at the Usfasgandu area, it was completely jam-packed with a large number of people standing out on the street. Today proved the sense of unity Maldivians have in our heart for the whole global Islamic community,” said event organiser and State Trading Organization’s Managing Director Ali Azim.
Meanwhile, Maldives Broadcasting Commission President Mohamed Shaheeb has commended the media for the initiative in Help Gaza Telethon.
“That the Help Gaza Telethon has been noted as one of the most successful humanitarian efforts to be carried out by the Maldivian media is, without doubt, evidence of the important work being carried out by media and the spirit of patriotism that exist amongst them,” Shaheeb said in a letter to the steering committee.
Marches were held across the world on Saturday as part of a worldwide “day of rage” against Israeli military action in Gaza. Demonstrations were held in UK, South Africa, France, Australia and India.
Other demonstrations were held in Spain, Greece, Jordan and Yemen on Friday.
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Who will change the MRF to USD? What exchange rate will be used?
How much of aid will be given to help the JYazidi's, who are currently being targeted and executed by "Islamic State" ? Everyone rise up against Israel, support Gaza! But if a bunch of Muslim extremists do the same thing, nobody says a word.
How about another telethon to bail out the state? MVR 1.5 billion shortfall in revenue and MVR 4 billion deficit the not so Honorable Jihad just said. http://minivannewsarchive.com/politics/finance-minister-fears-spiralling-deficit-will-leave-civil-servants-without-pay-89501
From child abuse to poverty, lets also remember another country in a poorer state that needs massive help - Its called Maldives.
At least there is no gang violence and murder in Gaza.
The best thing you can do with this money is to open up an account for future Palestine when they have gained freedom, until then you can keep the money to pay the old age pension to Maldivians. If you are going to convert this to USD and send them to Palestine, you are simply wasting that money for no good to anyone buy simply draining foreign currency from Maldives reserve. I urge all fish folks to control over your emotion and let your rationale guide you to make better judgments for the benefit of Palestine and the poor fish folks.
Will the warm generosity of Adalat and Maldivians extend to their Yazidi brothers and sisters in Iraq besieged by extremist barbarian ISIS? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/10/kurdish-rebels-yazidi-iraq-isis
Yazidis are not Muslims and they don't believe in Allah.
But what ISIS is doing is wrong and they can not kill innocent people.
What Israelis doing in Gaza is a genocide and that can not be changed .
This is such a generous gesture from a miniscule country that is dead flat broke penniless and bankrupt and which cannot even find the dosh to pay its civil servants.....so sweet of you!!
Will you be having another collection and telethon for the victims of sunni atrocities in Northern Nigeria, Iraq and Pakistan? Will the president and first lady be making large donations to this cause? Will SAVE THE INFIDEL tee shirts be sold on the streets to raise money? Will the police, defence force and mullahs be donating a month's salary? Will the bearded lumps of the Islamic Ministry be rampaging through the streets of Male to express regret at the atrocities committed in the name of Allah?
Why has there been no condemnation of the actions of Book Haram (your mates), or the atrocities against Shias and Yazidis by ISIS (more mates), or even the relentless persecution of Shias, Ahmadis, Sikhs, Hazaras and Hindus by Pakistani Sunnis (even more mates)?
The silence is deafening!!
BTW, the visa section of our Male embassy is closed indefinitely for redecoration so don't bother applying for a visa.....but hey, the Pakistan visa section never closes so go there.
When are you 'Soldiers of Islam' going on jihad to Iraq?
@MissIndia.
Maldives is not existed just because of India. We are thousands times better than your cow washiping people. We do not have 60% of population who can not read and write ?
We do not have people who are treated as slaves because of cast.
All our children have excess to basics education where as your country 60% of the children does not have ?
Please stop bashing on Maldives and try to clean up your own backyard before you open your mouth.
When you provide , food, education and basic health and freedom for everyone, then you start talking about Maldives and not before that.
No matter what you do and what your country does, you will not be able to bring back GMR to Maldives.
This is a great contribution to the needy. This is more for humanity,
But look at the wider picture. What has we, Muslims, achieved?
Our foes have got everything from A to Z, to control manage and protect their community, including the media, social and news,
While all we do is yoga and ask for forgiveness, for a sin, we never have committed, from an entity we can't prove exists, and expecting the help that never comes. A group of wandering vigilantes, with clearly no head, all with their own firebrand versions, clearly susceptible and vulnerable to be manipulated by our foes like soft clay.
Really, as a community, ummah, what has Muslims achieved? Other than create enmity within and without. And I can assure you, nobody envies us for our brotherly love. Their focus is black gold. Absolutely nothing else!
What are we? Dumb idiots?
ISIS does not kill innocent people. its all western propaganda. They only kill soldiers who fight with them. Sometimes they even let go un ranked low level soldiers and sometimes they take ransom from their pows. Nor does it kill Yazidis. They just entered their city after fighting those who tried to defend it and they only asked for them to stay if they wish as zimmis. This is not so bad as the tax on zimma is less than the zakaath muslims have to pay. So its all western propaganda clouding simple ppls' judgement.
Yes of course idrees!! Dream on and keep burying your head in the sand.