Muslim group to host blood drive today

A group of UNC students will host a blood drive today as a way to honor the thousands of victims from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

UNC’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association is hosting a blood drive today as part of a national “Muslims for Life” Campaign, which is meant to both honor the victims of 9/11 and make a positive impact on the community.

The campaign is part of a national initiative led by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, which collected 11,170 pints of blood at the organization’s third annual event last year on 9/11.

“The goal is to save lives. There’s such a need for it,” said Marriam Azam, vice president of UNC’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association.

“That’s the primary goal — to do that service for the community.”

UNC’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association became an official club in April, and the blood drive will be its first major event of the year.

This year, the organization hopes to collect 50 to 60 pints of blood, said Sofia Dard, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association.

“Blood banks are constantly running low, and they always need more blood,” she said.

“The best way to remember 9/11 victims is to save other lives.”

Azam said she also wants to use the event to remember the lives that were lost 12 years ago.

“We want to remember the September 11 victims that were terrorized from the horrible attacks on that day,” she said.

“No faith of God teaches or promotes the murder of people.”

The blood drive, which is being held at locations all over the country, is also meant to fight misconceptions of Islam in the United States.

“We wanted to make sure people realize that the image portrayed in the media — that Islam is all about violence — that’s not what Islam is about,” Dard said.

Dard said although she has encountered few instances of prejudice at UNC, Muslims in the U.S. face continued discrimination. The FBI reported more than 170 anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2011.

“In the basic essence of what Islam is, it’s the sanctity of human life and preserving it every way we can,” she said.

“It’s another way to get the true message out about what we believe.”

Azam said the terrorist attacks 12 years ago had long-lasting implications for Muslims living in the U.S.

“Our religion was hijacked too because it portrays this violent image that this is what Muslims do,” she said.

“We want to let people to know that there are millions of Muslims all over the world that are peace-loving Muslims.”

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