East London Imam on track to run 200km to raise £10,000 for Yemen

Imam Muhammad Zia-ur Rahman of Cann Hall Deen and Educational Trust is on track to run 200km to reach his fundraising target of £10,000 to support the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The first 100km run took place on Monday 6th July and saw Imam Muhammad and 4 friends start their run from East London Mosque at 10.45pm to reach their finished destination at Cambridge Central Mosque at 9.30pm the next day. The second 100km run will take place on Friday 4th September using the same route and start time.

All funds will be donated to the charity Muslim Hands, which provides emergency relief and life-saving aid to over 30 countries worldwide. Muslim Hands’ work in Yemen focuses on distributing food packages and providing medical assistance, as well as building new water wells, for those in need across the country. Funds raised from the 200km run will go towards the running of two bread factories in Aden and Ma’rib, which will aim to support food-insecure families by baking 6,000 loaves daily that will reach out to 3,000 beneficiaries every day in each location. The bread factory in Aden will open its doors at the beginning of August, with Ma’rib following one month later.

The ongoing war has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world where 2/3 Yemenis cannot afford to buy food and half of the country is now on the brink of starvation. Intervention is vital if millions of people are to survive, with women and children being the most vulnerable.

To find out more about Muslim Hands and the work we do visit muslimhands.org.uk or call 0115 9117222.

Muhammad Zia-ur Rahman, Imam of Cann Hall Deen and Educational Trust, said:

‘I have supported Muslim Hands for the past three years and have raised funds for other projects including 10 water wells in Africa. My initial target for Yemen was £1,000 but from the generous support from friends, family, and my students, this has steadily rose to £6,000 where my aim is now to hit £10,000. The first 100km was extremely tough as I did not feel that I had trained enough. The route was often difficult and having to sacrifice sleep and eating small, I wanted to have a small taster of what the people of Yemen face and feel daily. There is often a stigma attached to Imams of being unhealthy and I wanted to break those stereotypes to show that we play an active part in using our bodies to make a positive difference. My position as an Imam, I believe it is vital to use my environment as a platform to inspire others through my actions to support those in need globally. The second leg of the 200km challenge has allowed me to prepare better where I am training daily with 10-mile runs and eating healthy. To reach both the 200km and £10,000 target would be such a huge achievement for myself and all those involved, and I hope that people still continue to give generously to support those suffering in Yemen’.

Imam Muhammad Zia-ur Rahman JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/z-rahman3