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Community Corner

Local Islamic Community to Host Blood Drive

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be giving blood to honor 9/11 victims.

While others memorialize the victims on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with speeches, members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be giving blood to honor and remember the victims of the terrorist attacks by potentially saving the lives of others.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, members will be at the Bethlehem Township Community Center as part of “Muslims for Life”, an Ahmadiyya campaign which aims to collect 10,000 units of blood during the month of September in 50 cities across the country to reiterate the message that Islam values the sanctity of life.

President of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, Naseem Waseem said organizers have also invited 81 other local religious organizations to take part in the event, and also hopes members of the public will attend.

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As many as 150 units of blood will be collected Sunday, Waseem said.

“We are targeting for that,” he said. “Local people in the churches are also coming.”

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Waseem noted that the Miller-Keystone Blood Center is low on blood supplies right now, and the blood center's website confirms it, with a ticker proclaiming supplies of A-positive, B-positive, O-positive and O-negative are needed, along with platelet donations.

According to the Muslims for Life website's FAQ: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a widely respected, moderate, Muslim organization worldwide, and the oldest Muslim group in the United States. It is the only Muslim organization to categorically reject jihad by the sword and to endorse the separation of mosque and state. We regularly hold interfaith conferences to promote the true teachings of Islam as a peaceful religion.”

For more information about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, visit muslimsforpeace.org and alislam.org

The Bethlehem Township Community Center is located at 2900 Farmersville Road in Bethlehem Township.

More about the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, as well as eligibility guidelines for giving blood can be found on their website at www.giveapint.org

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