Who is Hussain

Who is Hussain is a non-profit organisation which promotes awareness about the life and legacy of Hussain ibn Ali and works to constructively serve the humanity primarily from blood donation to shelter provisions.

Founded in 2012 by a group from London, England, Who is Hussain seeks to "[let] the world know about an inspirational man who lived fourteen-hundred years ago.".[1] Primarily through public advertising, including tube posters on the London Underground, billboards in prominent urban areas and leaflet hand-outs, volunteers refer members of the public to the organisation's website. The organisation's stated vision is "to see a world inspired by the unique personality of Hussain: his actions and his compassion for those around him."[2]

Hussain ibn Ali

Hussain lived 1400 years ago in Arabia, and was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He is most well known for his death during the battle of Karbala, 61 A.H., in which Hussain and 72 companions fought the caliph Yazid and his army of circa 30,000. Who is Hussain cites this battle as epitomising Hussain's greatest qualities, saying that while Hussain had little or no hope of victory for himself, it was hoped the stand would shake the nation's conscience to battle the injustice and immorality Hussain felt present in Arabia. According to Who is Hussain the battle of Karbala laid the foundations for the overthrow of the Caliph's dynasty.[3]

The organisation also seek to highlight other stories of Hussain's life to promote compassion, honour and integrity. For example, "a celebrated example was when he and his brother Hassan cared tirelessly for a poor blind man they came upon in their city, in spite of traditional social expectations.[4]

Website

The group's website Who is Hussain's main platform for sharing the message of Hussain ibn Ali, which explains the full story of Hussain's life, details of how to get involved in promoting the campaign, famous quotes of Hussain, merchandise and how to request an information pack.

Upon launch in 2012, the website was widely shared on Facebook and Twitter. Since its launch in December 2012, the website has had over 100,000 unique hits from over 30 countries.

Global presence

Over time the organisation began to gain international recognition. In 2013, Who is Hussain began to accumulate global representatives. These representatives are local ambassadors for the organisation with twofold purpose: (i) the organisation of local advertising promoting Who is Hussain and in particular its website and (ii) putting on goodwill and charitable events in honour of and 'inspired by' Hussain ibn Ali. Examples of these initiatives include blood donation drives,[5] initiating food collections for the homeless[6][7] and winter coat collections for the elderly.

As at December 2014, Who is Hussain had 68 representatives in cities across the globe. Each representative liaises with the central London team on a periodic basis. Representatives span cities in five continents including Chicago, Ottawa, Sydney, Birmingham, Karachi, Stockholm, Cape Town and Christchurch.[8]

#TeamGiveBack

In November 2014, Who is Hussain launched a campaign entitled '#TeamGiveBack'. The aim of the campaign was to engage with the public on social media to identify how Hussain ibn Ali inspired them. The public was invited to donate to Iraq Relief Fund (Iraq being the site of Hussain's shrine). Who is Hussain encouraged individuals to 'give back' to the community. A variety of events were organised by Who is Hussain global representatives, including the donation of care packages to the homeless and blood donation drives[9]

References

  1. ↑ "About us". Who is Hussain. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Who is Hussain? Chicago Team Give Back Campaign". iCNN. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "‘Who is Hussain?’". The Middle East in London magazine 9 (3): 7. June–July 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help);
  4. ↑ "The Full Story - Who is Hussain". www.whoishussain.org. Who is Hussain. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "‘Who is Hussain’ rebrands Ashoura for new generation". The Daily Star. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Who is Hussain charity gives homeless Ramadan end dinner". BBC News. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "ST MUNGO'S FUND-RAISER: WHO IS HUSSAIN? PUT HELPING THE HOMELESS ON THE MENU". The Big Issue. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Global Reps Directory". Who is Hussain?. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Who is Hussain? Chicago Team Give Back Campaign". iCNN. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

External Links

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