Nisa Homes welcomes back community to in-person Iftar

By: Misbah Naseer
Nisa Homes Vancouver welcomed its guests at Afghan Chopan on April 14 for a community Iftar. Nisa Homes is a not-for-profit charity that provides a safe haven and support services for women, with or without children, who are fleeing domestic violence, poverty or seeking asylum.
The event began with the recitation of Holy Quran by Sheikh Nabil Khan of BCMA who explained the importance of giving for the sake of Allah SWT. He mentioned that every cent you give is between you and Allah. Think whatever money you give today; it won’t bother you tomorrow. When you give to an organization like Nisa Homes, you are giving someone shelter, food, life. He also discussed a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SW) according to which the best moment to give charity is when you are in between two states: You see that you can invest this money, you can benefit from it or you don’t want to part from it because you think you my need it for something in future. (Hadith).
The next speaker of the event was Aisha Amijee, founder of Voices of Muslim Women (VMW). Aisha opened up about her own personal experiences and highlighted the importance of having support systems like Nisa Homes that can help in empowering women and reach their full potential and ultimately break the cycle of abuse which is about power and control. Organizations like VMW and Nisa Homes are creating a world where Muslim women lead and live big. Aisha also shared some tips with the audience including educating yourself about Islam and remembering that every deed is based upon intention. At the same time, it is important to know your why and be ready to sacrifice when you are giving your time and effort to a cause. Finally it is important to know your worth and your capacity.
Syma Nehal, Operations Manager of Nisa homes then took the stage and thanked all sponsors, speakers and her team. She told everyone that in Vancouver alone, Nisa homes gave shelter to 67 women & children in past 2 years and offered them a safe place. However, there is a need to do more than monetary help. Abuse is an ongoing issue and the community has to think about putting adequate resources in place such as accessible counselling and mediation services which can prevent situations from escalating and provide the needed help at an early stage of a conflict. At the end, Sh. Nabil Khan made a dua for everyone at the Iftar and in the community and encouraged everyone to donate.