Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
'Humanitarian Day' will reach out to downtown homeless during month of Ramadan
Umar Hakim and 8 year-old daughter, Aneesah, distributing flyers for Humanitarian Day on August 12th, in downtown Los Angeles.
(
Ruxandra Guidi
)
Listen
1:03
'Humanitarian Day' will reach out to downtown homeless during month of Ramadan
Ramadan started on July 19th and goes on for an entire month—during which Muslims are expected to fast, think about the world they live in and help others.
Compton native Umar Hakim’s Guyanese mother raised him to be an Episcopalian, but later he converted to Islam. For a dozen years, he’s visited people who live in downtown L.A.’s Skid Row during his religion’s holiest month.
“We don’t need to say anything," says Hakim. "We need to do something by putting our faith into action."
Hakim says Humanitarian Day is the creation of a Muslim-led coalition soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"Ramadan is a month of reading the Qur’an, internalizing its meanings and trying to apply them in the best way possible to our personal lives and social causes, so all that translated into Humanitarian Day.”
That day arrives on Aug. 12, when Towne Street between 4th and 5th Streets in downtown L.A. will be closed to car traffic. Hakim and fellow Muslims plan to line the block with tents, where they’ll make clothing, food, toys, hygiene kits and health screenings available to their homeless neighbors.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
