‘We must set up efforts’, says Government Minister
THE MUSLIM community has put its weight behind calls for world leaders to tackle hunger head on and meet their commitment to end poverty, at an Iftar dinner hosted by International Development Minister Shahid Malik.
The Iftar dinner organised by International relief and development agency Muslim Aid focused on the issues of poverty in the world. Muslim Aid itself is committed to alleviating poverty and works in more than 70 countries.
In 2000 world leaders signed a declaration pledging to meet eight development goals including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. But there are growing concerns that some of the millennium development goals (MDGs) will not be met until 2050.
Halfway in and more than 1 billion people still live on less than a dollar a day. 10 million children die before their 5th birthday every year and 75 million have no access to education.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said 2008 was a critical year to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) and Gordon Brown has since issued a call to action to faith groups, civil society and the private sector to help accelerate progress.
Speaking at the ‘End Poverty Fast’ Iftar dinner in East London, Shahid Malik said: “The Muslim community make a tremendous contribution to life in Great Britain and around the world. We have a window of opportunity to step up our efforts and achieve the millennium development goals but only if we work together.
“We – governments, faith groups, the private sector and civil society – must take united action now and your support is essential”
On 25 September the world’s leaders, Governments from around the world, Non-Government organisations, businesses and faith groups will meet at a high level event in New York to re-energise the global effort to meet the MDG’s.
“ When the boxing day tsunami happened everybody got together and gave millions of pounds to the relief effort, so why are we doing very little to help the 100 million people who are dying from the ‘silent tsunami’ – the global crisis?” said Hamid Azad, Head of Overseas Development Programmes for Muslim Aid.
