Campaign launched by charity MADE in Europe
A NEW campaign is being launched today to raise the profile of global maternal health within UK Muslim communities.
The ‘At Our Mothers’ Feet’ campaign from the London-based Muslim charity MADE in Europe is aiming to inspire UK Muslim communities to take action to combat maternal deaths worldwide and to support more Muslim charities to work on maternal health issues.
The campaign, which takes its name from a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – ‘Be at your mother’s feet and there is Paradise’, is being run together with partner Ammalife and with the support of UKaid from the Department for International Development (DfID).
Reducing maternal mortality worldwide by 75% from 1990 levels by 2015 is the 5th UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG5), but to date very little progress has been made towards achieving it, the charity said.
Campaign spokesperson Sarah Atkinson said: “It’s tragic that so many women are dying unnoticed every day from preventable causes. There is a strong tradition in Islam of honouring mothers and the central role they play in society.
“We believe Muslims can and should be at the forefront of the fight to prevent maternal deaths worldwide. This campaign will help to educate people about the importance of enabling women to access their rights and participate in making the decisions that affect their health and their lives.”
The At Our Mothers’ Feet campaign is asking Muslims of all ages and backgrounds to support the campaign by pledging to take one of 5 suggested actions, including holding a fundraising event for a charity working on maternal health or using Twitter and Facebook to encourage friends and family to support the campaign. A full list of actions is available at www.atourmothersfeet.org.uk/act/.
