One day. Each Year. Until There Is A Cure!
That is the message behind the inaugural National Faith HIV and AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD). Islamic Relief USA is co-sponsoring the walk and rally, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 27, in Washington, D.C. CEO Anwar Khan is scheduled to speak at the event.
The event will last from 3 to 6 p.m. It will consist of a prayer walk that will start at the White House and end at Freedom Plaza, where the rally will take place. People will gather at Lafayette Park.
“The time to act is now. The necessity to address HIV stigma in our faith communities is long overdue,” said Khadijah Abdullah, founder and executive director of RAHMA, an nonprofit organizations that works with individuals living with HIV/AIDS. “Together we can do it. National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a Start. One day. Each year. Until We Find A Cure.”
Among the faiths that will be represented are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus and Baha’is. Leaders of many faiths will say prayers and discuss the work their respective communities are doing in addressing the AIDS crisis. HIV testing will take place after the rally.
Other sponsors include AIDS United, Gilead, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Human Rights Campaign and RAHMA.
As of 2014, approximately 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The walk, which organizers hope to turn into an annual event, will raise awareness on the issue.
For more information on the walk, contact Khadijah Abdullah at (203) 508-3999.
MEDIA CONTACT
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. Its programs benefit millions of people each year around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.