The Muslim religious holiday of Eid al-Adha, not to be confused with Eid al-Fitr which is celebrated after Ramadan, befalls around the fifteenth anniversary of the horrible attacks of September, 11^th.

For some quick background, Eid al-Adha honors Prophet Abraham’s decision to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on God’s order. It turned out to be a test of Abraham’s devotion to God, and Ishmael was replaced with a sheep, which is why Muslims celebrate this holiday by sacrificing sheep, (any cattle) and distributing the meat amongst the poor. Similar stories have also been mentioned in the Torah and the Old Testament of the Bible.

Muslims all over the nation are wondering how to mourn for the loss of the victims while observing religious holiday the way it is meant to be: by exchanging greetings and gifts. To show solidarity, a Pennsylvania resident and UPenn student, Adam Adnane created a gofundme page which encourages Muslims to donate to Tuesday’s Children. Made after 9/11, Tuesday’s Children is an organization geared towards helping the families and communities that have been impacted by terrorism.

I reached out to Loqman Adnane, Adam’s brother, who goes to Oxford College of Emory University and asked him what prompted him to do this. He stated, “Well, I believe it was because Islamophobia is a huge thing here. Having Eid coincide with 9/11 puts Muslims in a very tough situation. If we don't celebrate Eid, we won't be Muslims. And if we do celebrate Eid, then we aren't American. It would look like we didn't care about the lives lost due to Islamic terrorists and rather celebrated instead of mourning/remembering. He [Adam] thought the best way to overcome this dilemma would be to have this fundraiser to show that we Muslims do care about the loss, but also recognize that as Americans we have the right to practice our religion without having to live in fear.”

Even though the original purpose of this fundraiser was aimed at the American Muslim communities, many non-Muslims have contributed as well in this cause to diminish Islamophobia and help the victims simultaneously. Loqman himself reached out to over seven hundred people individually asking to contribute, and while not all of them could donate, many lend a hand by sharing the link and spreading the word. They are determined to raise at least nine thousand dollars by Eid al-Adha next week. So far, over a hundred and two people have donated, with the average contributions ranging from five dollars to twenty dollars.

It is in tough times like these that we, as a nation, must come together to let those who have afflicted by terror know that we are here for them while also letting the three million American Muslims observe their religious holiday without guilt in peace.

Link for the gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/9-11donations

Please consider making a donation regardless of your faith since it is for a tremendously worthy cause. You can read more about the organization Tuesday's Children on this following link: http://www.tuesdayschildren.org/about/.