Sumy Muslims supply aid to the needy regardless of their nationality or religion

In conditions of wartime, the issue of providing Sumy residents, especially vulnerable categories - families with children, pensioners and disabled people with special needs - with products and basic necessities is acute.

Activists of the Muslim community of the city also contribute to the good deeds, for whom mercy, charity and help to others, regardless of their nationality or religion, have always come first, because mercy is the basis of Islam, and the reward for kindness and mercy is guaranteed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

As the imam of the mosque of the Islamic Cultural Center of Sumy Rustam Khusnutdinov told, the parishioners help not only in need fellow believers, because the troubles affected all the people of our country.  Residents of Sumy region, one of the first regions to be attacked by Russia, did not escape difficulties.  Since the beginning of the war, Muslims have been trying to provide the victims with the necessary belongings:

"Of course, we help not only fellow believers.  And to the residents of Sumy, of course, we also distribute for those who came to the city from other cities and towns.  From the very beginning, the wave of evacuations from Okhtyrka, Trostyanets, and Boromlya we helped people, and we still distribute things to the in need for free.  This includes children's clothing and footwear, also designed for the youngest - newborns and older children.  Adults are not left without help".

What is needed to hand on to the in need was collected, as they say, by the whole community.

"These are the things that Muslim students, foreigners and their families left us before leaving Ukraine.  And we have announced in OLX about the distribution for free second-hand clothes and shoes - people call and come almost every day and choose everything that suits them, and even began to bring their things to us. This way, we have both distribution and replenishment.  And every day more and more people call. "Sarafan radio” is already starting to work because of those who came to us for things, says Sheikh Rustam. - Most of all, of course, mothers come for children's things.  Alhamdulillah, we have a lot of clothes for children".

Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine bordering the Kursk and Bryansk regions of Russia, was one of the first to be hit by the Russians.  The occupiers fired on the border settlements from Gradiv, and then went in tanks and armoured personnel carriers along the entire border line, which is 560 km. The aggressors faced unexpected resistance from Ukrainians, which thwarted their plans to establish full control over the region.  And although on the first day of the invasion, Russian troops almost managed to capture the city, the next day they left the city, but continuing its encirclement and attacks.  Russian planes bombed neighbourhoods and homes of civilians, dozens of civilians died. The Sumy District Prosecutor's Office has launched criminal proceedings for violating the laws and customs of war.  The evacuation of the population, including foreign students, along the humanitarian corridor to Poltava began.  Many residents left Sumy, but most remained in the regional centre.