Sheffield's Muslim youth step out for the British Red Cross in honour of leader

Young Muslim hikers from South Yorkshire tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise cash for the British Red Cross and in memory of youth leader and humanitarian Kamal Aftab.
AMYA hikers present money to The Red CrossAMYA hikers present money to The Red Cross
AMYA hikers present money to The Red Cross

Sixteen members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association Sheffield Branch were among the 300-strong hiking party.

Mr Aftab was a regional leader of AMYA and an award-winning charity fundraiser. He died last year at the age of 32 after battling leukaemia, but first led an effort to build funds for the charity Bloodwise, which amounted to over £67,000 ultimately.

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Voted National Guardian Volunteer of the Year for 2014-15 after his work contributed to giving 10,000 people the gift of sight through a Humanity First initiative, Mr Aftab said he was motivated by his belief in God and Prophet Muhammad’s saying that ‘every good deed is an act of charity’ .

By their hike, the young people who knew him raised £1000 for the British Red Cross, and aim to raise a further £18,000 this year to support other British causes under the Mercy4Mankind Charity Initiative.

It took eight hours for the walkers to conquer the three peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

Dr Faran Rizvi, Deputy Youth Leader of AMYA Sheffield, said: “Extremely difficult challenge, tackling Yorkshire’s three biggest peaks. However, it was a great day with plenty of sunshine and friendly faces to meet along the way.”

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Max Newton, Yorkshire Senior Community Fundraiser for British Red Cross added: “We are so grateful to all the guys from AMYA who took on the challenge for the British Red Cross.

“Even more, we are so humbled that these young Muslim gentlemen chose our event to take part in to honour the memory of the late Kamal Aftab. Kamal was an amazing guy who raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity. He was also a keen walker and a friend.”

Kamal was described as a ‘true humanitarian’ by his friends and organised dozens of charitable events and programmes for AMYA.