Items going under the hammer included donated Umrah tickets
Orphans in Afghanistan will benefit from £30,042 raised by The Islamic Cultural Fair 2003.
The Fair was organised in partnership with IPCI and held at the Rex Centre in Birmingham on the 28th of December.
Up to 5000 people queued around the block to get in, despite the chilly temperatures. Once inside, the fair proved to be worth the wait, offering over 100 stalls selling Islamic arts and crafts, clothing, books, perfumes, and delicious snacks.
The children were kept entertained by nasheeds (Islamic songs) and a play performed by pupils from Al Hijrah Primary School. Islamic Relief's Muhammad Imran had children and parents alike spell-bound with his fascinating stories about the prophets.
More than 5,000 people queued to attend
The evening was rounded off by a charity auction, where people competed in generosity against each other. Items going under the hammer included donated Umrah tickets, mobile phones, restaurant meals and original pieces of Islamic art. Bids went as high as £4000 for a mosaic-tile art piece, and the auction raised £14,500 in total.
The Cultural Fair could not have taken place without the efforts of many volunteers, including Waheed Nazir who organised the event with the help of Amer Zulfiqar and Muhammad Ali Sheikh. The volunteers who bravely dressed up in furry costumes to collect donations also deserve a special thanks.
Money raised by the event will be used to support education and training for orphans at the Parwarishgah Orphanage in Kabul, Afghanistan. The classes will help to ensure that the orphans leave the institute equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to help them earn a living.