The Good News: American Muslims Raise $100k for San Bernardino Victims’ Families

"We have to give back to the communities we live in, the American community.”

Faisal Qazi, a neurologist based out of Pomona, California, decided to start small. He wanted to raise $20,000 for the victims' families. Over the course of four days, the crowd-funding initiative has raised over $100,000.

“The American Muslim community has had extensive and intense conversations in the last decade about our role in society,” Qazi told the LA Times. “What you’re seeing is the coming of a new generation of American Muslims being emotionally and physically invested in whatever transpires in society.”

And the crowd-funding site itself was created by a Michigander. LaunchGood was started two years ago by Chris Blauvelt, a Detroit resident who converted to Islam three months before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“After 9/11, we had a rude awakening,” Blauvelt said. “We realized we had to do more than get good jobs as doctors and engineers and buy houses in the suburbs. We have to give back to the communities we live in, the American community.”

The funds will be used to help with funeral and medical expenses for the victims and their families.