A Statement from Relief on the Runway Regarding IMFW

[Nahda Designs]

Salaamu alaikum wr wb

Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem

Dear ROTR Team,

It is with a heavy heart that I am sending you this message regarding the recent chain of events that led to the devastating loss for so many designers, sponsors, vendors, bloggers and attendees that participated in IMFW in Hershey, Pennsylvania yesterday. I cannot even begin to formulate the right words to express how deeply hurt I am for all those who were affected by International Muslimah Fashion Week (IMFW).

We at Nahda Designs and Relief on the Runway wish to convey our dedication and commitment to our designers, vendors, sponsors and team members. It is out of our fear and love of Allah (swt) that we dedicate our time, energy and our resources to making sure ROTR 2014 is a huge success and will be one that is of utmost benefit to all parties involved. We work tirelessly every single day to make sure we are giving you top quality production and we ask you to keep us in your prayers for continued health and strength. May Allah continue to be our guide and may He put baraka in our time and our resources and grant us success in dunya & akhira.

You have entrusted us with amana and we take that very seriously at ND and ROTR, we stand by the principals and values our parents have instilled in us, business ethics and transparency Islam has taught to us through the beautiful example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saaw), and equally as important we abide by the laws of our land. Our community has been hit hard by what transpired at IMFW, we pray for the safety of all those involved. An apology is owed to all and we ask Allah (swt) to return the funds and designs stolen from the designers, vendors, sponsors, bloggers and attendees. May Allah purify our community through this trial, strengthen our bonds and unite us in protecting ourselves and our sisters/brothers from harm.

Know that we aim to be transparent in all of our work, we will email you all updates so you are just as much involved in our planning efforts as we are. It will undoubtedly take a great deal of time to heal all wounds and to repair the broken trust that is the aftermath of IMFW, please continue to bear with us while we take a few days to collect ourselves as our emotions were very much involved in what took place yesterday.

Out of respect for all those who are still suffering the losses and are still stuck in Hershey, PA this weekend, we will temporarily pause our marketing and promotional efforts of ROTR. We will resume all brand announcements, blog posts and scheduled promotions on Monday, March 24th, 2014. 

The shoot with Lisa Vogl is still taking place next week (March 27th & 28th), so please either email Lisa or get in touch with Zahra (marketin...@nahdadesigns.com) by Monday March 24th to finalize the number of looks you will be shipping and when you will be shipping the looks.

Please remember to place forgiveness in your hearts for your own sake, to allow yourself to heal, for your own peace of mind (i.e.closure). Do not let this moment change the goodness in your heart, Allah (swt) is Just and Merciful. He (swt) will rectify this. 

Sincerely,

Suraya Mahumed
Executive Director,

Relief on the Runway
www.reliefontherunway.com