National Muslim Mask-Making Campaign
The Health Professional Committee of the National Muslim Taskforce on Covid-19 has initiated the National Muslim Mask-Making Campaign in an effort to centralize resources, coordinate efforts between communities and provide a platform for those interested in volunteering to connect with or start local groups.
Across the nation, health care workers are facing dire shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) including hospital gowns, gloves, and especially face masks. Given the overall crisis, volunteers of all faiths and nationalities have mobilized across the country to determine local needs and see how they can make a contribution. Many are working together to sew face masks and provide healthcare professionals, front line staff working at social service agencies, homeless shelters, police officers, fire fighters, and many others with homemade masks.
On April 15, 2020, the CDC came out with new guidelines, recommending all people to wear face coverings when in public settings, especially if they are unable to maintain a safe social distance, making the urgent need for face masks is even greater.
At the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, the community services team of Rahma developed an operational workflow compatible with social distancing to execute their Medical Mask Initiative, which includes material allocation, video sewing instructions, and coordinated pick up & drop off. Over 40 volunteers participated in this initiative and distributed 400 handmade masks to four local hospital systems. In the DMV area, Justice for All conducted a webinar outlining the process for starting such an initiative including an online form for hospitals and other facilities to request their specific type of mask and quantity required. Threads of Resistance organized similar efforts in Northern California and Michigan to sew masks for their local communities.
In a time when we are all working together to flatten the curve of this global pandemic, this effort has allowed American Muslims to make a difference in uplifting lives through service, both at a local and national level.
If you would like to start a group, sew for an existing group, or inform us of your local group efforts, please email covid@amhp.us.
Resources & Tutorials
Below are resources for individuals interested in making masks including, a comprehensive webinar and several face mask patterns.
- Justice for All Webinar with DMV Muslim Mask Project
- CDC Cloth Covering tutorial
- N95 cover with ties
- Rectangle with Elastic ends
- Rectangle with ties and filter insert Dima Video tutorial
- Rectangle with Knit Fabric Ties(not bias/elastic)
Different sizes for adult, teen, child, with space to insert filter
Fabric Face Mask with Ties
Sew Mask with Ties Video
Regional Contact List
| Name | City/Region | |
| Hena Zuberi | DMV | |
| Maram Kabaz | Cincinnati, OH | mkhabbaz@icgc.us |
| Threads of Resistance | Northern California | editor@norcalcouncil.org |
| Rasha Ali | Chicago, IL | |
| Afshan Siddiqi Muneeb Ahmad | Michigan | afshansiddiqi@comcast.net Muneeb.ahmad007@gmail.com |
In the News
- Muslims Observing Ramadan Are Providing Critical Coronavirus Relief
- Islamic Center group makes hundreds of mask covers to lengthen usage
- Coronavirus: US Muslims pitch in to help frontline health workers
- Faith in Action: Muslims Answer the Call to Make Masks for Health Workers, Patients
- Coronovirus: US Muslims pitch in to help frontline health worker
- Islamic Center group makes hundreds of mask covers to lengthen usage
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Contact Iman Jandali at covid@amhp.us so you can be connected with local contact and to ensure efforts are not duplicated.
- Identify a Zone Coordinator who can connect with hospital administrators/supply chain personnel, private practices or facilities in low-income neighborhoods facing dire shortages and serves as the main point of contact between volunteers who will sew and facilities that have a need.
- It is critical that the Zone Coordinator should have the facility administrator submit a request through the form here before starting the project as not all facilities will accept the type of masks you are able to provide: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IJJJ1RukYgOF3JF7LDt7t58bAq1PHLp7XV-2671pOYY/edit
- Volunteers wishing to sew masks or contribute in other ways should fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zdlj6CU_xjUeb40wnBVYtfCx_yoW9_XW9IQbFZP5p2A/edit
- Zone Coordinator will mobilize local volunteers over WhatsApp/email and also connect with the coordinators from other regions.
I am unable to sew masks, but I would like to help with this campaign?
If you are unable to sew but still volunteer for this campaign, here are few ways you can still be involved:
- Cut from a pattern
- Sew
- Cut & Sew
- Help pick up and drop off masks at local facilities
- Serve as a Zone Coordinator for your region
- Write an op-ed for your local paper highlighting efforts on the campaign.
- Coordinate fundraiser locally to raise funds for securing supplies
Indicate how you wish to assist with this campaign in the form here.
All mask patterns begin with 100% cotton, however different hospitals and facilities may only use a particular type. Also, as elastic becomes unavailable at many stores, the ties patterns were created. Please check with individual facilities before starting.
It is important to note that these sewn masks were never intended to replace personal protective equipment, but rather as an option to use as covers for the N95 masks to potentially increase their longevity. N95 are not for general use, they should be reserved for health care workers and other first responders. N95s stop 95% of particles >0.3 microns in size. The N95 is the USA Code, K95 is the China code. Hospitals have different regulations on which they accept. In contrast, surgical masks are looser fitting, single use masks that help block large-particle droplets not small particles as transmitted in coughs and sneezes like N95s do. Here is a chart comparing different masks.
Please contact Iman Jandali at covid@amhp.us to be added to the national directory.
It takes about 20 minutes to make one mask. The process can be streamlined when making multiple masks by batching steps.
Please contact Iman Jandali at covid@amhp.us so she can connect you with the appropriate resources in your community.
Partner Organizations
*DISCLAIMER* These masks are not meant to replace N95 or medical grade masks. Each facility will determine its needs based on their administration and safety board decisions. These types of masks are not intended to protect the wearer, but to protect against the unintended transmission from asymptomatic coronavirus carriers. Partner organizations listed above do not bear any responsibility on how masks are being utilized by facilities.
