Qasim Rashid is running for Congress in Virginia’s first district on a platform of “Compassion Through Action”, which is not only core to his campaign but to who he is as an American Muslim. These values are what drove him to provide pro bono legal assistance to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, to volunteer as a chaplain for the Virginia State Prison system, and to respond to a man’s islamophobic tweets by donating to his medical fund.
Oscar “Oz” Dillon had been sending Rashid tweets that were hurtful, dangerous, and filled with misinformation since 2019, though he had never met him. When Rashid looked at the profile of this stranger who had been sending him hate he noticed his GoFundMe asking for $21,000 to help cover the medical debt from the pulmonary embolism that nearly cost his wife her life. Rashid didn’t hesitate to put his values into action and donated $55 dollars to his fundraiser as well as enlisting the help of his over 290,000 twitter followers. As a man successful at inspiring others to action, his followers responded by helping to raise over $22,000, exceeding Dillon’s goal.
On Dillon’s GoFundMe he shared, “all of this is driving us into the poor house, where soon we will be forced to sell our home, if things do not turn around”. Not only did Rashid’s actions save the Dillon family from losing their home, they led to a turnaround in Dillon’s way of thinking and a major change of heart. In an apology email Dillon said “you humble me sir, with your graciousness, and surprisingly kind words”, and went on to say that he was “truly shocked” and that he “must now reassess my opinion about you, and your platform, come November.” He also shared on his GoFundMe page that it was “an amazing week of eye-and heart opening enlightenment, that I always used to have before 9/11” and that previously he had opposed Rashid “just because of the word Muslim”.
Rashid cares deeply about dispelling myths about the things we are told to divide us, and has been working to build bridges and create opportunities for discourse, understanding, and healing. He cares deeply about ensuring everyone has medical, housing, and financial security and has always been the kind of person to donate to a GoFundMe, to help someone in need. He doesn’t want to wait to help his community until he is in office, because he knows that people need help right now, help that they’re not getting. In fact, Dillon sent a link to his GoFundMe to his elected conservative representatives, including Rob Wittman, and “not a one came back to me”, he said.
Let’s not sugarcoat this story, though. "You can't expect marginalized communities or people of color to educate all the time," Qasim said. "It's exhausting. But I don't see it as additional work. I see it as the work I signed up to do." Another thing that shouldn’t be sugarcoated is the fact that a country that relies on GoFundMe to cover people’s medical debt is a country with a fundamentally broken health care system. No one should go into debt, or worry that they will lose their house because they got sick. This is why, when medical bills account for approximately 60% of those who declare bankruptcy, and when Dillon’s “insurance has doubled in cost and covers less” of their medical needs, something is fundamentally wrong. Rashid supports a single-payer Medicare for All system because not everyone is lucky enough to have their GoFundMe covered in the news, and it is frankly a ridiculous way for people to have to cover their medical needs.
Rashid is running to serve all of his constituents no matter what their views are, and he will fight for you too, if you let him. Support this movement at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rashidforcongress if this is the kind of leadership you want in Washington.
Together, we can bring Compassion Through Action.