IN opinion polls, chatrooms and discussion forums at its site, Maktoob.com members have voiced their concern at the Israeli offensive on the Palestinian people and demanded a full withdrawal from Palestinian territory. Opinions came from Maktoob members in the Arab world and from such diverse places as the United States, South America, Europe, the Far East and Australia.
To support its members’ wishes to reach out and help in this time of crisis, Maktoob.com has set up a new online fund for the Palestinians and it is urging its more than 2.3 million members to donate to the cause. Reem Madanat, marketing and content manager at Maktoob.com, said that the website would also donate its online advertising revenue raised during the campaign period to the fund. At the same time, the Maktoob.com homepage has been redesigned to express Maktoob’s support for the Palestinian people.
“We will use Maktoob to its maximum capacity to express our support and dedication to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Through our various activities, we have also been urging our members to help do something to stop the violence in the region. The response has been truly touching,” explained Madanat. “Furthermore, a vast majority of our members have been closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and we are lucky to be able to gauge their insight into the turmoil.”
The Maktoob.com Online Fund for Palestine, set up in association with the Welfare Association, an independent Palestinian development foundation, and Arab Bank, is part of the website’s wide-ranging community-based programs. Members can donate to the fund directly through their banks or through a secure credit card system. For more information, please go to maktoob.com/fund.