[Photograph of unidentified men and children sitting at a fund raiser in Richmond, B.C.]

Photograph of unidentified men and children sitting at a fund raising dinner for refugees fleeing Kosovo, hosted by the British Columbia Muslim Association (BCMA) in Richmond, B.C.

The Kosovo War was an armed conflict between the the Muslim Albanians and the Serbians in the province Kosovo of Serbia, that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) emerged in 1996 in response to the discrimination against the ethnic Albanians, which was met with a genocidal campaign by the Yugaslav and Serbian forces. Hundreds of thousands ethnic Albanians were displaced as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) initiated a bombing campaign against the Serbian military, in order to defend the Muslim Albanians in Kosovo.

The British Columbia Muslim Association (BCMA) is a non-profit Sunni Muslim organization incorporated under the Societies Act on November 17, 1966, corresponding to 4 Sha-ban 1386. The BCMA owns and operates several Islamic centers all across British Columbia, The BCMA operates the B.C. Muslim School (BCMS) Richmond and Surrey Muslim School encompassing a preschool as well as an elementary and secondary school. Other community services include Hajj, dawah work, dealing with media and issues affecting Muslims, marriage and counseling services, youth services and halal certification program. The BCMA is dedicated to developing and maintaining religious, cultural and educational facilities for the Muslim community and future generations.