As I watch the devastating pictures of Haiti and read about the horrifying stories of people left to scramble for food, shelter and dignity, I can't help but think of the ritzy extravagance of Dubai and its recent rejoicing over the world's tallest skyscraper which cost more than $1.5 billion (that's the happy story. The sad story is that more than 1,000 workers died while building it). I can't resist asking the obvious question: how much of this money could have been used to help the poor around the world, not just the Muslim poor? But the answer to this question is not as clear cut as some may have suggested. Don't go making sweeping judgments about the absence of Muslims in providing aid just because none of the relief organizations listed on your CNN screen had the word 'Muslim' in their title. In fact, Islamic Relief USA has raised more than $800k from mosques around the country, the Red Crescent has been working closely with the Red Cross immediately after the earthquake hit, ISNA (the Islamic Society of North America) set up a special relief fund for the victims of the earthquake, Morocco sent two planes with 24 tons of food and other help supplies, Turkey sent 3 cargo planes with search-and-rescue teams, the United Arab Emirates also sent tents and tons of emergency supplies, and many other Muslim-majority countries have pledged millions of dollars to rebuild Haiti. So, what is the problem, you may ask? Well, I'd like to see Muslim relief organizations, governments, and philanthropists mobilize their resources with the same intensity reserved for the afflicted when they are Muslim. Giving should always be disinterested, but in these apocalyptic times, Muslims suffer from an image problem they need to restore rather urgently. They must be seen at the helm of any relief campaign around the world regardless of ethnicity or religion. Instead of racing with Vegas for the next architectural madness, race with the community of world relief to help the poor and alleviate the pain of millions of people who have no food, no shelter, and no future while you happily ski in the scorching desert. Your image problem is one of moral values that await more public display; not height records that must be broken. And if the emirs of Dubai suffer from delusions of grandeur, I hope they can boast soon about who has mounted the biggest and most enduring relief operation known to mankind.