MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The aftermath of an earthquake in the Middle East — more than six thousand miles away from Memphis — has a personal connection for giving souls in the Bluff City.
Local Memphis faith leaders and members of mosques who have surviving family members as well as those who have lost loved ones to the devastating earthquake said they weren’t able to sleep the first night they heard the news.
“When my wife heard about the earthquake, she was not able to sleep and she started calling her sister immediately and nobody was answering so she was in a panic mode,” Hassan Almoazen said. “Crying and trying to call her other sister who lived in France to see if she heard from her sister in Turkey.”
Hours later they heard from the family, they were safe but now without a home and living in a sports complex with their child. At the same time, others received the worst phone call of their life.
“There was a young couple and their one-year-old infant that died, and they’re related to members of our congregation” Memphis Islamic Center Community Outreach Director Anwar Arafat said. “You see that and its like in day and night he had his whole life ahead of him just starting a new family him and his wife and their baby and they all died under the rubble.”
“We cannot go and help in the rescue missions but we can help in maybe raising funds and bring awareness, so we decided to do something collectively here, citywide,” Memphis Islamic Center Imam Mohammed Faqih said.
From pocket change to checkbooks to trips being cancelled, the interfaith Memphis community has raised more than $300,000.
“The community has proved to be very generous and sometimes surprisingly so – we had a lady who was like this is all the cash that I have,” Anwar Arafat said. “She has eight kids, single mother and literally she’s counting the cash – its 15 dollars, that’s all she can give. She’s like I just want to give whatever I can give.”
“The community responded really well and generously, and a decent amount was raised,” Mohammed Faqih said.
Still, he said there’s work to be done. As tents cost more than $500 for one family of four, their goal is now to raise one million dollars from the Memphis community alone.
“We’re hoping for more it looks like this is gonna take some time in order for us to really be able to really have an impact we need to continue to support and I think everyone, everyone who’s part of a faith community should come together and try to help.”
As they continue to aim for higher fundraising goals to help Syrians and Turkish people get back on their feet, you can donate here or view the Memphis Islamic Center website here.