SARAJEVO, FEBRUARY 27 (ONASA) – The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has so far collected a total of seven million BAM for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, it was announced today at a press conference at the headquarters of the Islamic Community in Rijaset in Sarajevo, reports MINA.
“We want to inform you that the Bosniaks in our country and the diaspora, that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the Islamic Community, have collected a total of seven million marks, which the Rijaset of the Islamic Community will donate to the people of Tuske and Syria according to the instructions of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Office for disaster and emergency management (AFAD)”, said Ibrahim-ef. Malanović, head of the Office for Social Care of Rijaset Islamic Community.
He reminded that immediately after earthquake Rijaset held an extraordinary session at which a crisis headquarters was formed, which had the task of coordinating with all structures of the Islamic Community on the ground, making itself available to the fraternal people of Turkey and Syria.
“The Islamic community is used to being among the first to provide help and support in extraordinary circumstances: earthquakes, fires, floods, pandemics… In this case, it urgently set aside 150.000 euros, and made 100.000 euros available for the purchase of the necessary humanitarian aid,” Milanović said.
He pointed out that the Islamic community immediately launched a number of humanitarian activities, including the “From Bosniaks with love” campaign, and on February 10 organized a rally in the homeland and the diaspora, where multimillion-dollar funds were collected.
Presenting the results of those actions, Malanović also reminded that the Islamic Community in coordination with the Muslim Charitable Society (MDD) “Merhamet” issued a proclamation to the citizens, and a campaign was launched to collect warm clothes, shoes, hygiene items and everything else necessary for the injured people.
“The goods were collected all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, in mosques and at Merhamet checkpoints. “Numerous congregations, citizens, institutions, companies, institutions donated mainly heaters, tents, sleeping bags, blankets, aggregates, baby food and hygiene products,” said Malanović.
The result of the humanitarian action of the Islamic Community and Merhamet is 300 tons of material aid delivered on February 23 in a convoy of 20 trucks to the AFAD warehouse, which will be further distributed. This humanitarian action is still ongoing in the congregations of the Islamic Community.
In addition to the above, the Islamic Community provided assistance to the Mountain Rescue Service of the Federation (GSS) in financing the costs of transporting Bosnian rescuers to the areas affected by the earthquakes in order to help the people under the ruins as soon as possible.
“We continue to monitor the situation on the ground, expressing our gratitude to Muslims and other Bosnian people for the exceptional empathy and solidarity shown. With the people of Tuske and Syria, we share their grief, with a prayer to the Lord to have mercy on the fallen and enroll them among the martyrs. We also hope that the material damage will be repaired soon, houses and buildings will be rebuilt, so that people will have roofs over their heads,” Malanović said.
Dr. Mustafa Prljača, adviser to the reisul-ulema for the media, addressed the journalists present and pointed out that the Islamic community may have been the first in the world to react to these events, sending intervention funds to Turkey only a few hours after the information about the earthquake.
“On the same day, intervention funds were sent for help, then on the first Friday, a rally was organized to help the victims, a transaction account was opened and an action was organized in cooperation with ‘Merhamet’,” said Dr. Prljača.
He concluded that such actions testify to the readiness of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be at the service of those who need help.
“This is an unprecedented rally. As far as we are aware, no sergia has previously obtained such results, which suggests the solidarity of our people. “We previously had similar results in circumstances like these when it was necessary to help people affected by certain accidents,” said Dr. Prljača.