The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has extended the condolences of the Muslim Community in Ghana, to Turkey and Syria, where thousands of people have been affected by an earthquake.
“The earthquake constitutes a tragedy that calls for global solidarity with Turkey and Syria”, said a statement issued by Personal Assistant to the National Chief Imam, Dr Mohammed Azindoo, in Accra yesterday.
It said the National Chief Imam was deeply saddened by the incident and disturbed by the loss of thousands of lives and destruction of property following the disaster in the two Muslim-majority countries.
It called on world leaders and international organisations to show the affected nations love and care, as they struggle to bear the trying moments and to restore normalcy.
“The Chief Imam observes, with concern, that some victims are still trapped in collapsed buildings in the disaster scenes. This, he adds, should be an issue of humanity, not that of Syria and Turkey,” it said.
The statement said the areas of humanitarian assistance could be in the form of search experts, dispatching rescue specialists, and donating food items to the two countries.
“He prays for Divine Mercy on the dead and speedy healing of the injured. He also directs all Imams in Ghana to dedicate portions of their sermons on Friday to prayers for Turkey and Syria”, it said.
According to the statement, the National Chief Imam called on nations to reaffirm their commitments to the global combat against climate crisis.
“Climate Scientists are painting a gloomy picture of the environment, a situation which threatens the future of humanity if the current trend of ecological destruction continues,” he said.
Skynews reports that more than 11,000 people have so far died with thousands injured in the devastating earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday.
The first 7.8 magnitude earthquake happened before dawn, when many people would have been sleeping.
Rescue teams from around the world have travelled to both countries to help search for survivors.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said fatalities could reach as high as 20,000 in the coming days.
Turkey’s disaster management agency said the country’s death is the deadliest since the 2011 earthquake in Japan which triggered a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.
Relatedly, the Coalition of Muslim Organisations (COMOG) has also extended a heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Turkey saying “our fervent prayers for a speedy recovery of the injured as we further seek Allah’s forgiveness on those Muslims who have died through the calamity, and ultimately His grant of Jannatul Firdaus (paradise).”
A statement signed by the National President of COMOG, Hajj Abdel-Manan Abdel-Rahman, copied the Ghanaian Times called on the public to donate to the Relief Centre opened by the Turkish Embassy at the National Mosque at Kanda, a suburb of Accra, for the rehabilitation project for the people of Turkey.
BY TIMES REPORTER
