“It is a major disaster. We have never experienced anything like this.” These are the words of Mohamed El Mourabit, chairman of the Moroccan As-Sunnah Mosque in Assen. Just like El Mourabit, the Moroccan community in the North watches the TV images after the earthquake in Morocco in disbelief and bewilderment.
The earthquake occurred on Friday evening and had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale. While the death toll has now risen to well over two thousand, aid is now coming from all kinds of countries.
“It is extremely sad news. This also affects the community in the North,” says the mosque chairman. According to El Mourabit, the images of destroyed villages hit home hard.
Many of the mountain villages surrounding the earthquake epicenter are in ruins. Because some of these places are difficult to reach, help is coming slowly.
“If you look at the affected villages, the poverty there. And the children whose parents have died. It is terrible,” sighs the mosque chairman. “We pray for everyone there. The deceased, but also the survivors.”
El Mourabit says that a national collection has been made in recent days, including via a livestream on Facebook. An amount of 65,000 euros has been raised so far. “But the campaign is still ongoing, so more money can certainly be raised,” said the mosque chairman.
The Moroccan community will also pay extra attention to the disaster in Morocco during Friday prayers this Friday.