This Friday after prayers (salat al-djuma) in North Holland mosques, money will be collected for the earthquake victims of Morocco. “All fifty Moroccan mosque boards have agreed to the action, Alkmaar and Dijk en Waard are also participating,” says Imad El Bouazzati of the Al-Mohsinien mosque in Langedijk.
In the affected area near Marrakech, survivors are still being searched among the rubble. So far, the death toll is more than 2,800 people, according to Moroccan authorities.
“The villages in the Atlas Mountains have been badly hit and that area is barely accessible,” says Imad El Bouzzati, secretary of the mosque in Langedijk. “Many people in our network come from there, so the North Holland Council of Mosques is raising money through the fifty affiliated mosques to help with the reconstruction.”
‘Everyone sympathizes’
But mosques that are not affiliated with the North Holland council, such as those in Heerhugowaard, also participate in the collection. “We get a lot of calls from people who want to do something to help. We humans often have different opinions, but at such moments everyone sympathizes with each other.”
The amount of money raised will be donated to a foundation active in the disaster area. “We have chosen to make a monetary donation. It is more sustainable and cheaper to purchase the necessary goods there instead of transporting them from the Netherlands.”