WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Imam Daniel Hernandez met the full attendance of worshippers at the Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley with an emotional service Friday, joining others around the world in a plea for support towards Turkey and Syria.
More than 28,000 people have died in what the Turkish president called the "disaster of the century" — a 7.8 magnitude earthquake Monday, followed by a nearly as severe 7.5 magnitude aftershock, in an area that is home to over 13.5 million people in Turkey and Syria. Countless buildings and other structures were destroyed.
Many in the affected area now face displacement and poverty as rescue efforts continue, which already was suffering from conflict in northern Syria.
- Recovery efforts continue in Turkey and Syria after a pair of devastating earthquakes killed more than 20,000 and displaced millions
- The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley held a service Friday calling for donations to be made to recovery efforts and voicing some hope
- The Lehigh Valley has a sizable Syrian and Turkish population, meaning many in the region have felt personal impacts and loss from the tragedy
At the Whitehall mosque, Hernandez delivered a sermon that spoke to the religious martyrdom of those who died in the disaster — saying the service was to give hope from a religious perspective while making calls to action to those there on how to help those in need.
Some in the service were seen showing intense emotion between prayers as the disaster was discussed.
"No one is immune from being tested," Hernandez said. "That's part of the decree and the plan of Allah.
"No one should leave without donating something for those that are in need. We are comfortable."
Locals have lost family, friends
Hernandez said he has heard from other mosques and worship groups throughout the area, with some in the community missing family members or facing other losses.
He said that Imam Beytullah of the nearby Respect Graduate School still has his niece and children missing as a result of the disaster.
During the service, Hernandez named many that passed away as a result of the destruction. Despite the devastation, he held on to hope, focusing on the help arising throughout the world, and locally.
"It's a long-term process - 10 provinces, so it's a lot of people affected," he said. "But the beautiful thing is that the world is coming together...regardless of political perspective, people are putting conflict aside."
MALV is working with Hamidiye Mosque in New Jersey to collect funds and supplies, which they say will go 100% to victims in need. Organizations with which they plan to work include AFAD, the Turkish disaster recovery agency.
New blankets, tents, towels, jackets, pants, thermal wear, socks, shoes, medical supplies, toiletries and sleeping bags are being accepted at the mosque, along with donations of funds electronically or in person.
A global and local response
The Lehigh Valley is home to a significant Syrian and Turkish population, meaning many in the area have felt an impact.
Other groups in the Lehigh Valley are making efforts to give in the face of the disaster, such as St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.
The church's Rev. Meletios Zafaran, who grew up in a suburb of Damascus, Syria, was concerned over sanctions by the United States and European nations over policies of the Syrian government and problems created by the Syrian civil war.
At MALV, Hernandez said the organization plans to make efforts to connect with other Muslim groups in the area as a result of the disaster. He said they will work with organizations they trust and with which have familiarity when delivering supplies and funds.
"The beautiful thing of the Valley is that we kind of interconnect," Hernandez said. "We hope that we can invite people to open up because there might be many people that have some trauma. And if we don't benefit them by allowing them space, that would be a disservice."
Service attendee Momina Haque said she and her family have given some and plan to donate more. She said they are doing their best and listening to leadership to figure out the best plan of action between donating money or supplies.
She said MALV always has a hand in helping the communities when it is needed and appreciates the Muslim community in the United States and around the world reaching out.
"As an American Muslim, I do see that there is everyone kind of has a strong reaction, especially because it's multicultural here," Haque said.
Haque spoke of a desire to go over and help the recovery effort herself, and the pain of seeing a country she had always wanted to visit impacted in this way.
"There was also the Pakistan flood that happened [last year], so all these natural disasters are happening one after the other, it's just terrifying," Haque said. "I just can't stop crying thinking about it."
A tragedy for family and friends
Mehmet Birtek, a borough council member in Alburtis, in western Lehigh County, said he migrated from Turkey in 1999, the same year he said he was caught in a devastating earthquake that hit Istanbul.
He said he sees echoes of that disaster in today's tragedy, with his mother's home city of Malatya among those areas destroyed.
"The second earthquake destroyed Malatya to a point that there are no longer homes that are livable in Malatya itself," Birtek said.
Istanbul, in western Turkey, was not impacted by the earthquakes in the Southeast, but given that the country has a history of devastation from such disasters, many can see the true impacts of disaster without having to be there themselves.
"Anyone that hasn't lived through an earthquake, I can say if you have not lived through one, you will not understand the impact," Birtek said. "When the earthquake happens, there's this noise that comes from the ground. That noise never goes away from you.
"I still remember that day, and I still, when I remember, just shiver. It's a horrible thing."
Birtek explained how he heard of a friend who managed to escape the earthquake, but his wife, two young children and parents could not, and died trapped in their collapsed fifth-floor apartment.
"It's just a brutal event," Birtek said. "People being displaced from 15 percent of the country, from their locations. With no food, no water, no clothes — and imagine you run outside and you only have barefoot and you have PJs.
"The devastation is huge."
Area the size of Philadelphia to Boston
He said his relatives all made it out, but now all have to move to new areas.
After many buildings collapsed, the weather turned cold in many places. The area impacted stretches farther than from Boston to Philadelphia.
Describing the size of the devastated area, he said, "It is destroyed Allentown; it destroyed Harrisburg; it destroyed Delaware, Newark; it destroyed New Jersey, the shore of Jersey, South Jersey, anything it's in New Jersey; it destroyed half of New York; it destroyed Washington, DC.; it destroyed Baltimore. That's the size of it."
Many, including some he said he knew, froze to death as rescue teams worked on recovery efforts because of the scope of destruction and limitations of resources and manpower.
"They found all five cuddled together, froze to death," he said. "This was the saddest story of my week. I stood and I cried because I knew these people, they were very kind people. They were there just for vacation."
On Friday morning, Birtek filled his car to the brim and drove supplies to a collection points near New York City, where he said it will ship right to Turkey via Turkish airlines or via shipping containers. He says other supply concentration sites have been set up in other cities like Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and others.
"The problem with the disaster recovery [is] you can't bring used items," Birtek said. "You have to have brand new items because of disease possibility."
"It's already disaster zone and there's no hygiene there."
He said he recommends giving to trustworthy organizations such as UNICEF, the Turkish embassy and the Turkish Red Crescent, as well as local efforts such as at MALV.
Birtek said he knows people on the ground working, with whom he can connect Lehigh Valley organizations or individuals to track and see the results of their donations.
