Gathered for Day of Remembrance
Leaders of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths gathered at iconic East London mosque for an event of remembrance, reflection and support for the victims of the Nepal Earthquake.
The event was hosted by Lotifa Begum, Campaigns & Education Coordinator at Islamic Relief. Lotifa spoke of the efforts of Islamic Relief and other agencies of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), to support the 8 million people who have been left devastated by last week’s earthquake.
Jehangir Malik, UK Director of Islamic Relief commended the British public for their generosity and speed of aiding those in need in Nepal. He said: “The public have once again come together for the people of Nepal, raising a staggering £26 million so far.”He went on to say: “Its been almost a week of devastation which has been matched by a week of humanity and compassion.”
These sentiments were later echoed by Father Jon Dal Din from the Westminster Diocese & Christian Muslim Forum, as he said: “Despite being in financial crisis, the british are stilll generous and giving.”
Rabbi Laura Klaus-Janner talked about the devastating impact of earthquakes, and how things are never the same afterwards. She described how the earth changes drastically after an earthquake, and it never returns to it’s previous condition. In this way, she made all think about the time it will take for a level of normality to return to the lives of people in Nepal. Beautifully, she described the people of Nepal as: “Resilient, but gentle.”
The intimate, yet moving and soulful event also included speeches from Dr. Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain; Matthew cartr, head of the Humanitarian Department at CAFOD, and Dr. Abdul Bari, Chairman of the East London mosque.
At the end of the event, guests gathered round for photos, highlighting the need to support Nepal collectively.
