Islamic Center seeking donations for Palestinian refugees

As the war continues, Palestinian refugees caught in the middle have also suffered throughout this conflict. They’ve been left with very little food or lifesaving supplies since Hamas militants attacked Israel almost two weeks ago.

News10NBC spoke with a local Muslim organization that is helping to raise money to help the Palestinian people. Many Muslims say they are standing with the people of Palestine who have lost their homes, and are fleeing for their lives.

“They feel squeezed. They feel they’re in terror,” said Dr. Tabassam Javed, board member with Islamic Center of Rochester. He described the feelings of Palestinians living in the war zone.

He continued, “There’s one family I know here they traveled to the Rafah Crossing. They thought that this was the area where the aid is gonna come and is probably the safest nook you know in there, and that got bombed. You know the roadway to that.”

As many local Muslims arrived for their Friday afternoon prayer, many came to pray for the people of Palestine. Javed says the Islamic Center is working with Helping Hands, and Islamic Relief, two national Muslim organizations to raise money for humanitarian needs.

“We have committed $10K each to both of those organizations. Locally we have an app on which Islamic Center is asking for donations for basic necessities for the Palestinian people,” said Javed.

Money that is needed right now to help the sick and injured.

“Some of the top-priority items are anesthesia — you know, anesthetics for operations, and surgeries that are being done without any of those,” said Javed.

Witness Palestine of Rochester’s Jonathan Khoury is asking for the powers that be help end the bloodshed.

“I would want people to know it’s more important now, than it has ever been, to try and lobby Congress reps, Senate, House of Reps, to call for cease fire. To ask for peace. All we want is peace, see our populations thrive in a way they haven’t been in the last 75 years. Our voices matter. We are given rights in this country, we should equip them with fidelity,” said Khoury.

This Sunday at 4:30, the Islamic Center of Rochester is hosting an Inter-Faith Gathering with the message that we are all human, and our needs are humanitarian.