In an interview with Anadolu News Agency, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rightly emphasised for an emergency meeting of OIC to discuss and decide on an immediate relief package for Turkiye that has experienced one of the worst earthquakes in recent days. The Prime Minister said that he would also speak to the OIC Secretary General on the matter.
Islam encourages acts of brotherhood and solidarity. When one Muslim is in trouble, it is the responsibility of others to come forward and help him overcome it. The Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) explained the bonding between Muslims with a beautiful analogy. He said, “ Muslims are like a body, if the eye is sore whole body feels the impact and if there is headache, the whole body aches”. Hence, at a time when people of Turkiye and Syria are faced with a worst disaster, it is responsibility of the entire Muslim world not only to express empathy with them but also extend maximum material support to overcome this tragedy. The scale of the disaster is enormous.
Already the calamity has claimed over forty five thousand lives while hundreds of thousands of buildings have also flattened. We expect that suggestion put forward by the PM for an OIC meeting would be given due importance. Though nothing can reduce grief of those who have lost their dear and near ones in the tragedy yet gathering of Muslim leaders will definitely be a source of strength for them and give the message that entire Muslim world is standing by them in this hour of difficulty.
Each Muslim country then should contribute in whatever way it could to help both Turkiye and Syria carry out the rehabilitation work. We will suggest that the OIC meeting should also consider the formation of a permanent disaster fund that should be meant for countries facing any disaster.
Resource rich Muslim countries should put a lion share in this fund. While disasters like the one took place in Turkiye and Syria wreak havoc, they also create opportunities to prevent such havoc being wrought again. While we are confident that given the resilience of Turkish people, Turkiye will emerge stronger from this calamity, we also hope that the reconstruction phase leads towards restoration of peace in conflict ridden Syria.
