“For folks that are Syrian refugees or Syrian internally displaced people — this has compounded the trauma,” said Amina Barhumi, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio, who attended Friday's event in a personal capacity.
The death toll from the devastating earthquake surpassed 22,600 as of Friday, with tens of thousands more injured and millions left homeless in both Turkey and Syria.
More than 1,100 residents of Franklin County were born in Syria or Turkey, according to estimates from the American Community Survey .
Dr. Hikmat Kabbani, a cardiologist and member of the Syrian American Medical Society, traveled from Michigan to address worshippers Friday at the Hilliard mosque and to appeal for charity — or "zakat," one of the pillars of Islam.
“When nothing makes sense and we cannot put things together … this belief that you and I have in our hearts is the most precious thing we could have,” he told hundreds inside the prayer hall at Noor Islamic Center.
In the mosque’s foyer, dozens of volunteers at the bake sale sold pizza, gyro sandwiches and Turkish sweets to worshippers as they exited.
A variety of other international organizations are collecting donations for ongoing humanitarian work in Turkey and Syria, including UNICEF, Global Giving, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, OXFAM, CARE, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations.
“Keep people in prayers,” Azrak said. “And at the same time, if (you) can donate — there is no amount that will not make a difference. … At this point, the need is huge.”