A Manchester city mosque has managed to raise £30,000 to help victims caught up in the civil war in Syria in just two days after news that an aid ambulance from Rochdale was destroyed in a bomb blast in Syria.

“I am so proud of the Rochdale community for the donations that they have given,” Akhtar Hussein, who attends Central Mosque Rochdale and helped organize the appeal, told Manchester Evening News.

“I have to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated. It has been amazing.”

The cash was raised after the Central Mosque Rochdale made an appeal to help victims caught up in Syria civil war.

Run over the weekend, the #Blankets4Syria appeal raised more than £30,000.

It was forwarded after the Observer revealed that an aid ambulance from Rochdale was destroyed in a bomb blast in Syria.

The campaign kicked off with an appeal at Friday prayers which brought in £14,000 alone.

On Saturday a sponsored car wash at the mosque helped raise a further £11,000.

And Shish Cafe in Tweedale Street donated two days takings, helping to bump up the final amount to more than £30,000.

The revolt against Assad began as peaceful protests calling for democracy and greater rights, but gradually turned to an armed struggle, pitting the Sunni majority against the president and his minority Alawite sect.

At least 125,835 since the start of the Syrian conflict, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced last week.

The UK based network, said that the toll included 44,381 civilians, 6,627 children and 4,454 women.

Thirty three months after the eruption of the revolt against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, more than two million Syrians have been forced to flee their home to neighboring countries in addition to the displacement of two millions others inside the country.

Generous Community

The huge turnout reflected a generous, understanding Rochdale community.

“When we first started this, I said I would be happy if we got £4,000 but on the Friday I was told we had raised £14,000 and I couldn’t believe it,” Hussein said.

The car wash included the help of 40 volunteers and was set up at 9am on Saturday and cars were driving in from 9:30.

“We have seen what is happening on the news so thought we should run an appeal,” she said.

“People were putting in £20 notes and one gentleman even dropped off £1,000 into the car wash bucket and did not even get his car cleaned.

“When there is a genuine cause people seem to dig deep in their pockets and give really generously.”

The cash will now be given to two charities to provide blankets for Syrians who have been made refugees as a result of the ongoing war.

Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million.

Central Mosque, Rochdale was set up in 1974 by the local Muslim community and is located on Mere Street, Rochdale. The charity car wash was held at the car park of the mosque.

Al-Yusra is a Muslim organization, which was set up by two members of the Rochdale Muslim community.

They were concerned about the lack of activities and reformation taking place from the Muslim youth of Rochdale.

Hussein described the group as “local lads doing good work.”

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/middle-east/467639-uk-muslims-send-blankets-to-syrians.html

https://en.islamstory.com/en/artical/16549/manchester-muslims-send-blankets-for-syrians