Just a day after the mass shooting at a synagogue in #Pittsburgh, two Muslim groups joined together to raise money for the victims and their families. As of today, they have raised more than $110,000.
It’s moves like this that restore my faith in humanity, #Roommates! @the.independent reports two nonprofits, #CelebrateMercy and #MPowerChange, created a crowdfunding campaign for the #TreeofLife synagogue victims on a Muslim crowdsourcing site. There were 11 casualties in Saturday’s mass shooting.
The organizers of the campaign said they will give the funds to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, which will work with Tree of Life to send the funds to the victims to help with medical and funeral expenses.
“We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us and send a powerful message of compassion through action,” the groups said. “Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate and violence in America. We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event.”
The Anti-Defamation League said the Pittsburgh mass shooting is the deadliest attack on Jews in American history. In addition to the 11 casualties, six people were injured, including four police officers, after suspected gunman Robert Bowers allegedly ambushed the synagogue’s Saturday services with an AR-15 rifle and three handguns.
An affidavit said that after his surrender, Bowers told an officer, “I just want to kill Jews” and that Jews were “committing genocide to my people.” Authorities say they believe the attack was motivated by religious hatred and now Bowers is facing 29 federal counts for the shooting.
We’ll keep you updated on the latest, #Roommates.
