(RNN) – Muslims from around the country and world have helped raise more than $100,000 for the victims of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
A campaign launched on the Muslim crowdfunding site LaunchGood met a $25,000 goal in just six hours on Saturday, and on Sunday they cleared $50,000, set a new goal of $75,000 and shortly cleared that as well.
“The Muslim-American community extends its hands to help the shooting victims, whether it is the injured victims or the Jewish families who have lost loved ones,” the campaign’s LaunchGood page 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,” it added.
As of early Monday morning the campaign had raised $109,551 from 2,501 donors and was rapidly increasing by the hour.
The funds are to be directed toward “short-term needs” such as funeral expenses and medical bills, according to the LaunchGood page.
The fundraiser was started by Tarek El-Messidi, a Muslim-American speaker and activist who founded an organization, called CelebrateMercy, that “teaches about the Prophet Muhammad’s life and character – to Muslims and the general public” according to its website.
When he posted the campaign to Twitter on Saturday, he said, “Muslims, let’s stand with our Jewish cousins against hate, bigotry, & violence.”
The campaign is set to last until Nov. 7.
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
