Medical bills and funeral expenses will be covered by the donations.
Two Muslim non-profits, MPower Change and Celebrate Mercy, created a crowdfunding campaign to help the victims of Tree of Life synagogue[/tweetit] a day after Robert Bowers, a gunman holding strong anti-Semitic views opened fire in the synagogue. The campaign, hosted by LaunchGood, a Muslim crowdfunding site, raised thousands of dollars within a few hours. It was so successful that the original target of $25,000 was reached within six hours and a new $50,000 goal was swept away within 24 hours. The campaign target was then revised to $75,000, then $100,000 and to $125,000. All targets were reached within 30 hours. It is now over the updated target of $150,000.
Muslim Groups Raise Over $180,000 for Victims after Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting [/tweetthis]
According to Celebrate Mercy, the money will be transferred to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh. The latter will work in tandem with Tree of Life to dispatch funds to the victims. Funds for medical expenses and funeral costs will also be sent. The aim of this fundraising is to help the immediate and short-term requirements of grieving families and those injured in the shooting. The non-profits comprehend that no amount of monetary compensation will bring back the victims to their families, but it is hoped that the burden will be reduced in some way. With this campaign, both Celebrate Mercy and MPower Change hope to send a message in unity from the Muslim and Jewish communities. The message is that there is no place for violence and hate in the United States. The fund should hopefully restore a sense of peace and security to Jewish American communities who without doubt were shaken by the carnage.
There's humanity in the world https://t.co/GA5yuHzT4i
— Marc Wadsworth (@Marcwads) October 28, 2018
Robert Bowers, the shooter, had yelled the phrase “All Jews must die!” before he began to fire on October 27. He is believed to have used an assault rifle to kill. He also had three handguns when he set his foot inside the synagogue. Federal prosecutors have charged him with 29 counts. According to an affidavit, Bowers told a police officer after his surrender he only wanted to kill Jews, and the latter are committing genocide to the American people.
Bowers is not a new anti-Semite. He is known for posting rabid anti-Semitic content on his personal social network account on a fringe site called Gab. He has issued threats and a number of conspiracy theories including Holocaust denial.