Emine Erdoğan: "If we are aware of the developments in Africa, Syria and Arakan, we should share what we have"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan attended the charity dinner organized by the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) Women's Working Group for Arakan, Ethiopia and Syria with the theme of "Being Hope for Oppressed Geographies".

Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, Istanbul MP Ravza Kavakçı, MUSIAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, AK Party Women's Wings Istanbul President Şeyma Döğücü, Red Crescent Istanbul President İlhami Yıldırım, MUSIAD Women's Working Committee President Müge Öz were also present at the dinner where donations were collected through the Red Crescent. Emine Erdoğan delivered a speech at the dinner, which was attended by many people from the business and political world and non-governmental organizations.

"ISLAM PREACHES COMPETITION IN CHARITY"

Reminding that Islam advises us to compete in charity and not to delay charity, Emine Erdoğan said, "This advice imposes on us the responsibility to know where the good is. The responsibility of knowing is to open our hearts to the oppressed. If we are aware of the hunger in Africa, the persecution in Syria, the developments in Arakan, what we need to do is to share what we have."

Emphasizing that it is valuable to hold the hand waiting for help when it is needed, not when it is available, Emine Erdoğan said that the charity dinner organized in cooperation with MÜSİAD and the Red Crescent will be the hand of friendship extended to the people whom Islam has made brothers and sisters.

Pointing out that the Republic of Turkey, like a compass, travels around the globe and makes the whole world a field of awareness, Emine Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey ranks first in humanitarian aid as a percentage of national income and said, "This is not surprising. This is no surprise for the heirs of a culture that established a foundation to feed the storks and considered it a responsibility to prepare dowries for poor young girls."

Emine Erdoğan wished that the charity donations would be accepted and concluded her speech by saying, "May God keep us, as a state and a nation, on the side of the oppressed and against the oppressor. This is the responsibility that history has placed on us."

20.01.2018