Islamic Relief [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

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International Day for Disaster Reduction
October 13, 2015
When the tsunami washed over parts of South East Asia, many people sought refuge in their local mosque.
Psychologically, mosques offered a sense of security and safety. They were a place to both give and receive comfort from other survivors. Many people believed disaster was the will of God and so wished to be closer to Him by attending mosques. Their column-like structures meant the water passed through the building; importantly, therefore, among flattened buildings and debris, the mosques remained standing.

The theme of International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015 is the value of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge in reducing a community’s exposure to disasters. This, UNESCO says, can be anything from local understanding of the cause of natural disasters, cultural belief systems, and survival and coping strategies such as migration to higher ground. Understanding the Muslim community’s reasons for amassing at a mosque has been instrumental in designing our disaster risk reduction programmes in West Sumatra and West Nuga Tenggara, in Indonesia…