The Muslim community in Sydney has raised thousands of dollars to help firefighters in their efforts to extinguish devastating bushfires in New South Wales, Port News reported.

“It is something we never expected. The RFS is made up of volunteers across the Mid North Coast, with 90 brigades and 2,400 volunteers, supported by a small staff,” NSW Rural Fire Service Incident Controller Kam Baker said.

“The NSW government support is very, very good, but there are so many things that will be examined at the end of this event, which is of unprecedented proportions and has never been seen before. 27 percent of the district has been taken out by the fire.

“The drought is the biggest thing contributing to this. The farmers were doing it tough anyway, without a fire, and things are so much harder now.

“This money will go directly towards our brigades to buy things like hand-held radios,” said Baker.

Relief

The Muslim community collected the money after being shocked at the plight of people affected by bushfires on the Mid North Coast.

“We are very humbled and proud to be able to stand here with you. I’m sure it’s only a small amount, but we are trying to do our bit as well and show the support to you guys,” Omar Chaar from the United Muslims of Australia said.

“We are very proud of the work you do,” he said.

According to the 2016 Australian Census, the number of Muslims in the country constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population, an increase of over 15% of its previous population share of 2.2% reported in the previous census.

Muslims have been offering a helping hand to their communities struggling with drought and bushfire.

On Friday, November 15, members of the Muslim community in Lismore, New South Wales, gathered to pray for rain to relieve the ongoing ravaging drought and to help put out bushfires currently raging NSW.

A group of four Muslim has also hosted a free barbecue for bushfire victims after driving from Sydney to New South Wales mid-north coast.