Kamal Abu-Shamsieh is moved by the devastation he sees in Turkey. Abu-Shamsieh said, "The images of the earthquake are gruesome in the sense of seeing devastation of homes. Children are outside, people are looking through rubble for their loved ones."
Abu-Shamsieh is relieved. His extended family in Turkey was not hurt by Sunday's quake. He said, "The initial few hours, everyone was concerned because there was no communication with the family. After a few hours they were relieved the family was fine and far away from the earthquake." He and other members of the Islamic Cultural Center plan to hold prayer services and fundraisers to help people rebuild their lives.
Geologists say Turkey is in one of the world's most active seismic zones and straddles several major fault lines. Fresno State geologist Dr. John Wakabayashi said, "It's an earthquake prone area because it is much like coastal California."
