By Aneesa Malik
After severe flooding took over the streets of Cumbria earlier last month, it was the Muslim community who used their title as extremists, to become extremely helpful in supporting flood victims and the cleaning up process.
Asif Hussain who works for an IT company was inspired by a group of Muslim men who previously travelled down to Cumbria to provide food for the people of Cumbria. It was at this point Asif said he “had a light bulb moment”. As a volunteer himself, Asif and around 16 others made the treacherous 3 hour journey down to the worst affected area of Glen ridding, where it had snowed the night before.
Asif explained: “It was flooded initially and then the clear up started, but 2 days before we visited the rivers burst their banks and flooded the whole area again; homes and business were badly affected. We went and helped there, then once we finished from there we were told a group of bungalows near the river needed help, so we headed there and the road was closed. We parked up and walked it and found the most affected properties were abandoned due to the damage but we helped a family who were trying to clean up.”
Asif encountered many different people who were affected, but he mentioned Debbie and her father whose house was on the other side of the river. He said: “She said that her own neighbours were driving past, slowing down to look at the damage and then driving off.”
There was a feeling of great appreciation and welcoming from every victim and volunteer that Asif came across: “A police car drove past kept calling us heroes”, explained Asif.
Asif was adamant that it was our duty to help anyone in need, saying: “I travel around the world helping refugees in Greece etc, but the UK is our home. We are all one creation, so we have to help everybody.”
