President Sheikh Mohamed calls for prayers for Turkey and Syria earthquake victims

Call to remember the dead at UAE mosques after Friday prayers

Bani Hashim in Abu Dhabi. Absentee funeral prayers for the earthquake victims will take place at UAE mosques on Friday. Victor Besa / The National

Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

President Sheikh Mohamed on Thursday called on the UAE to perform prayers for people killed in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.

The prayer will be held tomorrow, after Friday prayers, in all mosques across the country.

In Islam, absentee funeral prayers, known as Salat al-Gha'ib, are performed by Muslims who are not physically present for the burial prayer, known as Salat al-Dafnah.

In the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than 14,000 people had died in his country.

The combined death toll with Syria had exceeded 17,000 by Thursday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Mohamed ordered $100 million of aid to be sent to victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The UAE is sending seven aid flights to help with search-and-rescue operations.

The first cargo plane with emergency medical aid has left Dubai to bring relief to some of the estimated 23 million people affected by the quake.

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