Chicago Public Radio WBEZ: NPR Transcript II: Pakistan Earthquake

chicagopublicradio.org Dozens of U-S Muslim groups today [Thursday] announced they'll be joining forces to help victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.

More than 40-thousand people are feared dead, and the U-N says nearly 2-million have been left homeless.

The new Islamic task force is made up of national charities and other organizations.

Ahmed Rehab is with the Chicago-branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a member of the group.

"This effort is essentially, first of all, to give credibility to the efforts, but more importantly, to make sure the efforts are as effective as possible."

Rehab says the task force also wants President Bush to form a relief committee of government agencies and Muslim groups.

He also says the U-S government could still save lives if it sends more helicopters to Pakistan in the next 24 hours.

Islamic groups in Chicago have asked local mosques to designate tomorrow [Friday] as a day of prayer and donations for earthquake victims.

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