‘We are one world’: Yassin's Falafel House owner launches earthquake relief fund

A frantic call from his brother following a powerful predawn 7.8-magnitude earthquake along the Turkish-Syrian border jolted Yassin's Falafel House owner Yassin Terou into action. And he’s encouraging Knoxvillians to join him.

Terou – whose brother Abed Alhadi and Alhadi's two children are among the survivors in Syria – immediately launched an online fundraiser to aid in emergency relief efforts.

“I always believe we are one world,” Terou told Knox News. “Even if we are in a large world, we still are connected, and I always believe building bridges in the time of difficulty is the best to do.”

Monday morning’s devastating earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks have left more than 5,000 people dead and thousands of survivors without food or shelter amid snow and cold.

Terou, who has lived in the Knoxville since 2011 after leaving Syria as a refugee, has partnered with Syria Relief & Development, a United States-based nonprofit organization, to provide meals to those in need and support medical care, fuel for ambulances and shelter in areas in Turkey and Syria.

CelebrateMercy is a co-sponsor of the campaign, helping to meet and exceed the fundraising goal. The nonprofit shares the teachings of Prophet Muhammad’s life and character to Muslims and the general public, and has raised over $1.1 million in relief efforts since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Terou’s fundraiser is through crowdfunding platform LaunchGood and as of Tuesday afternoon had already surpassed its initial goal of $20,000, and had increased the goal first to $40,000, then to $60,000. You can donate by going to launchgood.com/campaign/urgent_earthquake_response. Every bit counts, Terou said.

“Something small for each one of us may be big things for them. A price of a cup of coffee can be a meal for a day or two for them,” he noted.

Traveling to Turkey-Syria earthquake site to help

Terou plans to head to the Turkey-Syria border within in the next week or so to help relief efforts on the ground. He has some training in natural disaster relief and intends to set up soup kitchen stations so people will have access to free food.

This is not first time Terou has jumped into action during a crisis. He led similar efforts when tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee in 2020 and during the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires.

“Even though it's not my family, we're all one family. We are one people here, one community,” Terou told Knox News on Monday.

But Terou was scared when he got a call from his brother while Alhadi was “running for his life.” He lives less than an hour from the epicenter and had just fled his home with his children for safety. Though he assured Terou they were OK, they were forced to sleep outside in the snow as a precaution in case of aftershocks.

Terou has other family members in Syria who weren’t affected by the earthquakes.

'Show the world who we are in Knoxville'

By launching the fundraiser for the earthquake disaster and other relief efforts, the restaurateur just wants to help how he can and continue the kindness that has been shown to him since he left Syria in 2011 and opened his first Knoxville restaurant in 2014. Yassin's Falafel House has been named the "Nicest Place in America" by Reader's Digest.

“It’s not like it’s a big city, but when you come here and see the people, how they work together, how they help each other when in time of need, this is who we are,” he said.

“I really want to show the world who we are in Knoxville … how we change the whole world, not only change one community,” Terou added.

A humanitarian crisis that should concern everyone

The Muslim Community of Knoxville is ready to join Terou in his mission. The mosque is reaching out to East Tennessee residents with Turkish and Syrian ties to offer prayer, counsel and support.

They are also using their social media platforms to encourage people to donate to nonprofit organizations such as Islamic Relief USA, Heling Hands and LaunchGood.

“Everybody's in a state of shock,” Khalid Shahu, imam of the Muslim Community of Knoxville, told Knox News on Tuesday. “This is a humanitarian crisis that should worry every person.”

Friday’s sermon at MCK will be a message of hope and action regarding those affected by the disaster, a sentiment Shahu hopes spreads to other places of worship.

“We encourage our members in the community and what we ask the at-large community to do is lots of prayer,” Shahu said.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter for Knox News. He can be reached by email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow Devarrick on Twitter @dturner1208. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Yassin's Falafel House owner in Knoxville makes earthquake relief fund