"There is no strength without unity"

“Unity is strength”

“There is strength in unity”

It is possible to encounter idioms in every culture similar to those above, which are part of everyday speech in Ireland, America and Turkey.

Everyone knows that when people cooperate, things become easier; no matter the continent people live on or the culture they are a part of. Recently, this fact manifested itself in America in every aspect. Not only the US, but Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Martin and many other island countries have struggled with hurricanes and floods. In the United States, shaken by deadly hurricanes, images of self-sacrifice have been more common than ever. The American people, who have been hit by hurricanes causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, tried to overcome these difficulties by uniting in cooperation regardless of their own needs. Our prayers are with the people who experienced this disaster. After Hurricane Harvey, President Trump pointed out this beautiful spirit of cooperation displayed by the American people and invited everyone to pray for both the hurricane victims in America and the whole world:

Americans have always come to the aid of their fellow countrymen, friend helping friend, neighbor helping neighbor, stranger helping stranger...

From the beginning of our nation joined together in prayer during times of great need to ask for God's blessing and God's guidance. We invite all Americans to join us as we continue to pray for those who have lost family members and friends, and for those who are suffering from this great crisis."

 Hurricane Irma arrived next and , hit the Caribbean islands, the state of Florida, and Miami’s beaches with winds over 200 kilometers per hour. Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest category, destroyed 95 per cent of the island of Barbuda  in the Caribbean.

According to the Red Cross, Hurricane Irma affected between 1.2 million and 26 million people. The situation in Florida, which is hit hard by the hurricane, was so serious that Governor Rick Scott summarized the situation saying that, "the storm is unprecedented, our state has never seen anything like it."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott called the storm unprecedented. "This is a life-threatening situation," Scott. "Our state has never seen anything like it." The governor stressed the dangers of what he called a "deadly, deadly, deadly storm surge."

One million homes in Florida experienced power outages. More than seven million people were evacuated from the area. Tens of millions of people were placed in shelters.

The magnitude of the destruction Irma caused in the Caribbean can be seen by comparing the photos taken before and after the hurricane.

Moreover, Irma is not the last of the hurricanes expected during this year’s hurricane season. Even before Irma died down two new hurricanes, Jose and Katie, are believed to be now heading towards America.

Some of the statistics CNN published about hurricanes are quite remarkable:

• For the first time in history, in 2017, two Category 4 and above hurricanes hit the US at the same time.
• Hurricane Irma spent three days as a Category 5 hurricane, the longest-lasting Category 5 hurricane since satellite storm-tracking began in 1966.
• As Irma moved inward, more than 45 million people felt wind speeds of 39 mph+ in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.
• The highest speed reached by Irma was 185 miles per hour (http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/09/us/hurricane-irma-florida-latest/index.html?sr=fbCNN091017hurricane-irma-florida-latest1131AMStory)

As the hurricanes continued, more and more heart- warming images began to appear in America. People were encouraging each other to open their homes to total strangers and they created human chains by risking their own lives in some cases to save the people from the flood.

 Those who live in North Carolina, Georgia and Colorado opened their homes to evacuated victims. 

Lawren Durham, a citizen living in North Carolina wrote, "I am a Katrina survivor. "I am in northern North Carolina, away from the coast. A few of us up here have room and are willing to take in families/people that have nowhere to go!

Challenges bring a nation together, perhaps allowing them to remember and experience intensely the feelings of brotherhood, cooperation and trust that have been forgotten for years. Racing to come to each other's aid with the mentality "I don't know any of them but I came to help," the American people displayed a fine example of the spirit of brotherhood and love taught to them by the Prophet Jesus. In Houston, it was possible to see long lines on the streets; those who think that these lines are for food or water are wrong; those were lines formed by people who volunteered to help Harvey victims.

We wish that the spirit of cooperation and self-sacrifice that emerged during the recent disasters remains prevalent every day of the year. We wish the total elimination of ideologies that teach people selfishness. Let's not forget that if everyone helped and looked out for each other, in time, there would no longer be any helpless people. May God protect everyone in South America, the US, and the whole world, who are affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Adnan Oktar's piece in Al Bilad (Canada) & Jefferson Corner (USA):

http://www.jeffersoncorner.com/1546-2/