Joel Osteen critics praise mosques serving as Harvey relief shelters

Mosques are here to help.
 By 
Sasha Lekach
 on 
Joel Osteen critics praise mosques serving as Harvey relief shelters
Mosques have opened up to take in storm evacuees seeking shelter, like at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Image

While televangelist Joel Osteen's megachurch captured a lot of attention whether it would open as a shelter or not (it finally opened its doors Tuesday), Houston area mosques were already working to provide 24-hour services and care.

And Osteen's critics couldn't help but compare the two responses to need on Twitter.

Osteen's Lakewood Church, which seats 16,000 people, didn't open until Tuesday, as representatives claimed it was inaccessible due to flooding. But after internet sleuths shared photos of the church entry appearing accessible on social media, pressure mounted. The wealthy televangelist hasn't said it was the Twitter shaming that got him to open the doors, but rather he noted on the Today show that the church didn't open because the city of Houston hadn't requested it to do so. Once Lakewood did open, people seeking shelter flocked to the church.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston set up social service distribution centers at four mosques, offering a dry place to sleep, food, clothes, and supplies, along with emotional support. Planning started Friday and volunteers showed up with water, diapers, and other goods, the Islamic Society's president, M.J. Khan, told Mic. By Tuesday shelter efforts were at full swing and "truckloads of supplies" were on the way, Khan said.

"This is an obligation, a religious obligation to help others," Khan said.

The Southwest Management District in Houston has a long list of emergency shelters around the area, including two Islamic centers and several churches. Khan noted that any Houston mosque would help those in need. "If you have no place to go, go to your neighborhood mosque," he said.

Goodwill continues to spread through hurricane-battered Houston.

Topics Social Good

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Sasha Lekach

Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.

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