The Story Unfolds, For All of Us

The Story Unfolds, For All of Us

The drama of daily increasing death toll got our attention. What a story. The Indian Ocean Tsunami wreaked havoc in 12 nations. Just as a conflict on that scale would be a world war, this is a world disaster. Many other worthy stories do not touch us. This time the images of suffering have touched the imagination. Now is a brief, bright moment of attention, a realization of our shared humanity. A week has passed and the human response to disaster has increased so much. Initially it was indeed stingy—but thanks to God there has been response. “You are not alone!” we tell those standing in ruined streets, searching for the bodies of loved ones in temple and mosque courtyards.

So many of the victims of the disaster are Muslim. Therefore, seems that the media is taking a break from showing Muslims as dangerous persons, only to show them as victims. Victims from the developing world are a dime a dozen. My dad worked in media years ago and told me the formula said that more or less, that 500 souls drowned in the East equals 5 persons drowned in one’s own city.

We don’t control the narrative. This is very un-empowering. The colorful Muslim natives sometimes seem to be the extras – not the leading actors—in what is after all our own drama. But we should recognize that most rescuers are those nearest at hand at the disaster scene, and these are the first responders, the first heroic ones. Therefore I have been urging some contacts in the media to see Muslims (and all affected communities) as part of the solution, not only as part of the terrible problem to be solved by the heroic West. It is not good for the humble to be humiliated. It is not good for the givers to be self-congratulatory or to believe the hype when the media paints a dramatic and glorious picture in simple colors. However, if it inspires, perhaps there is some good to the story. The West can be heroic, in its way, and at those moments we can all work together.

One of our interfaith partners writes, “A personal tragedy for our family is the death of Tamara Mendis, the wife of pastor of a Lutheran Church in Chicago, Purna Jiwan South Asian Ministry, Rev. Eardley Mendis. Tamara was visiting Sri Lanka and on a train on the southern coast with her daughter with the tsunami struck, submerging her train. Her daughter was rescued on time, but Tamara was not. She drowned inside the train. Tamara had a sincere concern for the South Asian immigrant community in Chicago and was engaged in that ministry together with her husband. You can find more on Tamara's story at www.faithfulamerica.org.”

Yes, let us work together. Let Americans recognize Muslim charities. But also, let Muslims not fear all western charities—that is ridiculous. We must learn about each one. Oxfam, Doctors without Borders, Save the Children, Unicef, Red Cross/Red Crescent; Catholic Charities—these are professionals, and not known for sinister agendas or missionary work. These are allies in saving and serving humanity.

That said, we need to support our own, or Muslims will continue to be “extras.” We will continue to be weak within and weakened from without. Or we will be demonized. Last week the Islamic American Relief Agency accused a federal agent of calling the organization "evil" in a lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court against the U.S. offices that froze its bank accounts and raided its office in the beginning of Ramadan. Evil?

Saudi money has been so demonized that most American Muslim charities dare not take it. But it did not take many days for Americans to ask, “Where are the Saudis, why aren’t they giving?” However, some Saudis and Kuwaitis also felt their leaders were stingy, and a leading newspaper wrote a challenging editorial. According to the New York Times on January 4th, “After the paper's editorial appeared, the Kuwaiti cabinet raised its announced donation on Sunday to $10 million, from $2 million, having previously doubled it.” Because many of the 1.29 million foreigners in Kuwait come from the destroyed regions, many believe that the Gulf states need to give much more; “They built Kuwait, and they raised our children.”

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have each pledged $10 million, and Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, raised his country's cash contribution tenfold, to $20 million, on Monday night. Meanwhile, even individuals have given millions-- actress Sandra Bullock has given one million dollars. And after early donations from European nations, Japan has promised 500 million, and the USA has promised 350 million.

Of course this does not mean the aid will get to the needy. A correspondent from Aceh writes me, “I can also tell my experience in Acheh in 2001 when it was flooding. There were a lot of aid poured in from King of Saudi, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam and etc, but the government (abdurrahman wahid) corrupted it almost all. My family just received 2 liters rice and money about $1.50. After 3 days my father walking around the city to find aid, finally they received 3 liters rice and 5 packs instant noodle. In my house now we had 4 family members and 6 relatives that we had to give them shelter and food.”

That sort of corruption and disorganization is perhaps evil. One way to avoid these problems is to coordinate better with all aid agencies, just as we have VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster here in New York, with ICNA Relief a member). Another way is to include small, local organizations in partnership. ICNA Relief works with Pos Keadilan Peduli Ummat in Indonesia, and our colleague Imam Shamsi Ali is planning a trip to Indonesia very soon to link with local partners. In Sri Lanka we work with other partners in Hambantote, Kinniya/ Mutur, Sainthamaruthu; and Maruthamunai.

It is good to know that Muslims so far have given over $250,000 to Islamic Relief in New Jersey; almost $150,000 to ICNA Relief, with fundraisers coming up in Houston and in Detroit on January 15th, and in New Jersey on the 16th. We should also recognize that many smaller groups such as Indonesian Student Association (PERMIAS) at http://permiasmass.org/tsunami.html and the Aceh Sumatra Relief Fund Inc. (617) 553-0472 and 617 447-8411 are collecting. The Saja South Asian professionals and the Association of Pakistani Professionals have each setup web pages that provide links to various relief funds -- see http://aopp.org/tsunami. May it be accepted. “Those who in charity spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Al-Quran, 2:274)