Humanity beyond religion

Muhamad Ali, Manoa, Hawai

I do not known of any disaster more horrific or more touching than the earthquake and tsunami that hit Asia. Virtually everybody in the world is deeply touched and tearful. It is hard to imagine a natural disaster so devastating, taking about one hundred and fifty thousand lives and destroying human civilizations. The tidal wave was not the biggest in recorded history but the devastation in terms of human lives may be the biggest ever. It is beyond belief; it remains beyond imagination.

Many scholars and officials have started to think of how to deal with this kind of natural calamity in the future. Warning systems should definitely be established. Other technological efforts to avoid the worst impact are urged to be taken.

But spiritually speaking, this natural disaster obviously shows how human beings are indeed very weak, in the face of the power of nature. Modernity and progress quickly and inevitably disappear.

For those people who have lost their families, relatives and friends, this natural disaster has provided much deeper meaning. For Muslims, for example, the belief that all life is in the possession of God and everything is from Him and will return to Him can help comfort the survivors and those who lost their loved ones.

Many believe that natural disasters are a test from God to examine the extent to which individuals and societies are able to show their solidarity, care, and assistance: "We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, loss of goods or lives or fruit, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Who say, when afflicted by a calamity: To God we belong and to Him is our return." (Koran: Al-Baqarah, 155-6).

It is also believed that natural disasters are also the outcome of the sinful behavior of the human societies themselves: their lack of love of nature as manifested in global warming, destruction of the environment, and so forth. But most Muslims believe that both God and humankind play their part in the occurrence and impact of natural disasters.

In any case, this tragedy is beyond any religious, cultural, ethnic, economic or political boundaries. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and other religious and non-religious individuals have become the victims, directly and indirectly. Grief, sadness and shock are felt by so many peoples from different faiths as they meet and share their feelings in shops, houses, restaurants, offices, and so forth. I find this a wonderful example of humanism.

For those of us who are not directly affected, it is high time we united. The United Nations have promised to provide any kind of help. Other governments have also stated what they will provide assistance. Relief efforts have begun. Despite some problems in coordination and management of relief efforts, different organizations and individuals in the world continue to collect money and other kinds of assistance. The East-West Center, for example, has raised funds through art performances, involving students from the affected regions and participants from different nationalities and religions. There are countless activities of this kind in the world today.

Attention, care, sympathy, empathy and solidarity that the different peoples of the world have shown is unprecedented. I have not experienced in my life such a demonstration of enthusiasm to help. The amount of money that is being collected would probably, I believe, exceed any amount of money in recorded history provided for the victims of a natural disaster. Donating money is above all a sign of our deep sense of humanity.

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other religious and spiritual centers have mobilized their communities to collect and raise funds. With the help of all kinds of mass media, there appears a shared feeling of empathy and solidarity among everyone touched by the tragedy. Everybody feels they are one, mentally and spiritually. Everyone feels they are one family, as my American friends say to me.

An American teacher wrote to me: "I'm so sorry to hear about the tragedies in your country! Since I don't know where you are from in Indonesia, I can only send my deepest condolences to you as a general message for your entire country. I want to offer my assistance, where possible, to you and others. Please let me know if there are other things I might do to help. I and my husband will keep your country and its people in our prayers as the aftermath of this continues to unfold. May God have mercy on all those affected in any way. Peace to you and your family. "

This expression of condolence and sympathy is just one among so many similar messages.

I believe that this trans-religious and trans-national sense of humanity is the most valuable lesson that we can take from this natural catastrophe and that we should maintain this in situations of crisis and peace. We pray for the victims without discrimination, expressed in our own manner and language, religiously or otherwise.

We should continue to see others regardless of their color, religion, ethnicity or nationality. A sense of humanity in any form is a wonderful and beautiful thing that we should be proud of as global citizens in a borderless world. Humanism is here and should continue to exist.

The writer, lecturer at the State Islamic University. He is Ph.D candidate in history at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and a fellow at the East-West Center, Honolulu. He can be reached at muhali74@hotmail.com