Humanity beyond religion

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