Islamic Help, NU continue work in Aceh

Delegates of British Muslim charity group Islamic Help visited Indonesia recently to continue their work with Nahdlatul Ulama rebuilding the tsunami-hit Aceh province.

Upon arrival in Jakarta, Help leaders Mohammad Masood Alam Khan and Sheikh Sultan Niaz Hasan, accompanied by their Indonesian representatives Muhammad Agus Mulyana and Mabroer MS, met with NU executives, led by chairman Ahmad Hasyim Muzadi.

The meeting discussed Islamic Help's plans for Aceh, a follow up of the group's initial humanitarian work in the province that began in January.

After the meeting, Hasyim Muzadi invited Khan and Sheikh Sultan Niaz to meet a Thai delegation of ulema, who called on the NU's headquarters following Hasyim's recent visit to Thailand.

Later the Help team held a coordination meeting with NU before both went to Aceh to ascertain the extent of the damage on Islamic boarding schools and a formulate reconstruction program for the area.

While observing the ruins of buildings leveled by the disaster the Islamic Help and NU delegates were humbled by the scale of the disaster and overcome by their empathy for the victims.

Their grief heightened as they were told about the struggles of several students of the Babul Saadah boarding school, who had managed to escape from being washed away by the tidal waves. The delegates also witnessed how surviving students moved a tsunami victim into a proper grave.

An emotional Khan stressed the organization would do its utmost to mobilize financial resources from Islamic Help's partners to help reduce the suffering of the victims.

He directed Help representatives Agus and Mabroer to create an itemized list of what was needed for the restoration.

During the visit to Aceh, Islamic Help also verified data on student accomodation in boarding schools. Students' mobile nature meant, the team needed good estimates of numbers during a four- month period so as to build adequate accomodation facilities, Khan said.

On their return from Jakarta, the group made a symbolic transfer of aid worth US$200,000 to NU, witnessed by British Ambassador to Indonesia Charles Humfrey at the NU headquarters.

According to Khan, the allocation of the money was meant to finance student scholarships and boarding school reconstruction in Aceh.

The rising intensity of cooperation between Islamic Help and NU had strengthened the ties between the two Islamic organizations, Hasyim said.

Their influence had meant that during his recent visit to Pakistan, Hasyim was able to meet with Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and other high-ranking Pakistani officials and ulema.

Hasyim voiced the hope the two organizations could work together internationally to promote a civil society that upheld Islamic values as a foundation of peace.