Muslims donated generously

Cooperation among religions can grow out of relief efforts.

Date published: 2/6/2005

WASHINGTON--The response of the world com- munity to the epic tsunami disaster continues to be impressive. Nations and private citizens alike have been galvanized to provide emergency relief of more than $7 billion. At the United Nations-sponsored disaster conference, billions more are being pledged as developmental aid.

The United States government has provided $350 million in emergency aid and U.S. private- sector aid is expected to total more than $700 million. Missing from the numbers are people's empathy and emotions. From students organizing car washes to mothers doing bake sales, all point to the incredible generosity of Americans.

Although the world today is more polarized than ever, crisis spurs us to transcend our political differences. Fortunately our milk of human kindness did not dry up in the sweltering heat of our passionate disagreements.

However, this outpouring of help has not stopped the conspiracy theorists, propagandists, and proselytizers from exploiting the tsunami disaster in appealing to the dark side of humanity.

The conspiracy theorists, often very anti-American in their viewpoints, have as usual blamed America first. An Egyptian opposition weekly, Al Usbua, claimed that the earthquake was a result of a joint India-Israel-U.S. nuclear experiment, which brought about the movement of the tectonic plates located underneath the ocean.

The propagandists also seized the moment. A Muslim cleric explained the coincidence of the disaster being one day after Christmas as God taking the life of Christians as they reveled in their "immorality." The sermonizer failed to grasp the reality that his views are not supported by the Quran and more Muslims than Christians died.

Contrary to swirling Islamophobic rumors, Muslims, just like their Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or Buddhist counterparts, have been incredibly generous. In India, a Muslim welfare organization mobilized its grassroots to provide relief to Hindu fishermen, including allowing the use of its mosque as a shelter for the homeless.

The act drew universal praise as a small effort to mend the fences of Hindu-Muslim relations so ravaged by the Gujarat riots, where thousands of Muslims perished at the hands of frenzied Hindu mobs.

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Date published: 2/6/2005