Muslims show a caring side in Solomon Islands4/12/2007 5:00:00 PM GMT
In an attempt to enhance Islam’s image around the world, Muslim Aid’s disaster experts are applying what they’ve learnt from Indonesian tragedies to the people of Solomon Islands who suffered from an earthquake and a tsunami a week ago.

On the 2nd of April, a tsunami killed at least 50 people following a strong undersea earthquake in the South Pacific, which measured 8. The islands that are populated with 500,000 people suffered major losses since many people lived in houses made of palm and bamboo. According to the BBC, damages included 300 houses destroyed in the Sasamungga village on Choiseul Island and many bodies were seen floating in the sea.

Akyari Hanonto and Muhammad Farim Wiraseputra arrived in the disaster zone with clean drinking water supplies that are estimated to aid 6,000 of the homeless people.

Hanonto told AFP: “There is no doubt that Islam has an image problem in some parts of the world but we're here to show that our faith tells us to help people, whatever their religious background”.

Both disaster experts consider this to be good chance to help the Christian Solomons and therefore show the world that not all Muslims are like the minority that commits violent acts in the name of Islam.

“That's why we're here, to help people in need. We're not terrorists” Hanonto added.

Wiraseputra added that the villagers’ reaction to their presence was similar to the one they faced in the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2004, when it was hit by the Indian tsunami, leaving 220,000 dead people behind.

“They run to the hills and won't come down because they're scared of another tsunami," Wiraseputra said. "They're drinking dirty water from the streams so we are here to establish supplies of clean water for drinking."

He also added that it was a challenge to get supplies out to tiny communities scattered around the archipelago since island-hopping is making it difficult.

Wiraseputra then encouraged the international community to provide more supplies saying “People should not think that because there are less than 50 people dead so far it's not a big disaster. It is a big disaster and there's a lot to be done. We’ve seen the impact of the tsunami in Indonesia and we know it’s not pretty.”

Source : http://www.fertilethoughts.com/forums/islam-board/504767-muslims-show-caring-side-solomon-islands.html