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Sri
Lanka Journal:
Entry Number 9
Hambantota: Part Two
A Religious Country
Sri Lanka is a country where religious values are kept culturally and
religiously. Culturally it is a Buddhist country and Buddhism was
affirmed as the "state religion". There are many Buddhist temples and
shrines everywhere. Statues of the seated Buddha are found along the
roadside in plastic boxes. Monks and priests can be seen walking
around. Hinduism, Islam and Christianity make up the religious
minorities. However, the Buddhist religious values are kept more in
terms of social contract than theology. The Moslems, adhering to their
proscribed religious practices tend to form the most open religious
presence in the sense of mosques, dietary and family religious
practices. We had to stop while Rifky went to prayers at a local
mosque. His driver and I retired to a small stand and drank Cokes.
Later, as we sat in the car waiting for Rifky, all the boys and men
emerged from the prayers. They were happy and talking with one another
- arms linked. Some were on bicycles carrying smaller kids on the
handle bars. It reminded me for all the world of the kids I went to
Catholic elementary school with leaving the "Children's Mass" after
church so many years ago.
The Mosque
I was shown the wreckage of the local mosque. Most of it had been
completely washed away with tall columns left and the electric ceiling
fans hanging against the sky. This building was still the symbol of the
community. A sheet metal shed had been constructed and men were praying
in there. Muhammad Rilwa took out a small calendar of 'Mosques of Sri
Lanka" and showed me a picture of what the building looked like before
the tsunami. There was a real feeling of heplessness about this since
they just stared at the ruins wondering how their homes would be
rebuilt - let alone the mosque. Even here there was in instinctive
understanding that religious buildings would come after everything
else. I had the feeling, though, that if that mosque were rebuilt, the
community would rise to the occasion and somehow get everything else
done. It was just that powerful a symbol of their community life.
The Association
Hassan Mowlana next took us to the Hambantota Muhammadya Association
Social Service Organization which was a short drive up the road on the
other side from the ocean. Here a temporary wooden building had been
constructed with a big sign identifying the place. Hassan and the other
young adult members of the Muslim community had organized the giving
out of post tsunami aid. Rifky and I were ushered inside the building.
There was a long table which served as a desk with two chairs facing it
- much like you might see in a bank office. Hassan directed me to sit
behind the table. I did so but felt very silly. Then all the guys who
ran this operation came in a stood in front of me. I had absolutely no
idea what I was supposed to be doing. Hassan was beaming and gesturing
to me. So, I stood up behind the table and rapped it with my knuckles
while I said in my most official voice “This meeting will now come to
order.” Then I sat down. Everyone cheered and clapped. Hassan was very
pleased, I think, that he had brought me there.
On the side of the desk there was a large pile of ration cards. There
were white ones, yellow ones, red ones and blue ones. Each color
represented a different week of the month. So, white was the first
week, yellow the next and so on. Each card had the name of a family
printed on it and some check boxes. The cards were used to apportion
food rations. In the room next to the office, there was a large pile of
garlic and some bags of rice. That room was used to measure out the
food for distribution. Hassan and the others were extremely proud of
having set up this operation. They created their own social service
organization for their own people and were administering it.
I took a photo of everyone with Rifky standing behind "my" desk. Then
someone took a photo of all of us standing outside. A small boy who had
followed us around, stood off to the side. His obvious hero worship for
those young Muslim men showed up in the smile on his face. There were
profuse handshakes from the whole group - at least twice. They were
aware that I had come to provide support and encouragement and the fact
I had spent so much time with them was not lost on them. I felt
sincerely sad when I left. I really wanted to spend a few days there
weighing out garlic and rice - behind the scenes in the workroom - not
in the office behind the desk!
So Much to Learn
My time in Hambantota comes back to me as I continue this mission of
relief and compassion. Quite frankly, my association with Muslims has
been very limited. I had only recently made a contact with the Muslim
community in Philadelphia and of course my host in Sri Lanka is Rifky
Noordeen, an observant Muslim. I have always talked a good line about
multi faith and certainly had the opportunity for contacts with those
of many religious beliefs during my time working with September 11
programs in New York. So, I am convinced my exposure is better than
most. But I was not prepared for the deep respect these people of faith
engendered in me. I know I had been welcomed for many reasons. But, the
hospitality aside, I was able to see people struggling with immense
loss, helping one another and being very grateful that someone had
traveled as far as I had to share this difficult time with them.
There is a quotation from the Dharmapada which, ins simplicity, speaks
very loudly in my head right now, "In this world, hatred never yet has
dispelled hatred. It is the absence of hatred that leads to peace."
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