[Bluestar]

Originally Posted by AM415

Inna-lillahi-wa-inna-lillahi-rajion
I fail to see where he was making the non-muslims seem less human.

By overlooking the fact that thousands of people are dead and enquiring only about the Muslim number. It's insensitive and implies that they are less valuable human beings than the muslim dead.

This discussion shouldn't prop up in every thread that reports a catastrophe. They are people who were somebodys brother/sister, mother/father, son/daughter and it should be our duty to support them and if we can't support them, then pray for them.

[thejellymill]

Remember in the tsunami a few years back, the children suffered the most. Many were orphaned, lost and sold into slavery or the sex trade. May Allah protect them, ameen.

Also, we should look up good charity organizations to post here for anybody that is able and willing to donate inshallah. I wonder if many have mobilized yet.

EDIT: here is a link to a blog with a list of well-known organizations who are accepting monetary donation to help the victims.

[AM415]

Originally Posted by Bluestar

By overlooking the fact that thousands of people are dead and enquiring only about the Muslim number. It's insensitive and implies that they are less valuable human beings than the muslim dead.

This discussion shouldn't prop up in every thread that reports a catastrophe. They are people who were somebodys brother/sister, mother/father, son/daughter and it should be our duty to support them and if we can't support them, then pray for them.

Yes, they are people's families. And in this case, Afzalaung's. Its his country. Do you think he only cares about the Muslims in his home land? Him bringing up the Masjid casualities was not a way to downplay the severity of the situation. It was not being insensitive...but like you said, religion brings similar people together, and he was trying to bring light of the Muslim's situation to an Islamic forum. But at the same time, he wasn't taking away from the tragedy that this has become.

[afzalaung]

Bluestar...
just because i mentioned about muslims doesnt mean i dont care about the others.
in no way was i overlooking the fact that thousands who died.
As all my relatives are muslims..i asked about the muslims...and i know they are safe...and i conveyed what i know.

for ur pleasure...
many who diead are Buddhists..and some of the pagodas has been destroyed in the tragedy. the glorious Shwe Dagon Pagoda however, is generally safe.

christians who mainly populate the rangoon are safe..but many among them living in karen are greatly affected. A few churches has been flattened, but churches in rangoon, just suffered minor damage.

happy?


you should give ur brother 99 reasons before giving him a single doubt, as par the hadith

[Laimuun]

is it true that the us has only offered $250,000 in aid?

[thejellymill]

Originally Posted by Laimuun

is it true that the us has only offered $250,000 in aid?

I read that too. But other countries have actually given less.. I wonder what's up with that? It's such a tiny number in comparison to the amount of destruction that has taken place there. Not to mention the value of the USD has gone down drastically.

[iTz_NoT_Me_iTzZu]

inna lilahi wa inna ilahi rajioon

[Jamroll]

Originally Posted by AM415

Yes, they are people's families. And in this case, Afzalaung's. Its his country. Do you think he only cares about the Muslims in his home land? Him bringing up the Masjid casualities was not a way to downplay the severity of the situation. It was not being insensitive...but like you said, religion brings similar people together, and he was trying to bring light of the Muslim's situation to an Islamic forum. But at the same time, he wasn't taking away from the tragedy that this has become.

Yeah I agree with this. I don't think Afzal was trying to lessen the right of non-Muslims who suffered or perished in this disaster at all.

As much as one tries to empathise with everyone, it's human nature to think of your family and loved ones first and above others. Afzal was concerned about his family members who are in Burma. Naturally they would be Muslim.

[Wolfn]

It's incredible how suddenly a person can die. In a matter of days, 22,000 people died as a result of this storm.


We think we have such control over this world, but in the end, we really don't.

[slime]

innal lillahi wa innalilayhi rajioon.

Originally Posted by Laimuun

is it true that the us has only offered $250,000 in aid?

i think initially the burmese govt was being stupid about accepting aid (They didn't accept any for the tsunami). but yeh..now the US has offered 3 million dollars
as of yesterday, the gov't was also denying visas for UN officials.
morons

is it just me or the 24-hour news networks aren't covering this enough?
ITS 22000 PEOPLE.

[roberto]

Originally Posted by iliketofish

The death toll shoots up a few thousand every time I check on this

__________________________________________________ ____
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Burmese storm toll 'tops 10,000'

More than 10,000 people were killed in a devastating cyclone that hit western Burma on Saturday, Foreign Minister Nyan Win has said on state TV.

He said his government was ready to accept international assistance. Aid shipments are now being prepared.

Thousands of survivors of Cyclone Nargis are lacking shelter, drinking water, power and communications.

The United States offered to increase aid offered if Burma agreed to allow a US team access to assess the situation.

First Lady Laura Bush, who takes a special interest in Burma, urged Burma to accept $250,000 (£126,000) already allocated for emergency aid, and said more would be available if the team was allowed into the country.

She also accused the Burmese authorities of failing to give a "timely warning" about the approaching storm, after which five regions - home to 24 million people - have been declared disaster zones.

Sea surge

Expressing his sadness at the scale of the disaster, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon confirmed that UN officials were meeting Burmese government representatives to discuss how to help.

If the toll is confirmed, Nargis is now the world's deadliest storm since a 1999 cyclone in India killed 10,000 people.

Nargis hit the south-east Asian country on Saturday with wind speeds reaching 190km/h (120mph). It brought with it a sea surge that smashed through towns and villages.


Map

Crucial test for junta
In pictures: Burma cyclone crisis
Your pictures: Rangoon damage

Earlier on Monday, the death toll was being put at 351 but the foreign minister later went on TV to announce the figure of at least 10,000.

With information still coming in, he warned the toll could yet rise.

The towns of Bogalay and Laputta, in the region of Irrawaddy, are among those locations particularly badly hit, state media have reported.

None of the casualty figures have been independently confirmed.

The BBC is not permitted to report from Burma, also known as Myanmar.

Houses 'skeletal'

Thousands of buildings have been flattened, power lines downed, trees uprooted, roads blocked and water supplies disrupted.

People queue to get drinking water in Rangoon on 5 May 2008
Many people have been left without drinking water and shelter

A Rangoon resident who spoke to relatives in Laputta told BBC Burmese that 75% to 80% of the town had been destroyed.

Houses along the coast had been reduced to skeletal structures, 16 villages had been virtually wiped out and no help had reached Laputta, he said.

Pictures on state TV show security services working to clear roads but in Rangoon and elsewhere there are complaints that the response to the disaster has been weak.

An eyewitness describes the cyclone

"Where are the soldiers and police? They were very quick and aggressive when there were protests in the streets last year," a retired government worker complained to Reuters news agency.

He was referring to protests led by Buddhist monks last year that were quickly put down.

Earlier, a BBC journalist monitoring the situation in Burma from Bangkok, Soe Win, said the shortages of power and water were particularly critical.

Local people were saying that if the situation continued for another two or three days, it would be really difficult for them, he reported.

Aid assessment

Several hundred thousand people are in need of shelter and clean drinking water, UN disaster response official Richard Horsey said.


DEADLIEST RECENT STORMS
Hurricane Katrina, US, 2005 - at least 1,836 dead
Orissa Cyclone, 1999, Northern India - at least 10,000 dead
Hurricane Mitch, 1998, Central America - at least 11,000 dead
Typhoon Thelma, 1991, Philippines - 6,000 dead
Bangladesh cyclone, 1991 - about 138,000 dead
Bhola cyclone, 1970 - at least 300,000 dead

Timeline: Major tropical cyclones

But damage to roads and communications mean it is impossible to tell the true extent of the situation, he added.

Prices of food, fuel and basic necessities have also risen dramatically.

The UN and international aid agencies are sending assessment teams to the worst-hit areas and shipments are being prepared.

Thailand has announced it is flying in a transport plane loaded with nine tonnes of food and medicines and India is sending two naval ships carrying food, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines.

The US, which released an immediate funding package of $250,000 (£127,000) to be channelled through the UN, said that Burmese authorities had refused permission for an American disaster assistance response team to enter.

Meanwhile, Burma's military junta has said a referendum on a new national constitution will go ahead on Saturday. People were "eagerly looking forward to voting", it said.

But some people are now wondering if this natural disaster could have serious political repercussions, reports the BBC's Andrew Harding in the Thai capital Bangkok.

So sad, it always seems to be the poor parts of the world which have these disasters, I wonder if there had been warnings, if very much could have been done.

[fatima]

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oun

[Bluestar]

Originally Posted by AM415

Yes, they are people's families. And in this case, Afzalaung's. Its his country. Do you think he only cares about the Muslims in his home land? Him bringing up the Masjid casualities was not a way to downplay the severity of the situation. It was not being insensitive...but like you said, religion brings similar people together, and he was trying to bring light of the Muslim's situation to an Islamic forum. But at the same time, he wasn't taking away from the tragedy that this has become.

I wouldn't know what he cares about, i only know what was written. I think separating the dead into muslim and non muslim does undermine the disaster and the suffering that it's caused. I don't think that is necessary information at a time like this.

Originally Posted by afzalaung

for ur pleasure...
many who diead are Buddhists..and some of the pagodas has been destroyed in the tragedy. the glorious Shwe Dagon Pagoda however, is generally safe.

christians who mainly populate the rangoon are safe..but many among them living in karen are greatly affected. A few churches has been flattened, but churches in rangoon, just suffered minor damage.

happy?


you should give ur brother 99 reasons before giving him a single doubt, as par the hadith

Why would you think that would make me happy? This isn't a *** for tat game. I wasn't judging you and i didn't doubt you but i do/did think your brought up something that was inappropriate and irrelevant.

[AM415]

Originally Posted by Bluestar

I wouldn't know what he cares about, i only know what was written. I think separating the dead into muslim and non muslim does undermine the disaster and the suffering that it's caused. I don't think that is necessary information at a time like this.

Why would you think that would make me happy? This isn't a *** for tat game. I wasn't judging you and i didn't doubt you but i do/did think your brought up something that was inappropriate and irrelevant.

With the country in a state of turmoil, Afzal was able to contact a family member to find out his immediate family is ok, Alhumdullilah. And in the process, he was given a first-hand account of the situation there. He decided to bring that information, from a primary source, onto Islamica. Thank God you were here to tell us what he "Implied" by doing that.

He never separated the dead into Muslims and non-Muslims, nor overlooked the fact that thousands are dead. He was just giving an update on the Muslim's situation in this disaster. In fact, that was only one sentence out of his entire post. Its the same as when the Virginia Tech Massacre happened and everyone was asking if the Muslim Students are ok. Were we making the rest of the victims "less valuable humans"? No one seemed to have thought so.

Now lets put that all aside and assume that he Did give an update on the Muslims only. According to the Social Identity Theory we associate with out in-group, which for most of us is our religion (and nationality in most cases). We tend to focus on them primarily, like our family. Makes sense considering the Prophet (S) said that this Uma is like one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches. Its as if the building you live in collapses and you inquired about your family. Does that mean everyone else is "less-human"? Does that mean you don't care about everyone else in the building? Does that mean you wouldn't help with the recovery efforts to the best of your ability? Would that make the collapse any less of a disaster? If you're family wasn't involved, would it relieve your right to help? The answer to all of these questions should be no. The cyclone is a catastrophe. And mentioning that he has not heard of any 'mosque causalities' yet is not "inappropriate."

Quit painting the world as Black-and-White. An update on the Muslim's situation (on an Islamic forum) in a disaster is not similar to degrading everyone else to "less-human" level. Dont psycho-analyze a post and find a meaning that doesn't exist.

As for the cyclone, Islamic Relief is also accepting donations. You can visit them at Islamic Relief USA | or click on this link to go straight to the donation page: Donation Home