Children of Tsunami

December 26, 2004 was a sampler qiamat for those of us who lived in South East Asia open shores.

It was a year ago when the catastrophy happened and claimed hundred thousands of unexpected victims. No one foresee it coming.

I was sound asleep when the almost 10 richter scale aftershocks hit our western shores, with KLCC and my four-storey garden apt building on the Ulu Kelang hills vibrated around 10AM Malaysian time. I hosted a family dinner on Xmas day at my apt and was recuperating from the housework and after suboh immediately went back to sleep, thus, missing all the commotion.

My sister based on the eastern coast of Kuala Terengganu had to evacuate their ten-storey office buildings. My relatives in Pulau Pinang (Penang) and Kota Kuala Muda in Kedah where it hit the worst for Peninsula Malaysia lost their boats, luckily everyone came out safe and sound. My relative’s neighbors in Penang unfortunately lost 4 of his kids .. they were having a picnic at the beach when it happened.

A year ago we drove to visit our relatives in Penang and had our picnic exactly at the same shore those four kids were claimed by the tsunami. I remembered chasing naked little Haniff, my nephew who was 3 then along the shore ..it was a funny sight coz I had to catch him by the diaper. Kak Ha was trying to change his diaper when he decided to run away from us and headed for the waves. It could easily be us if the earth crust shifted on Xmas 2003.

The lost of lives were in hundreds of thousands uncountable, especially at its forefront, Acheh and the Malabar coasts across the Indian Ocean.

With the vivid harrowing pictures coming out of Acheh a few days after the Tsunami, my family and I started to find ways we can help the victims. We started collecting clothings, food, medicine and drinking water among frens, families and colleagues. I remembered sorting through the articles of clothings, food and necessities at TS S house, an Achehnese student from IIUM was so quiet and intent sorting thru the old clothes..socks, pants, socks, kids’ clothes, kain pelikat, kain batik, socks, pants..telekung. He hardly said a word. TS S daughter told me that he just came back from Meleuboh, Acheh the nite before where he saw the whole place under water. There was no survivors. He was the only one left of his family and the village.

Malaysian government, always vigilant in humanitarian matters, provided us the vehicles to transport the items to Acheh through the Malaysian army ships, some fast forwarders provided free services for those who want to send their donations to KL pick up port, etc. There were many kind folks and generous philanthropists. There are also things that Malaysians can try to improve on. For e.g. I wish when people donated clothes, they should only donate the ones that are still in good conditions as well as those that the victims can actually use. There were also those who gave only their best as well. May God bless them.

My most memorable images of the tsunami was when trying to help out with the many displaced Achehnese orphans. From our meetings with TS S and his IMAM and IIUM groups, we found out the orphans who are all muslims were being gathered by Christian missionaries from Australia and Buddhist missionaries from Jakarta to be adopted by non-muslims. These groups were the ones TS S has "saved" to bring back to Malaysia to be perhaps temporarily "adopted" by muslim families, since there were no longer authorities' vehicles in Acheh or Sumatra to manage this effort as everyone were either dead or deeply traumatized, and Jakarta was not doing anything. TS S suggested the visa to bring them to Malaysia could be similar to the "refugee" status given to Bosnian muslims and orphans during the Balkan war in the 90s, that our first steps was to try to find good muslim homes to take care and support their education while they are in Malaysia.

After the briefing by TS S everyone felt very strongly on finding good homes for the orphans and to protect their aqidah. I decided to sms some frens to help out in finding some good muslim homes. What do I know this sms thru good intention of frens went around the globe several times and caused a bruhaha with the UNICEF etc. Interestingly only when it went to some non-muslim officers at the UNDP/UNICEF they questioned the intention of muslims and quickly labeled it as human smuggling (eventhough we went thru government-to-government vehicles). Interestingly, when many groups of muslim kids were gathered by Christian and Buddhist missionaries none of these international organizations said anything.

I think I must get calls and SMS from all over the world, from kind hearted individuals to royals ..from Malaysia to Turkey and Malaysians overseas and back again. I also find Turkish people as very kind and benevolent. Then there was one royal family member from a neighboring nation who wanted to choose the best looking kids to adopt and that I should give him first "priority" coz he is royal! and there were those who made my day by saying they wanted to adopt brothers and sisters so they can be together. As well as kind Malaysian royal families and corporate leaders who offered their resources to build orphanages for these kids. Kind and generous folks from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei from all walks of life. The only Indonesians that wanted to help out were illegals immigrants who are working in Malaysia..but they touched my heart with their offers. There were no interested good muslims homes from Jakarta nor Sumatra unfortunately. With the UNICEF/UNDP negative statements, Jakarta delivered a statement these orphans were not to be taken out of the country.

I am not sure of the human smuggling going on but ours certainly is not one of them. Our only criteria was for good muslim homes who will provide these children good education and islamic values and bring these children as their own.

Several newspapers contacted me for interviews which I refused, whilst I kept TS S updated. I remembered when all sort of stories came out in the newspaper on the Achehnese orphans, no one actually came to talk to me nor to TS S but everyone seem to have some sort of opinions or their own version of the "story". At the peak of the bruhaha I remembered getting a call from the Head of Malaysian Interpol! (imagine me :) to explain my side which I did. I think the Chief and his assistant are some of the nicest folks I've met..after listening to our side of the story, they also sympathize with our case (well.. now I have some err.. "high" frens at Interpol!)

I find it always true when we try to do good deeds, there will always be barriers. The challenge is whether we still want to pursue it with all the uphill battles. I am glad coz I met many kind folks thru this effort, at the same time taught me a few lessons. Eventhough we can’t help bring the children to Malaysia to have a better future, but I am glad the whole bruhaha brought foward many generous philanthropists such as T D, Syed M and TS AM to lend their helping hands to build orphanages in Acheh. Perhaps some are there for the limelights especially the political group while some are true in their intentions, but most importantly the orphans will benefit from all the attention and their aqidah protected in a muslim environment.

I feel there is a crucial need for muslims to organize effective vehicles to protect muslim orphans at disaster and war situations. Someone told me when I was in Mostar in Herzegovina back in April this year when the war happened in the Balkans, many of the muslim orphans were brought to Italy to be adopted by non-muslim families, while I recently read many of the war rape babies are being isolated from the society.

This is something we need to look into and amend by the ummah. I am sure before we came in to look at the Achehnese orphans, a few groups of muslim kids were already taken out to Australia and Jakarta to be adopted by non-muslim families.

I wish I have more hope to give to those hopeful sincere wanna be parents who eagerly send their resumes, their profiles and their hopes to adopt these children of tsunamis. As promised I did compile and forward all the info to TS S and his committee. I don’t know what they decided to do with these names as perhaps the situation refrained their effort from materializing.

Recent world disasters fast forward me to think that life is very short and precious. It seems there are many childless couples and good homes looking forward to provide a loving home for these kids, while these orphans need this secure environment. I personally feel it is perhaps better for these children to be given the opportunity to grow up in a real home instead of an orphanage. I really have no answers, and it made me sad when I think of the situation. I guess most times we can only try but we can’t really protect the children of the world. Only God can.