« Dialogue program | Main | An NPR Piece »
December 30, 2003
In Memory...
When I was in Iran, Bam was on the top of my list of places to visit. I had heard it was a city where you could really feel the intimacy and spirituality of Islam. But with the amount of work I had to do, and the length of time it would have taken me to get there, I could not get down there.
Because I hoped to go there, I didn't even look at picture books of Bam, so that I could be surprised when I eventually did see it. Then the earthquake happened. So now I will never see it the way it was before. Of course, more importantly the people living there have had an incredible loss.
Although I never made it to Bam, I felt a strong connection to the people there, because once you've been to Iran, you just feel close to Iranians. I followed all the news reports of the event. (The best site to go to, by the way, for all the reports, is www.payvand.com.)
I was devastated, as we all were, by the loss of life. I was encouraged, though, that it prompted such a quick and appropriate response from our president, and that perhaps channels for conversation have been reopened. Of course, there has always been back channel conversation, but this is out in the open. I know that the aid workers there will receive the same courtesies I did.
It also could be that once they start reconstructing the old city, they will decide to excavate some parts of it, because there is an even older settlement below. That could be interesting.
I still remain worried about the immense danger in Tehran, which has an estimated 12 million people, many living in housing that does not meet code. I was stunned to read today that the authorities there are actually thinking of moving the capital of Iran from Tehran, so that in the event of an earthquake, they could respond more effectively. This shows that perhaps they are taking this threat seriously indeed.
I do hope one day to get to Bam, and Yazd, and many other places in Iran I didn't have time for on this trip. In the meantime, I know all of our thoughts are with the survivors of the earthquake...
Posted by MJF at December 30, 2003 10:57 PM