[WillowTheWhisp]

I think some sort of distinction needs to be made here.

There may well have been some people from Pakistan and Kashmir who decreed that the Tsunami and hurricane Katrina were God's punishment on the wicked. That doesn't mean that all the inhabitants of Pakistan and Kashmir felt that way, any more than all Pakistanis in England are suicide bombers, (it's like declaring all English people are lager louts just because the majority of lager louts seem to be English - some of us don't even drink)

Many of the victims of this earthquake are children who wouldn't know a political opinion if it jumped up and shouted "Boo!"

There may well have been some nonsense following the Tsunami where Christian aid workers were told not to offer help in some areas for fear of upsetting muslims. Perhaps sometimes people need to accept help wherever it comes from and not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

So if anything good can come of such a terrible disaster maybe it is that people can learn from it to be more gracious to those who offer to help them even if they do not share beliefs, and for people not to lump everybody togethr in the same pot just because they are of the same nationality/religion or whatever.

How admirable for people just to be willing to help for no other reason than that the help is needed.

There's a little poem which I think was written by Mark Twain which has always touched me:

He doeth well who doeth good
To those of his own brotherhood.
He doeth better who doth bless
A stranger in his helplessness.
But best, oh best of all doth he
Who helps a fallen enemy.


Maybe it's the first step on the way to understanding and acceptance rather than animosity - and even if it isn't I'd far rather be proud to belong to a nation of helpers than a nation of grudge bearers.