The Butterfly Effect

"It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world."

Well, this time it’s not a butterfly’s wing rather a 8.9 Richter tremor and fleets of 15 m tsunami swept the south east Asia, claimed over 150,000 innocent lives along its way. The aftershock coverage shows us, from English premier star footballer to Afghan refugee, from Hollywood celebrities to a humble cab driver in Jakarta, made a typhoon of donations as much as they can. A phenomenon inevitably brings light that human beings is not that bad after all. The Homo Homini Lupus - Man is a wolf to man – a popular Roman proverb that so often seems too true in this 'dog eat dog' world is once more put into perspective.

The multinational pledge from countries around the world exceed the number of 4 billion dollar. A numeral I can hardly understand the figure. There’s a danger that it all boils down to mere publicity stunt though, akin to what happened after the Bam Quake in Iran exactly one year ago. International vowed for more than 1 billion dollar while the number decrease significantly to miserly 17 millions dollar. In the days subsequent to Bam's earthquake, more than 1,600 aid workers from 44 countries streamed in to help with the rescue and relief operation. But now, the sprawling international camp on the grounds of the former city has been closed down and only a handful of international agencies remain. While the much criticized middle eastern countries, who at that time promise not more than 50 millions, truth to their words and deliver the number they promised. Without much of a fuss the humanitarian effort from Saudi Arabia has already enter Indonesian soil since early of the aftermath, while other head of nations still gathering in the Jakarta Tsunami High-Level Conference. They are less glamour and far from the camera scrutiny but delivered with efficiency and without interest.

I had several discussion among friends about the importance of publication and promotion to any humanitarian and social deeds. That is because there are one proverb in Islam that says “don’t let your left hands know what your right hand is doing”. The gist of it is that we practice good and righteous deeds only for Allah alone, instead of the adulation or praise that will follow. I am not totally agree with that because good promotion and publication can be productive in spreading the intention and attract others to do just the same. Like the case in the middle eastern country who seemingly passive and cheap in offering help due to the small amount of awareness generated by the media coverage. There’s been a negative buzz that those countries seems ignorant to the sufferings of others. While in truth they have been pretty generous with their effort and fund while other countries still mulling of how much to donate.

I remember a verse that says "By the age! Verily, man is in loss! Save those who believe and do righteous deeds, and bid each other be true and bid each other in patience".