Do you think any good has come out of all this? I saw an article about how poverty in the US has been exposed.
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
There are unfortunately many good things that came out of Hurricane Katrina. It was unfortunate that we had to have a hurricane of this size for us to wake up. There were, they are and there will be many needs and many serious issues which need to be dealt with, but the way the system works in the United States is not easy to make any change or serious change before something really takes place.
Going back to Katrina and the good things that came out of it. To me, the first good thing that came out this is the priority issue. It shows the way we really set up our priorities need to be seriously re-examined. In particular, after Sept 11 the main priority became the war and terror and that is rightly so for the cause of American national security. The problem continues to be that so many resources went into war and terror without serious planning in examining the local issues, namely the local security. The resources which need to be spent on FEMA were significantly reduced. As a result, FEMA response to Hurricane was not surprising at all.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaam alaikum Nidal,
I have heard that many people who were evacuated to Texas were able to receive better housing and job opportunities then they did when they were in New Orleans. I think that that may be the only good thing that came out of this.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Answer
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Assalamu Alaykum all. I want to know what is the situation in New Orleans right now, and what is the government planning to do about all the devastated areas?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
The situation right now is: still a lot of water exists in town; part of the city does not have electricity; a lot of infrastructure on basic services still needs a lot of work to bring back on line.
As for the government and the people's plans, there are short and long-term plans. The short-term plan is really focusing on finding some sort of housing accommodation, schools and jobs. For the time being some citizens went to different states trying to find a way to manage themselves and their families.
As for the long-term plan, it is still evolving. Some people might go back; some will go back and try to build their life, others will stay outside Louisiana.
In terms of what the government is planning to do, President Bush proposed that the Federal government allocates lands and give it to people on them. Where these lands are, and how much they are going to impact the city of Louisiana, is still very unclear. My feeling is that by the end of the day government will have no choice but to re-build the city of New Orleans and Louisiana Coaster area. The funding will be a major problem.
Sister Kelly says:
From what I have heard from my friends who are still there, New Orleans is a ghost town. There are many parts, such as my neighborhood, which are still under water. Many homes still do not have electricity and running water. There has been much controversy over what the government is doing to rebuild New Orleans because many of the construction contracts are going to companies outside of Louisiana. There is also the involvement of such companies as Halliburton and Blackwater USA which has many anti-war and anti-globalization activists very worried.
Name
Jess
- United States
Profession
Question
Sometimes I get the feeling that Muslims are pleased when something like this happens to the US. Am I right?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Well, you are wrong in a sense and you are right in certain aspect of it. Muslims are people, they have their own feelings, and there over a billion Muslims scattered worldwide. Muslims, like other people, mix between government actions and the regular people. In this case, those Muslims who felt so-called happy, they confuse between the average American citizen and the US government.
Secondly, they are not educated enough with this particular issue to the point it becomes mixed up in their minds.
To the American Muslims, especially the educated among them, they are fully aware that the average citizens have nothing to do with government policies. In many cases they disagree with government policies. Therefore, for those who live in US, the calamity-stricken people are very poor and we feel sorry and sympathized with them. There is nothing in Islam that asks Muslims to directly or indirectly be joyful over the misfortunes of others.
Probably there are some Muslims who feel that way because they mix between government and average citizens, but this is not the norm in any means and way.
Sister Kelly says:
Well, speaking as an American Muslim who was effected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I would have to disagree. I'm not sure who could find pleasure in something like this. Many poor people lost the few possessions that they have. I lost my house but I consider myself blessed because our home was insured. Many people did not have the luxury.
Name
Noha
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatu. What were the main differences in the effects of Hurricane Katrina and Rita?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
The main difference is that the impact of Katrina was much direct and caused a lot of damage because it hits the city of New Orleans directly and because the city was under the sea level and the government was not well-prepared and people did not take the threat seriously, the damage was very serious.
In case of Rita, it did not hit New Orleans directly and the government was ready and the people took the threat very seriously, so the damage was much less.
One thing to add here is that in case of Katrina people need to realize that the state of Lousiania was loosing 50 Acers of land daily, and that contributed to the direct hit. That was not the case with Rita.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaam alaikum,
I know that Dr. Khalil Jassemm would have a better answer for this question. I can only say that Hurricane Katrina's devastation was much for severe. So far 10 people died because of Hurricane Rita whereas hundreds died because of Hurricane Katrina. Also, because the levee system of New Orleans was not prepared to handle the impact of a category 4 hurricane, that led the flooding of our city which resulted in more deaths. So it had much to do with nature's fury but also human planning.
Name
Bernard
- Canada
Profession
Question
Have Muslims been involved in any way with the cleanup after the hurricanes? If so, what have they been doing?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Yes, Muslims have been involved from day 1 and they continue to be. They are doing many things. Just to mention few examples: They are providing housing for many families in the three states: Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. They formed volunteer teams to help in the cleaning process. They also try to work with FEMA and other agencies for the long-term solution to the problem.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaam alaikum,
ICNA (the Islamic Council of North America) has made plans to set up office in two masjids in Louisiana, Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddique and Masjid At-Tawba. They plan to help the effected masajids get back on their feet and to help people rebuild their homes, no matter what religious beliefs they profess. Many Muslims had to evacuate to Houston so Islamic Relief met up with many Muslims there to coordinate relief effects. Many masjids in Mississippi have started relief and clean-up efforts for the area affected in that region.
Name
Siti
- Malaysia
Profession
Question
How can Muslims help those who have been affected by the hurricanes? I mean practical things we can do.
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
As for the most practical things to do in order to help the victims, people can make financial contribution to one of the Muslim charities, or they can volunteer in any of the organizations to be able to do some physical work. Those are the most successful and effective ways to help.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
First, make dua'a for the people, Muslim and non-Muslim, who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Second, you can donate money and clothing to various Islamic organizations such as Islamic Relief. Many American Muslim organizations have joined together to form the Muslim Relief Hurricane Task Force. And for those who live outside of the United States, you can check with your respective countries to see what they are doing to help Muslims in the Gulf South. I know that many Muslim countries have pledged millions in donations.
Name
Janine
- United States
Profession
Question
Salam all, I read on Islamonline that the Muslims in the US have been helping victims of the hurricanes but this was not reported on the mainstream media. Is it true and if it is, why didn't the big news corporations mention it?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
For the most part, it is true. However, they are some media outlets who reported this, especially on the local and the state level. The reason why the major media outlet did not report it is that – people need to understand – media in US is about business. They are some elements within the United States who do not want to show any good face to Muslims.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
When Hurricane Katrina's aftermath was covered on the news, I did remember seeing an advertisement for Muslim organizations on Fox News. Fox News, of all places. I was very shocked. But for the most, it has not been covered on the television networks. There have been articles written in newspapers but no wide coverage on the mainstream networks. I can only suspect that charitable Muslims are just not what the public wants to hear right now. Americans are constantly being fed a steady diet that Muslims are the enemy so when a Muslim wants to help out his/her fellow neighbor, it goes against the terrorist image that they are trying to promote. Their efforts will be rewarded by Allah and I think the people who were helped by the Muslim relief efforts will not forget it.
Name
Faiyaz
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
What have the rich Arab countries done to help the people affected by the hurricanes? I know that local Muslims are helping and I think that's great, but what about the others?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
This is a very interesting question. Some government probably gave directly to the US government. I do not know how this took place exactly. On the other hand, there are some Muslim charities overseas that tried to help. We at Life for Relief and Development submitted proposal to many of them. Some countries promised us, some have not reply yet.
We need to remember that most people outside the United States feel that the US is a very rich nation and probably can handle Katrina issue. This might explain why others did not help.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
As far as I know, Kuwait has donated many barrels of petroleum to the United States to help relieve high gas prices. I think Saudi Arabia has also done something similiar along with various funding for relief projects. Bangladesh has given the United States 1,000,000 dollars in aid. Other countries affected by last year's tsunami are giving aid such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Name
Ramy
- Lybia
Profession
Question
Assalamu Alaikum. Are there any Muslim relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Rita as there were for the victims of Hurrican Katrina?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Yes, there are. It is because both Hurricanes hit the same area and the same group who were working on Katrina, are working on Rita. We continue to work and help.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
I think that the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina are being carried over to Hurricane Rita and they will continue on the same course from there.
Name
David
- Australia
Profession
Question
Salam all, I want to know if there is any estimate for the death toll of the victims of Hurricane Rita, and whether they are as much as those of Hurricane Katrina.
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Yes, there is some sort of estimate. So far they are less than 10 people, while in case of Katrina it is almost a thousand.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
Hurricane Rita has resulted in 10 deaths whereas Hurricane Katrina deaths are, at the moment, 1,036 deaths. With Hurricane Katrina, I suspect that the number will rise when relief workers start going from door to door again for the rebuilding and clean up efforts. Insha'Allah, the number of deaths related to Hurricane Rita will remain low.
Name
j from JERUSALEM
-
Profession
Question
As-Salaamu Alaykum,
I am really sorry for Katarine's innocent victims but I hope that my question won't be scrappy. Do you think that Allah hit America with Katarine's Hurrican because it deserved it? especially because its government always claim to free other countries especially Islamic and Arab countries and other developed countries like North Korea from what so-called terrorism and nucleic energy's dangers and He wanted to make it interfere in its national business instead of killing innocent people? Secondly, is there really what called democracy in the USA? I am wondering just because the black are treated not as good as the other people? Where do the victims live now? Do you think the USA learnt a lesson from the hurrican? What lessons might it learn of it? Thanks a lot!
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Allah SWT is the only One who knows the total wisdom of the Hurricanes. There are people who see those Hurricanes as punishments; some others see them as wake-up calls; others see them nothing more than natural disaster.
From a Muslim perspective, there is nothing taking place in the world without any wisdom and reason.
Whether America has learned a lesson or not, I do not think America works this way.
Whether there is any democracy or not, this is a political questions that depends on whom you are asking and what the word democracy really means. Yes there is democracy, but it is not PERFECT. Can't be better? Yes, it can. Will it be better? I am not sure.
As for how people are treated differently, yes they continue to be treated as such; this is part of America's history and there is nothing new about it.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
Many people have been asking this question and I am happy that you asked in a very honest way. I know that in the Qur'an, it says that we will be tested in the good and the bad to see who is really a true believer in Allah Most High.
So, Hurricane Katrina could be interpreted as a test from God. Some say that it is a punishment from Allah but I can only guess because none of us really know Allah's will. I know that those who died due to the racism of the delayed relief efforts will be rewarded for their pain. I know that those who lost their belongings will have it returned to them. But Hurricane Katrina did show the underbelly of racism in America and many people have wondered how in a modern, secular liberal democracy could such things happen. How could people be left to starve and die simply because of their race and class and if such a country can do that to its own people, how can it bring peace and justice to the Muslim world?
Name
Osama
- Saudi Arabia
Profession
Question
Assalamu alaikum, would you tell me please if there is any kind of co-operation between Muslim and non-Muslim relief efforts for helping the victims of both hurricans
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
Yes, there is. There are some levels of cooperation between masjids, churches, and organizations. For example, in the city of Huston, in George Brown Convention Center, where about 1000 living, the major of Huston asked the local faith-based organizations to take care of feeding the evacuees; so there is one day for Muslims, one for Christians, one Buddhist and others. Sept 11 happened to be the day given to Muslims!! On that day, more than 3 thousands volunteers came from different areas to help the people and it was wonderful.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
I know that the Council of American Islamic Relations has joined with the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. Also many mosques in Texas and throughout the Gulf South are working with churches and synagogues, to help the people who are still living in the shelters.
Name
Sally Forth
- Bahamas
Profession
Termite Inspector
Question
Rumour has it that the King Fahd Mosque in Biloxi was the only structure left standing. What is the significance of that?
Answer
Dr. Khalil says:
I am not aware of this, but it would not surprise me if it happened. We saw this happening many times before. For example, we saw this in the Turkey earthquake, in Tsunami, and in others.
People could interpret this in many ways. To Muslims, those are houses of Allah; if He decided to protect them, He will.
Sister Kelly says:
Salaamu alaikum,
I haven't heard that rumor yet. It reminds me of the mosque left standing in Banda Ache after the tsunami. I think people can take from that what they want but until I can confirm it, I can't really comment on it. But may there always be blessings of preservation of the houses of God.
