Following our participation in IHC and CIMCO seminars in Samarinda- Kalimantan in the far east of Indonesia on June 4-6, 2010, we followed arrangements made by Prof. Jurnalis Uddin, President of YARSI, to attend the ground breaking of the FIMA supported relief project in the earthquake destroyed village Lambeh, district of  Pariaman in Sumatra in the far west of Indonesia.

Prof. Jurnalis has been in direct contact with the villagers in the aftermath of the earthquake, and he dispatched the chief architect of YARSI, together with construction workers to the village and started the initial steps.

The villagers were so eager and persistent to receive FIMA delegation, and this was clearly transmitted to us by Prof. Jurnalis Uddin, and we adjusted our schedule to take a local flight back to Jakarta to spend a night in the blessed home of Prof. Juranlis, to take an early flight to Lambeh, Pariaman in Sumatra. The small group included Dr. Abdel Karim Abu Samaha, director of hospital at JUST University in Yemen (expert lecturer in hospital administration and accreditation), Prof. Jurnalis Uddin and my humble self.

From the airport, a YARSI car took us in the 2 hour drive to the village, where we were touched by the warm reception of the villagers. Most men, women and children formed a large reception in their local traditional dresses, singing religious songs accompanied by drums of local traditions ... all amidst the destruction left by the earthquake.

The ceremony included Qur’an recitation, religious songs and speeches by local representatives of villagers. Prof. Jurnalis Uddin and myself made short speeches at the site of the construction project. Then we toured the construction area, and participated in the ceremonial placement of stone and cement in the ground breaking.

The villagers invited us to lunch prepared by many of them in their homes. The group lunch was served on the ground  of the area of the earthquake destroyed Masjid.

I was personally touched by this group of villagers, in a remote, poor, destroyed district of Sumatra, when they chanted while I alluded to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Gaza plight at the time when several Indonesians were injured when the Freedom Flotilla was attacked barbareously in international waters near Cyprus. This proved that our peoples, in cities, villages, jungles and deserts are eternally tied up as one Ummah.

The accompanying photos may add dimensions to this relief trip.

For more photos: Visit of FIMA Executive Director to Indonesia Photo Gallery

Wassalam   

Sincerely Yours,
Aly A. Mishal MD, FACP
FIMA Executive Director