Fly Buy Dubai July 07

Sitting at a riverside cafe ‘The Blue Barjeel’ . Its 33.4 Centigrade according to my newly acquired Casio dual time watch (my imitation Rolex purchased in Islamabad has broken again!) Its 10pm and I’ve just crossed over by Abra water taxi from Al Sabka to Dubai Old Souk on the other side of the Creek.
I’m in Dubai on a stopover from London to Seoul. I had a few hours to kill so I’ve left the airport and have been shopping.

I also love wandering along the Creek (by the two Rolex Towers) looking at the boats - mainly Dhows in various shapes and sizes from Iran India Pakistan, Yemen - with names like MSV Alisha, Araral Balaji, Shere Nasav MSV, Al Hussein. Goods piled high ready for loading - white bales of anonymous materials, used Toyota Cars (also white), Tins of vegetable oil, Cartons of Alsinsa Cola, Boxes of Rocket Batteries. Pandano Cranes and Sumitamo Forklifts parked in readiness for the early morning shift.

Michael Palin travelled on one of these when he made the film travelling ‘Around the world in 80 days’ and Gavin Young in his book ‘Slow Boats to China’ Maybe, just one day.....

It feels good to be back in the region again, drinking or rather sipping Arabic coffee (although the menu surprisingly called it Turkish coffee - especially since the owner is a Syrian from Damascus)
I enjoy just getting out of the Airport and feeling the temperature, walking, talking to people (Urdu gets you a long way in this part of the world especially with Taxi drivers and shopkeepers). I’m tired , thirsty and sweaty. Its noisy, lots of traffic, people walking up and down clutching their plastic shoppers and plastic bottled water. There is a gentle breeze from the water.
A constant stream of people board the Abras crossing over from the Bur Dubai Abra station and occasional bigger Restaurant boats cut across their bows. All brightly lit up, coloured lights painting pastel patterns on the water’s face. At this time of night the water’s as black as the dregs of my Arabic coffee.
On the opposite bank is the St George Hotel, blue neon lights highly visible. Strange that a Saint should be so brazen in this part of the world. Maybe its a sign! He originates from the Levant - I came across him in Lod (currently in Israel) and was shown around one of the many churches dedicated to his name. They insisted he came from there. He is certainly well known in the Middle East.

But the Dragon to be slain here is not made of hide and blood and yet it still hoards gold and all that glitters. Dubai is full of blatant commercialism.. Dubai is one big shopping Mall - an edifice to Mammon. Consumerism gone mad. All bright lights and endless energy. So strange to have a free port in such a Muslim enclave.

The International airport - home to modern dragons made by Airbus and Boeing - reflects this in its slogan: ‘Fly Buy Dubai’

Deep calls to deep APRIL 06

I have just read a paper written by Ben Quash called ‘Deep calls to deep: the practice of Spiritual Reasoning’, which I enjoyed immensely. (the Paper is on the Doha website in pdf form) I read it in the context of having been stimulated by David Ford’s paper at the Fulcrum ‘Gospel in Context’ Day Conference on Friday ( the text is already available online ‘Gospel in Context: Among Many Faiths, by David F Ford www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=101)

He presented a vision of interfaith interaction that had a depth I have not yet encountered. Beyond the normal 'tea, samosas and smiles'. I caught a glimpse (an escatological one !?) of the possibilities of a very different place in interfaith engagement.

This in turn was in the context of the interfaith gathering that I attended in Doha , along with Canon Ben Quash and many others. At one level it was the peak of its field - a gathering of a rich variety of people and experiences, but it a context which, when I reflect on it back home, I experienced as stale and in a strange way very secular. This was to do, I feel, with the environment - a modern, luxurious, 5* star hotel, and a mode of operation, based on the scientific conference paradigm. This positioned me as a passive (and exhausted!) listener, rather than a co-locutioner in an ongoing conversation. Obviously it had its moments of surprises and genuine interaction. There we were a lot of ‘real characters’ there. At times some of the under-the- surface-issues also emerged, which was I felt helpful. (conflict and difference is not something to be avoided but welcomed and embraced) And as always these gathering are an opportunity for rich networking. I gathered a good handful of business cards to add to my collection!

It was after all an event hosted by the Qatar Government and was dialogue or ‘trialogue’ ( a new word I learned at the conference!) on a different level - official, diplomatic, politically correct, - and as Ben put it in his paper ‘justified on the basis of a thin and generalised notion of ‘tolerance’. I long for something not quite so ‘thin’, but much ‘thicker’ or deeper.

Hence, in contrast I really liked the idea in the SR papers of the 'tents of meeting' of ‘peoples of the book’, Jews, Christians and Muslims, from their different traditions or ‘houses’, which moves the conversation from the official discourses generated by the institutional ‘Temples’ into more interrogation and mutual struggle. More ‘wrestling’ with texts. But I think I prefer the word dialogue or conversation to ‘debate’. Maybe the concept of debate conjures up for me, images of oppositional, polarised argument (our Houses of Parliament and Law Courts are a prime examples, where seeking after truth does not seem to be on the agenda)

But the concept of SR resonated with my own experience of sitting and talking together in Pakistan, with Muslims, Christians and Hindus (usually all addicted to Heroin – or in various stages of recovery - and hence somewhat neutralised from their religious Temples!) But these were genuinely interfaith ‘trialogues’ - In particular the way they encountered the scriptural text of the story of the prodigal son was deeply moving. They found their own story reflected in the Scriptural story. This was obviously on a very different level from Scriptural Reasoning where religious leaders encountering their own text. It was much more grass roots - more a Scriptural story telling or Scriptural encounter, but when I read of SR it felt ‘strangely familiar’
I’m not sure how much actual ‘reasoning’ there was in our groups of recovering addicts – certainly a lot of reacting / responding and story telling/sharing. And it was very much ‘hosted’ by one ‘house’ - in this case our Christian drug rehabilitation project - although we tried to make it ‘neutral’ ground it did not achieve the level of ‘mutual’ ground.

My Masters thesis, ‘Faith Conversations’, I felt also resonated with what Ben and David have outlined in the SR approach. Well it resonated for me. I would be interested to know if others discover synergies or not ! It also comes from a different starting place. I wrote it for a course in Systemic Management and Consultancy - which is rooted in a systemic, social-contructionist approach, But the common denominator is the concept of ‘interrogation of texts’. In my case ‘stories as text’ generated through a process of ‘faith conversations’ which we engaged in, over a period of about year in CMS.

I always had in mind for these conversations to be fundamentally interfaith, but the starting point was very much intra-faith’, drawing on our own wide network of CMS contacts. This has lead to an ‘in-house’ (ie within the Christian ‘house’) online discussion group called simply ‘faith conversations’, which currently has 75 very interesting and varied members, all of whom are academics and/or practitioners who seek to engage with the ‘house of Islam.’

I myself, am interested in going deeper (‘deep calls to deep’) and would be interested in exploring a SR group in London some time. Apparently one such group meets at St Ethelbergas. It maybe something we could eventually duplicate in Woking to take our own interfaith encounters to a new, deeper level.

London   29 April 06

An earlier Dialogue - Reflections at the end of the Doha Conference

Sitting here towards the end of an official dialogue I am reminded of another favourite Nasruddin story about an earlier dialogue.[1]  

Some 10 centuries ago the Pope declared that all minority faiths should leave Jerusalem. This created uproar among the Muslims. Acknowledging their difficulties the Pope agreed to a religious debate – if the Muslims won they could stay; if they lost they would have to leave Jerusalem
Since their wisest most learned member all backed down, Mullah Nasruddin was selected as their representative. He agreed as long as neither would be allowed to talk – they could only communicate by mime!

The Pope and Nasruddin faced each other. The Pope began by raising 3 fingers; the Mullah looked back at him and raised his middle finger.
The Pope then waived his hand in a circle around his head but Nasruddin pointed to the ground and stomped his feet furiously.
The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. The Mullah pulled out an apple from his coat pocket and started biting into it.
At which point the Pope stood up and admitted the Mullah was too good for him and that the Muslims could stay.

Afterwards the cardinals flocked around the Pope to ask what happened
When I held up 3 fingers, he said, to indicate that God is known to us in the Holy Trinity, the Mullah showed one finger to show that there is only one God, common to both religions. Then I waived my hand in the air to indicate that God is all around us everywhere, he pointed to the ground and stamped his feet pointing out that God is also right with us, here and now. Then I took out the elements to indicate the body and blood of Christ, whereby God absolves us from our sins. But the Mullah pulled out an apple suggesting the very fist sin of Adam and by biting into it showed how we are all guilty of sin. I just had to give up. He had an answer for everything I said.

On the other side of town the Muslims had crowded around Nasruddin to find out how he had won this sensational victory. Well, he began; first the Pope told me that the Muslims had three days to get out of Jerusalem. I told him ‘up yours’, Then he told me the entire city would be cleared of Muslims, I told him that we’re staying right here and none of us was leaving this land, which belongs to us too.
Then what happened? they asked ‘Oh nothing, the Pope just took out his lunch, so I took out mine!

*****************************

I suspect there have been a number of such misunderstanding, especially given that so much has to be translated. We talk of having so much in common, but inevitably we interpret even the same words differently according to our culture and understanding (our world view) - especially when it is something so dear to us as our theology. Interestingly there were times when the underlying issues came to the surface – the issue of ‘the Land’ came up many times and there was almost stamping of feet and certainly raised voices. Palestinian voices wanting to be heard by the Jews present.

Lord Hylton, who had called for reciprocity in defending the rights of the other to enjoy freedom of worship, also spoke of being last year in Israel/ Palestine and described it as the ‘most urgent situation in the whole world’. Unless an agreed solution can be found, he suggested they will be in despair and will be motivated to turn into suicide bombers and terrorists.

A Rabbi from the US spoke of his own pain at the situation in Israel ‘No one can love God who does not love his neighbour’, he insisted. Post 9-11 he had been accused in the USA of being an Arab lover. And his response was to say ‘Yes it’s true and its worse than you think - I love people of all colour, of all nations’ He shared a Jewish proverb ‘there’s nothing more whole than a broken human heart’.

In a sense the Nasruddin story is based on a premise of a clash of civilisations, certainly a polemic, confrontational approach – more debate than dialogue.
A Jewish filmmaker, Jacob Bender, talked about a Documentary film project ‘Reason and Revelation’ (reasonrevelation@aol.com ) which looks at the lives and influence of 3 men in medieval Spain: Averroes (the Muslim - ibn Rashid 1126-1198) Malmonides (the Jew - Rambam 1138-1204) and Aquinas eh Christian 1225-1274) This is modelling an alternative to the clash of civilisations more ‘a dialogue of civilisations’ and a modern spirituality – whether Jewish Christian or Muslim – that is compatible with science , reason, tolerance, pluralism, democratic values and human rights’

But it is in sharing food maybe not the Pope’s bread and wine, nor Nasruddin’s apple, but in our case a Lebanese Meze, It is by talking and eating around a table, that we are brought closer together. The Rabbi had earlier talked of the home as a small sanctuary and as the table in the home as an altar The Table becomes a central meeting place.

All the speakers expressed gratitude to the host of our Table – The emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani who initiated the Conference. It was indeed brave, avant-garde, and groundbreaking to host this type of ‘trialogue' on Muslim soil. The resolutions for the conference are part of what is needed in this part of the world to encourage more openness, less confrontation between the various branches of the Abrahamic Tree. I will certainly be quoting them next month in Kabul.

Hubert Jacques, from the Religious Dialogue Society in Paris, chaired one session and shared another proverb (almost Nasrauddin-like in its simplicity) from Africa:

‘In the jungle when the branches quarrel, the roots embrace each other’

from your own correspondent 
Doha   27 April 06

[1] The Funniest Tales of Mullah Nasruddin selected and retold by Clifford Sawhney (Unicorn, New Delhi 2004)

Conversations and connections April 06

I received 2 comments after what I wrote the other day about the '4th Doha Conference on Religious Dialogue' - one hoping that is 'not just a talk shop' (Bassi) and the other describing the event as 'the red carpet inter-faith scene' (David M)

TALK SHOP

In each of the 2-hour session, there are 6 speakers, all at least 10 minutes each, chaired by a timekeeper who then opens it up for comments (c 2 mins each) from the participants and final summing up from speakers. The speakers are evenly balanced between Muslims, Christians, and Jews - the’3 heavenly religions’ as they are frequently referred to as here.  Timekeeping is an issue. How to cram so much into so little, with a tendency to talk faster, to get it all in. The sessions are conducted in Arabic and English, with occasionally some French. Of course we are hearing it mainly through translation (headphones) and interpreters have such a difficult task.
But so do listeners. It is very tiring hearing such a bombardment of thoughts - with little opportunity to process it all. Note talking is one answer, a way of processing.

The open discussion and questions from the floor, rather than real dialogue, is more an opportunity for others to add their comments. Mini speeches, which add to the density of thought. All in all, 8 hours of solid listening in one day! I have discovered that passive listening is exhausting.

MEETING PLACE

There is a great deal of variety here. A wide array of dress - The uniform Arabic Alb (like Priests wear) complete with turban and prayer beads. Women in Hijab, or scarf covering heads. Various ecclesiastical dress (like a Wimple’s catalogue) - men in black or purple or white. The almost universal western suit. Some wearing the Jewish skullcap.    The people I have met are as varied as the dress. A rabbi from Tel Aviv; a Belgium Muslim Professor Yahya based at the Islamic Centre in Oxford; a Pakistani from Blackburn, chair of the Lancashire Council of Mosques; Takayasu Ogura a Japanese Journalist, who used to be Bureau chief for Cairo; an Egyptian reporter working in Kuwait for Arabic Newsweek. A Greek Orthodox Priest from the Jerusalem Patriarchate looking after the flock in Doha; the Ambassador of Cyprus; three Algerian Muslims living in Geneva Switzerland. Giovanni, a Journalist from Rome working for ‘30Giorni’ / 30 days a monthly Catholic magazine. An Argentinean, middle-eastern Rabbi working in New York. Salahuddin from Sidon in Lebanon working in Leeds. A lovely, gentle Iranian, Dr Tabarraian of the ‘world forum for proximity of Islamic schools of thought’ (How ironic that he is from the so called ‘Axis of evil’)

CMS CONNECTIONS

There are also a number of people I have met before in CMS circles an dfor me conferences are all about meeting people:
Bishop Munir of Egypt - a key CMS partner - with a deep commitment to dialogue with Al Azhar University in Cairo..
Sheik Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain, who came to Partnership House for the launch of the CMS Dialogue pack
Serhiy Hovorun from Russia (I met him with our regional manager for Eastern Europe - in a restaurant in Moscow. He works with Metropolitan Kiril at the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate.
Metropolitan George Saliba, the Archbishop of Mount Lebanon who I met in Saidanayya, Syria at the feast of the Holy cross on the occasion of he Patriarch’s birthday.
Bishop Sarkassian of the Armenians of Iran - he was on a CMS scholarship at Selly Oak - met in Isfahan, Iran c. 5 years ago on my one and only visit.
Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi is the chair of the Islamic University in Islamabad which hosted the archbishop on his recent visit to Pakistan - his speech (the archbishop’s) to students on the Trinity is available on Lambeth website (ref)
What is most refreshing is hearing Moderate Muslim voices, which normally are not reported in the Western Press. It is also good to see all three Abrahamic faiths together - in the past the dialogue started as a Christian-Muslim one. Now it is more of a ‘tri-alogue’. A Rabbi made the point that if he punched a Mullah on the nose, it would be reported in the press, but if he talks of tolerance and forgiveness and faith working together then it is not newsworthy ‘ No good news makes the headlines

RED CARPET

This is indeed the red carpet of the interfaith scene - a dialogue that is polite, official, tolerant, and diplomatic and politically correct. Tea and smiles, which create an official academic governmental narrative. But real questions are lurking under the surface - proclamation and proselytism, religious persecution, ‘Religious freedom’ conversion, the apostasy issue.
Unfortunately the only opportunities to connect with others are during tea breaks and during meals. Some photos and card sharing. And not enough time to really connect and hear each other’s stories.
There is a lot of agreement on what we have in common - But we need to explore the differences as well. To be challenged by ‘proximate others’ who are like us – people of faith - but also different from us - people of different faiths - For it is in the exploration of the difficult differences that we are able to be the deepest challenge each other. It helps us explore our own blind spots.

I am reminded of one of my favourite Nasruddin Stories:

Asked why it is that in the morning people go off in all different directions. After thinking for a moment Nasruddin replied: ‘if everyone went in the same direction the Earth would lose its balance! ’

from your own corresponent
Doha 26 April 06

The Fourth Doha Conference on Dialogue between Religions 25th – 27th April

I'm sitting in the business lounge on LHR ready for departure. 2 people from Cambridge are travelling with me Dr Ben Quash (also like Tim Dakin of CMS, he is a Canon theologian at Coventry Cathedral) and Catriona Laing who was recently in Iraq for a year. They are both involved in setting up an interfaith centre in Cambridge - under auspices of David Ford who is speaking on ‘the gospel among many faiths’ at the fulcrum conference ‘gospel in context’ on Friday back in London.

 

I've just seen a list of participants at the conference -135 of them from UK, UAE, Turkey, Tunisia, Switzerland, Saudia Arabia, Russia, Palestine, Morocco, Malaysia, Libya Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Japan, Italy, Israel, Iran, Indonesia, India, Germany, France, Egypt, Denmark, Croatia, Bahrain, Algeria, Ukraine, USA. Mainly Muslim and at least 25-30 Christians and about 15 Jews
If you want to see more look  the conference website

They have been down as an archbishop, but don't worry there are 8 others ! I think maybe that is a little confusion around designating Rev (but maybe Rowan should watch his back with all these pretenders around!)

**************************

I’m now in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Doha which is airconditioned luxury on the edge of what appears to be a dusty, hazy building-site known as Doha.

About 30 of the delegates are here; the rest are in the ‘Four Seasons’, where the conference is being held.
I have just seen the programme and learned that it starts this evening, not this morning as I had originally been informed. I’ve also just learned of the website with all the details on it – including the previous 3 conference - Archbishop Rowan Williams really was at the Building Bridges Conference in April, 2003   You can read his speach 

The programme seems modelled on a scientific symposium with an introductory session tonight, hosted by H.E. Ahmed Bin Abdulla Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs followed by official dinner. Then 6 sessions over the following day and a half. These cover:

1. Religion and Globalization; Religion and Enhancement of Moral Values;
Values and interest are the base of relations between ‘Ibrahimc Faiths’ (sic)
2. Freedom of Expression and Religious ‘Sacramentals’; Religion Women and Family.
3. Religious Pluralism and respecting the other; peacemaking and Religious Education
4. Religions and Environmental Protection
5. Religions and Civil Rights
6. Religions and Contemporary Scientific Developments

Some interesting typos in the draft programme:
Sir Iqbal Sacrane British Moslems Council and Lord Hilton of House of Lords are here. (no typos there, just names I recognise)
Metropolitan George Saliba Bishop of Orthodox, Surrealism of Mount Lebanon; (maybe a ‘school of painting’ should be Syrian! )
Dr Marwan A’zar Secretary of Pontiff Theological College Holly Spirit University Lebanon (sounds a bit prickly)
Prof Jacob Pender expert of Religions in MIDEST (between highest and lowest?)
Rabbii Krantz Douglas – Religious Man, USA (maybe they only have one religious man in the States)Prof Zagluol Al Najjar Islamic Thinker, Egypt (ditto Egypt)
Prof Jospeh Borraad Dean of College of Theology and Call (a high calling)
Bishop John Broadhurst is down as Bishop of Full Am (reminds me of Narnia

 and the ‘Land of War Drobe’)

But now I have to go. They still think I’m an Archbishop and I have just had a hand delivered letter – from the ‘Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences’ (sounds like an idea of hell to me) - with the seating plan for tonight and they’ve put me on the main stage ! Ooops ! Now where did I put my robes and purple shirt !

from your own correspondent 
25 April 06

‘Hope and fears’ Woking, 25 March 2006

As part of our ongoing dialogue in Woking we had a meeting with a Pakistani Christian, Christopher (a second generation convert) and a English, Muslim convert, Khalil, both sharing about their ‘hopes and fears’ for the future. There were about 40 people in the meeting – all Christian except Khalil. (I wonder where all the Muslims were and why they didn’t choose to come). Since it was the Feast of the Annunciation (25th March), Richard who was hosting and leading the meeting read the story of Christ Jesus, Son of Mary from the Q’ran (3/Imran)

KHALIL’S STORY

Khalil initially ‘found God’ at boarding school through the Gideons. At 18 he was ‘looking for truth and meaning’ and discovered a sense of awe and wonder within nature. His parents were atheists, but he had attended an Anglican Church but had difficulties with both the church and its practices. And so he looked at mysticism, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. 

He found their severe aestheticism too demanding. At 28 he went to Israel to work on a Kibbutz in Galilee. As he was travelling through Jerusalem, he woke one mor

ning at 5am with a sense of God’s presence. And so he went to the Holy places, seeking sanctity – and ended up at the ‘Sanctuary of the Lord’s Prayer’ at the Mount of Olives.

Mount of Olives  view from inside Dominu Flavit

There Khalil says he prayed, ‘asked God’ and ‘submitted’ to Him and became a Muslim. ‘I found a new direction in my life, focussed on God and prayer. I experienced a definite call as I surrendered my life to God. I discovered a sense of peace and new beginning.’ He prayed for guidance for the next step and as he was leaving the sanctuary an old lady came up to him and simply said ‘come and meet my Sheik’ and she lead then him through the back streets to a house.

They knocked and the man at the door said ‘Yes my beloved what can I do for you?’
‘I need a guide to find the truth’ Khalil replied.The Sheik looked him in the eye and said: ‘Seek and you will find, knock and the door will open’

Khalil returned 3 times to be accepted as a student

 and stayed with the Sheik who had opened the door to him, learning the basics of his new found faith.

Dome of the Rock,  Al-Aqsa,  Golden  Mosque in Jerusalem

The routines he learned that gave expression to his ‘conversion experience’ were the 5 pillars of Islam:

(1) ‘Shahada’ the declaration ‘There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is the messenger of Allah’ containing ‘Tawhid’ (the oneness of God) and ‘Risalah’ (prophethood)
(2) ‘Salat’ compulsory prayer offered 5x a day and ‘learning to prostrate self in prayer’
(3) ‘Sawm’ fasting during Ramadan - one month of privation – nil by mouth from dawn to dusk 
(4) ‘Zakat’ (welfare contribution) literally ‘purification’ – a donation of 2.5% to the poor (from profit) and 20% of what comes out of the ground.
(5) ‘Hajj’ Pilgrimage to the ‘House of Allah’ (Al-Ka’bah) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during the month of Dhul Hijjah.

Ramadan started when Khalil was in Jerusalem and so he was able to participate fully right from the start. The belief in One God attracted him – he saw a continuity - he had already accepted the message of Jesus and embraced Islam as a development of that message. ‘Islam is the natural way. It all came very easily to me’ said Khalil. For him it is essentially 2 things:

A) Islam as Peace and surrender – submission to God – alignment to a point of unity and community. Creation is in a state of ‘Islam’ and humans have a free will to choose. The prophets of Old are mentioned in the Q’ran and all referred to as Muslims.

B) Islam as specific religious practices. Revealed 600 AD through the Q’ran which was recited / dictated by the Angel Gibreel to the Prophet Mohammad.

Khalil has only been on the lesser pilgrimage – a hajj to Mecca but not during the holy month. He experienced it as a sense of returning home. Particularly the experience of circling the Kaaba itself - all wearing the same white, ritual clothing, Ihram – a stripping off of self, the ‘I’ and moving together as ‘we’. ‘It was truly awesome. I was becoming a part of the whole’

Haj worshippers circling Kaaba in Mecca

With 1.5 billion Muslim followers, according to Khalil, Islam is an important religion on 4 levels:
• Islam as religious practice -
• Islam as belief /faith - God-consciousness
• Islam as excellence and conscientiousness
• Islam as certainty; ‘gnosis’; knowing

What he fears most is the Saudi influence - Wahabbism (currently c. 2.3% in UK) a severe, puritanical, legalistic and literal interpretation of Islam, which is spreading throughout the world.  This inhibits what he essentially believes in and hopes for - devout Muslims integrating as members of civil society.

QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION 

When asked whether Jihad – Holy War - is the 6th Pillar of Islam. Khalil cited a Hadith and explained the difference between the lesser battle with the sword – an external fight and the greater battle, which is spiritual and internal - the overcoming of self (nafs). This is very similar to the Christian understanding of ‘spiritual warfare’

And on Shariat Law. Klhalil explained that Shariah, the basis of Islamic Law was revealed over 23 years to Mohammad by Gibreel. It was a message for mankind which included guidance about how to live. It is based on both word and actions – Sunna (sayings) and Hadith (traditions)   ‘Shariat is the legal aspect of how a Muslim should live life. It is the path to the source and provides a framework as well as guidance. Its hard edges need to be softened by interpretation’. And maybe British experience of tolerance can help.

‘The Shariat is like the skeleton of the human being, which needs to be fleshed out. But the Spirit is missing. Islam has the skeleton, the structure, the Law: Christianity and its message of Love has the spirit’

REFLECTIONS

I was impressed by Khalil’s openness and moved by his story. I left wondering about his conversion experience - whether he was describing an essentially common experience? And whether the difference is the wrapping chosen to contain and give meaning to the experience. (what would have happened if after the Mount of Olives experience, a Jewish woman had said ‘Come and see my Rabbi’ or an orthodox Christian had said: ‘Come and meet my priest? Would Khalil have found a different container?) Maybe there is yet more common ground to be discovered.

Khalil fears militant, fundamentalist Islam (Wahabiism), which fixes our perception of Islam as a religion of violence rather than a way of submission and also hopes and desires as a Muslim to be an integral part of civil society. Maybe a very English interpretation, but hopes and fears I found myself echoing.

Fundamentalism is at one level a return to the pure expression of faith – the constants of faith which need to be interpreted into our societies’ varying contexts. Not so much a dualism, more a dilemma.

Kunhar Christian Hospital - Gari HabibUllah

The Kunhar Christian Hospital is situated very close to the epicentre. It is the only standing hospital in the area. 5 other hospitals collapsed and the staff fled. Dr Haroon and his staff have continued their work and much more.

Haroon and Miriam were outside when the earthquake hit, she was on the roof and he was on the steps below ‘I thought the second coming had taken place – said Miriam ‘And one on the roof was taken and the other left behind !’ Haroon quipped.

Whilst they have been in the Region for 17 years, more recently, following the death of a mother in childbirth, there has been local opposition, stirred up by the husband. It became quite nasty. However the situation has changed since the earthquake, in that more local people have seen the dedication and experienced the work of the hospital first hand. Dr Haroon has also been able to arrange for new wells to be dug in some of the areas of strongest opposition. Thus blessing those who have persecuted them.



CMS has supported the work over the years through small grants and occasional personnel. Dr Jane Samson a sprightly septuagenarian, Veronica Bhatti a nurse from Scotland and Rachel Smith, another nurse on a medical elective. More recently Bilquis Din, a Pakistani nurse form Coventry, has gone out to help with the earthquake relief.

Since the earthquake, a number of volunteers have been able to support Dr Haroon’s work, albeit short term people, plugging the gap. Dr. Christine, a paediatrician from Germany has been at Kunhar for a year. Dr Jean Orr from Edinburgh, now 82 and a long-time supporter of Kunhar. We met two short-term German nurses. A couple from Canada were helping with administration and keeping email traffic at bay. Pakistani nursing staff seconded from other hospitals in Sialkot. David from Scotland, previously the Murree Christian School carpentry teacher, now working for Brass Tacks in Liverpool has been involved in testing various structures for suitability - the most successful being a prefab building which will be used for nurses accommodation. Brass Tacks flew in a structural engineer who did a report on the damage to the hospital building. He estimates the costs of repair work at £150,000.

The hospital is desperate for other staff, particularly a hospital administrator. Presently administration work is piecemeal. In addition to putting this right a good administrator will make it possible to move the work of Kunhar on to a new stage of ministry with local clinics, well digging and other appropriate outreach.

Dr Haroon too sees the need for good communication – he feels there has been enough talk and now is the time for decisive action. He points out, “People think relief is done by outsiders. We are locals doing relief. But we are also victims of the quake, so we need assistance and partnership on two fronts.”

Dr Haroon Lal Din’s work is most impressive. It is a registered voluntary society, Akash, which has been in the region running a clinic for nearly 2 decades. It seems as if this has been ‘for such a time as this’. Christians in Pakistan are now seeing a vision for Northern Pakistan and the church is becoming mobilised is a way as never before. Dr Haroon is an inspirational figure and is feeding that vision.



God is our refuge and strength a very present help trouble Psalm 46



for more pics see www.picturetrail.com and type in kunharchristianhospital

Bach Christian Hospital Qalandarabad May 2006

Dr Luke is a 3rd generation Pakistan worker, born in Pakistan and the Director of the Bach Christian Hospital, as well as its chief surgeon. The administrator is Peter Massey.


Whilst the earthquake area may look like a war zone, said Dr Luke ‘It is not like a war. All the damage was done in just 90 seconds.’ The hospital was able to help with initial injuries, but now continuous care is needed for the long haul. All the earthquake affectees were given a package of shelter (tent), blankets/ quilts, plastic ground sheet, provisions and cooking utensils – in order to be able to return to their village

Co-ordination is a big issue. A lot of Christian groups have been using Bach as a base. The hospital has to focus and ensure its ongoing work continues. Matthew heads up the special task force need to wait out winter, before can start the reconstruction The hospital is currently looking at the availability of a house in the local town as a Hospitality Centre for international volunteers. An example of good co-operation is the local mosque providing food for patients for 3 months.

In order for there to be co-ordination there needs to be good communication, Dr Luke lamented the fact that he has not been able to even log on to the Team website to check on the donations that have come in for the work,



CMS ex-mission partner, Dr Ruth Coggan returned to Bach, out of her retirement, shortly after the earthquake to help in whatever way possible so that the hospital could respond to the earthquake victims. Taking up the less complex tasks as she put it, she has so far performed 14 Caesareans! ‘We need helpers but people who can do a specific task and hopefully can speak the language’

More Earthquake updates

Mike, Project leader in Lahore 13 October 2005

There is confusion among some friends as to how I'm involved in the effort from Lahore when the affected area is in Islamabad and up north. My responsibility is to resource the relief effort, as much as possible, from Lahore aimed primarily at two Christian hospitals in the north that are in the disaster struck area. This is the immediate work I am involved in. The long term hope is to be engaged for years to come in Kashmir and northern Pakistan with a Kingdom perspective.

As you pray for our nation please pray against the spirit of greed and turning a quick buck that has gripped suppliers of goods and transport services. Prices for items like tents, blankets, medical supplies and even essential eatables have risen sharply and transportation has skyrocketed. Trucks are not available and the few that are ask for exorbitant prices. We are having to pay three times the normal and it hurts in more than one way. Unfortunately, such is human nature but as you pray I am sure God will make it possible for us to meet with men of peace who will be of assistance to us.
Tomorrow night (Friday) we will receive and send our first shipment of tents to one of the Christian hospitals up north for distribution to the victims. Our distribution is non-sectarian and almost all of those being helped are Muslims. Please pray for the shipment to arrive at the hospital safely and for effective distribution to take place.

Yvonne, English woman in Peshawar Friday, October 14, 2005

There is still a big need for more helicopters and  good weather. The Gov estimates 2 million homeless and 1 million in urgent need of help. All around Peshawar are "camps" set up by different organisations to collect goods - blankets, food, clothes etc - and money, it is clear that there is a great desire by everyone at every level to do something to help. One of my colleagues was telling us this morning how his wife said she did not want to watch any more news about the earthquake on the television - but then she donated for the victims two new pieces of good cloth that he knew she really liked and was planning to make into suits for herself. (And she will need new clothes for the end of Ramazan.) I think this grassroots feeling, among people who don't have much surplus themselves, is very strong.
I know of a couple of organisations who have sent their own vehicles in with some aid and to check on colleagues in the affected area. Several NGOs here are making surveys and putting together plans. Unfortunately many mountain roads that had been cleared of landslides became clogged with large lorries which are too heavy for the terrain, rented privately to send aid in. The church of some of my local colleagues is collecting goods and money but they are waiting until next week to check what the needs are in an area where little help is being sent. They were aiming to collect mainly from the chr community and were surprised how many from the majority also gave to them - maybe they are more respected locally than they realise.

Yvonne in Peshawar Sunday, October 16, 2005

The BBC now reports 38,000 dead and still rising, 60,000 injured, many of whom are exposed to the elements, with more rain this weekend grounding relief flights (it even rained heavily down here), and an estimate of 3.5 million homeless. It is hard not to feel very helpless. I just read about the loss of one helicopter and its crew because of the bad weather.
At the meeting this morning there was some news of what some Peshawar-based int'al NGOs are doing. 2 NGOs are working together through Bach C. Hospital, probably to get more aid to Garri Hajibullah hospital. The meeting took up a special collection for Bach. Another organisation was talking about Habitat for Humanity who are working on longer term plans for rebuilding homes. They are asking for SHORT TERM VOLUNTEERS (3 - 6 months?) with some knowledge of the culture and preferably some language, people who have been here previously - probably men - to help in this work.

I believe the Government is also planning to set up IDP camps for the homeless - including some in this area. They are desperate for tents, blankets etc. There are no tents left in Pakistan, and the Govt has lifted the import tax on them. They are appealing for tents to be donated and sent to Dubai where PIA would collect them.

Ahmad in Kabul Afghanistan Sun Oct 16

Yes, the earthquake changed things so dramatically in such a short time, which is unbelievable - so much loss and damage.... Some people here believe it is the cost of sin, but I do not know what is the truth from this point of view.  What will be your comment?  I just read that the infiltration still continue and has not stopped despite all this.... Anyway, " Mullah Nasruddin was asked, what is doomsday? He replied there are two doomsdays, small and big.... When my wife dies, it is a small one and when I die, it will be a big one” Is Mullah N. right?!

Update from CMS London 17th Oct

We are able to support medical relief work and have people associated with CMS in the area. MP Nigel has been seconded to Tearfund in Islamabad to coordinate relief work into Bagh and Dr. Ruth is returning to Bach Christian Hospital for three months. If anyone would like to donate through CMS the money can bee used to support these two people and the work they are associated with and also Kunhar Christian Hospital which is quite close to the epicentre. There will be plenty of after care needed and Church World Services Pakistan/Islamabad are already drawing up a trauma counselling programme. There will be many opportunities to explain why Christians are helping in the months to come that CMS can help to support.

Pakistan Earthquake Oct 2005

I have been watching pictures of the terrible destruction as a result of the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. An estimated 40,000 have been killed across Kashmir, Pakistan and India in the early hours of Saturday, Thousands more have been left homeless and injured, and the numbers are rising.
It is very sobering indeed to think that things can change so dramatically in such a short time. A matter of mere minutes. So many killed, so many injured, so many lives changed.


I have lived in Pakistan for many years - no-one I know personally was directly affected (as far as I am aware) - but the earthquake was still a great shock.

I have already received many emails, about the situation, Here is a selection of them - brief quotes that may help you get a human feel for what people are going through, even those not in close proximity to the epi-centre itself.

Yvonne an English woman in Peshawar (Sun 9 Oct):

"It is very odd to have the ground beneath you come alive. I was at home when it happened, working on my laptop. When it became clear that it wasn't just a large lorry going past, I thought I'd better go outside, and as I was already holding my laptop I thought I might as well keep hold of it. So I just closed the lid and went outside, and then I found myself sitting on my lawn, which was moving like a raft on water, dressed for the temperature rather than for the culture, barefoot, and thinking that if my house collapsed, at least I would have the clothes on the washing line.
My water tank started overflowing because the water was moving in it, and my metal gate was rattling in its frame, and the grass I was sitting on stayed fluid for a long time - well it seemed like a long time but I suppose it was ten minutes. I'd been listening to the soundtrack of the BBC's "Wives & Daughters" while working, and the DVD carried on when I closed the laptop lid - so the company of Mrs Gaskell's characters provided a surreal touch.
After that there have been countless small tremors, some as I write this. The aftershocks are more disturbing mentally than physically, and must be very frightening for those in worse affected places."

Dr Haroon working in Kunar (Mon 10 Oct)

"The first assigment of the damage has been reassessed and there has been some severe damage to the buildings. There are huge cracks in the walls of the hospital, the nursing hostel and other appartments ...... We have spent the last two days out in the open...cooking and sleeping and everything outside. Last night at 2:30am some people arrived with tents and other aid so we are going to go out today and hand out the tents to the people. So many people have lost their houses so its going to be a huge project. We would welcome any donations, anything. These people didn't have much to begin with and now they literally have nothing. The medical staff continue to work all day helping out the survivors."

Aamir running a project in Islamabad (Mon 10 Oct)

"The death toll is feared to cross 40,000 figure, with most of the victims in AJK and NWFP. The slums in Islamabad which house around 30,000 Christians remained immune, and there is no incident of collapsed houses although many of these houses are non-concrete, made of mud and wooden planks.
One girl from these slums is confirmed dead in Margalla Towers, where she used to work as a domestic worker. There is news spread of another 10 to 12 Christian ladies missing in debris of Margalla Tower, these ladies belonged to two Christian communities. The schools in Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain closed for three days as slight tremors are still coming at a regular frequency............The Christian Community in Abbottabad has suffered financial losses with houses partially damaged, thankfully no loss of life has been heard. However people being traumatized and fearful to stay insides have setup tents in open spaces and are there since the first shock. So far they have not received any kind of assistance from Govt. or private departments and their stocks of food are quickly diminishing."

Insar, a youth worker in Peshawar (Mon 10 Oct)

"The youth of the Diocese of Peshawar is busy in collecting warm cloths and medicines for the affected people, as we are planning to visit to affected areas to participate in the relief work. For this purpose, we need your prayer support. The Diocese of Peshawar (the affected area of NWFP come under the jurisdiction of Peshawar Diocese) is active to support the relief work. We were in the All Saints' church Peshawar today and prayed for the affected people and areas. Bishop Mano Rumalshah, the Bishop of Peshawar announced a Special prayer service in the St. John's Cathedral Peshawar on Wednesday at 5:30 pm, in which beside the Christians, our Muslim friends will also participate for praying for our affected brothers and sisters. Bishop Mano also announced to collect a fund for the relief of those people, the Christians are contributing in that fund."

Alpha and Omega METROPOLITAN FILARET in London July 2005

The Metropolitan of Minsk, the No 2 in the Russian Orthodox hierarchy, has a long Gandalf-white beard. He was on a 4-day programme visiting potential partners, ‘dignitaries’ and VIPs in UK. As well as a visit to the CMS office, he also visited the Archbishop of Canterbury. Timothy Okroev, my Russian Orthodox colleague. On this occasion, as well as our Regional Manager, he was acting as interpreter and guide.



The group visited the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, a key figures in the official Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue. The Archbishop, as its Patron, encouraged CMS to also support the Orthodox Church in Belarus in its theological education, evangelism and ministry to the poor.

Alpha at HTB

The Metropolitan also went on to a meeting with Alpha at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB): My colleague Timothy writes:

'We had a meeting with Sandy Miller and Nicky Gumble joined by father Evmeniy from the Russian Orthodox Church.
HTB told the metropolitan more about Alpha and how it contributed to the spiritual revival in England, attracting a lot of young people. As a result of this meeting Metropolitan Filaret instructed father Evmeniy to study the “Alpha phenomenon” and report to the Holy Synod. It may well be that, once the report is completed Evmeniy will become the person to be officially entrusted with developing Alpha in the Orthodox context. This is probably one of the greatest outcomes of Metr. Filaret’s visit to England. After the meeting with the two Alpha gurus, the metropolitan was asked to speak at the opening of the International Alpha Conference at HTB that day. He addressed the audience of 500 Alpha delegates from across the world in a very open and charismatic way. He raised his hands and started praying for Alpha in this country, Alpha in every country where it brings people to Jesus, etc. He then said: “I think it is incredible that you have discovered the tool that helps you bring thousands of young people to God. The Church has always had tools of evangelism but I encourage you to continue developing Alpha, so that you may reach out to those who feel spiritual hunger in today’s world of despair and godlessness”. Astonishingly, he than said another prayer, this time the prayer of invocation of the Holy Spirit… The audience was surprised – they had come with prejudices against the Orthodox: “Alpha will never be accepted by them”, and here they were standing for the blessing of the Orthodox hierarch. We hope that there will be a direct link now, as a result of this meeting between the ROC and HTB. Nicky is keen to invite the Orthodox to their events. They are also planning to visit Moscow in January as another step forward in our common vision for Alpha in the Orthodox context. A very high, key profile was given to CMS at the opening, as Nicky emphasised that CMS vision is for helping the Orthodox ‘own’ Alpha as their own evangelism tool’.

I am always amazed at our ability in CMS to relate across the huge variety of churchmanship. And hence the unique position we have in building bridges between extreme groups. Perhaps this represents a new beginning, or even an end to traditional separation.

Alpha meeting Omega.

Wisdom of Mulla Nusraddin

When they saw Nusraddin sitting by the lake and stirring some yoghurt into the water, they asked him what he was doing. ‘I am adding starter into the lake to make yoghurt’ he answered. ‘But is it possible to turn this whole lake into yoghurt?’ ‘I know it’s impossible,’ Nusraddin replied ‘But what if I succeed?’


This particular story of Mullah Nusraddin is one I have shared a lot as I travel. It is one of my favourites and has become something of a parable for the work that CMS is doing in the wider Region.

Treading on egg shells CLUJ Romania Dec 2003

There is Institute of Religious diplomacy in Cluj, run by Father Nicu Dumitrascu. He is an orthodox priest who looks after a church on Sundays, lectures at a theology faculty in a university for 3 days a week and runs his institute in his spare time. CMS supports this work as they seek to get people together from different backgrounds to explore issues of Gospel and society.



The fact that such an institute of religious diplomacy exists is indicative of the sensitivities here in Romania.
The Orthodox Church is on the defensive. Whilst there has been a revival of interest and churches are packed to overflowing, many other groups are also at work. And they are seen as a threat.
There are 4 main confessions - Orthodox, Greek Catholic (Uniate) Roman Catholic, Evangelishe Lutheran or ‘Protestant’. But it is the 'fifth column' the 'New Protestants' as they are called, who are considered as 'sects'. Mainly because of their emphasis on 'proselytism’. Loaded words in the sensitive world of inter-confessional diplomacy.
This is not a board game by Waddingtons, but a game played out in board meetings, conferences, special delegations and commissions, as Christians of different denomination meet to seek a way forward - tentative steps towards unity.
There is a real fear of 'sheep stealing' as these neo-protestant groups come and evangelise in what can be an arrogant way. Many consider Romania in its post communist state to be without a Christian witness. This is, in their eyes, virgin territory, and therefore open to all. These cults are not Mormons or Jehovah’s witnesses, but Pentecostals and Baptists and various mission agencies.
In this diplomatic maze, CMS treads carefully. Like treading on eggshells. I often feel God has blessed us with a unique gift to be able to relate to churches and groups across the whole spectrum.



Sally, our CMS Mission Partner, is working part time with the YWAM ‘world-view’ café - ‘Quo Vadis’ (Where are you going?). Run by Jonathan and Helen from London It is a place where people can come and talk about their world-view over a cappuccino. As well as coffee and cake, there are discussion groups, lectures, films and of course English classes. Symbolised by a small statue of ‘the thinker’.



Sally also teaches English at the Bible Centre of the Orthodox Theology Faculty of the Cluj University run by Father Tofana. His vision is also ecumenical but through seminars on biblical themes.

What struck me as I visited these 3 different projects are the similarities. Each is trying to provide a neutral venue to meet inter-denominationally. Sally is the common denominator. In this ecumenical maze, it is important not to impose agendas, but to seek to work with others and help them develop their own agenda. This is a servant leadership role and Sally does it so well. Such openness comes from a sense of rootedness. Deeply rooted on one's own tradition and yet profoundly open to others.

‘Roots down and walls down.’ Food for thought indeed.










from your own correspondent
Dec 2003

Auto Raja: the Mother Theresa of Bangalore Nov 2004

The New Ark Mission Centre



Raja the Auto Rickshaw driver only ever studied to 3rd grade. He was a violent man, who used to drink and fight, but one day he told God that if He gave him a driving job, then he would serve Him. Both kept their bargain.
In the days when he drove his rickshaw in Bangalore, he saw homeless on the streets, ‘living like dogs, all skin and bones’. They had long, matted hair and lice and most people passed them by. But Raja decided he had to do something, so he started bringing individuals to his home and cleaned them up. They were drunks who had become beggars, people with mental problem or handicapped living in the gutters. Many were dying and ‘in need of a heavenly passport’. 100 people died over 8 years, but Raja ‘cared for them unto death’ and he smiled ‘I gave them a passport and a ticket.’
Whilst the work started in his home, it grew to a small shelter for 13 people. Now it is centered at the ‘Home of Hope’ (supported by Campus crusade of India) on the outskirts of Bangalore, offering a ‘comfort to the shattered ‘ for around 75.
Raja means king. ‘Like a king, I am keeping the people in my palace – but I am also a beggar for them. I wear the same clothes as my people. People bring us gifts of clothes. We provide them with food for body and also spirit food’.
One day he found an abandoned baby, with an eye hanging out. ‘I was riding my bicycle and I saw a bundle. I thought it was a dead baby, but when I opened the bundle she looked at me and laughed. Still that laugh is my heart. Now she has a glass eye and is going to school. She is called Gracie’. She is like another daughter to Raja. He already has a wife, 2 girls and boy. He sees this family just twice a week. He told God ‘I am a donkey for you, whatever you say I will do.’
They have founded their ‘new ark mission’, not for animals, but for street people who are treated like animals. They are building a clinic and have a dream of vocation centre. Only 2 churches are supporting the work along with Indian Campus crusade. They do not get any government support.
Raja only chooses the worst cases, although the police also bring him people. He showed a video clip of a man with foot that had been eaten away by maggots. He later died in hospital, but Raja had treated him with dignity and respect.
We met some of the people in the centre - a woman with bangles who was a street beggar, who came thin and emaciated. Now after a few weeks, she is ‘full fat’ !





I also met Dharman, an air force mechanic who was in a bad motorbike accident, which ruined his life. The skin grafting operations went bad and he ended up on the streets. When Raja found him, 20 maggots were removed from his leg. He was a bright man who speaks Hindi, Tamil and English. Now his dream is to help others, like himself.
I have visited many projects over the years, but was deeply moved by Auto Raja, as I saw pictures of him picking up social rejects, living in the most appalling conditions. He is a very ordinary man, but with a persistent faith that demands he does something practical in the face of helplessness. This is perhaps best expressed in the slogan written on the back of his ambulance or ‘rescue chariot’ as he calls it: Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living in this earth’

From your own correspondent
India Nov 2004


See www.newarkmission.org for an impressive interactive website

More connections accross the Region

Look on the CMS website for more connections with our work in Europe, Middle East and Central Asia




11 August 2005

French revolution

Political bickering has blinkered us to Europe's mission needs, says CMS.

Read in full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/french_revolution_110805.htm





18 August 2005

Murdered father of Taizé remembered

Following the brutal murder of the founder of the Taizé community, CMS people
pay tribute to the 90-year-old Brother Roger.

Read in full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/taize_180805.htm


24 August 2005

Art and sole

It's a sandal scandal - CMS is keeping the art world on its toes.

Read in full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/art_and_sole_240805.htm


18 August 2005

New vision for Gaza

Will the disengagement in Gaza lead to overall peace?

Read in full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/new_vision_gaza_180805.htm

Kolkata June 2005

No traveller from the West is completed prepared for his first experience of India…. His senses will at once be shocked and stimulated and confused by the strangeness of his new landfall. He may have inklings of what to expect but he can never have more than that. For everything that is about to happen to him is on such a scale and of such a magnitude as to defy and almost to dissolve all his careful anticipation.

Geoffrey Morehouse Calcutta The city revealed ( Penguin 1971)


For me India looked fairly familiar turf. I felt very much at home there. Maybe Pakistan is similar enough to have inoculated me. One of the Pakistani Youth attending the SAYC, reported on arriving in Dehli: ‘The place looks and smells the same, the traffic’s the same, they even use the same gallian (swear words)! He (and I) felt very much at home.

Kipling called it the City of Dreadful Night (a term he also used to describe Lahore, reinforcing the idea of the similarity between Pakistan and India). Robert Clive called it the most wicked place in the universe (although how much of the universe he had actually seen is questionable). Mark Twain described the weather of Calcutta ‘enough to make a brass door knob mushy.’ The ones I checked were certainly tarnished – and the weather was definitely something to talk about.


The monsoon breaks in the first week of June unless there is to be a calamity. It comes down in a torrent to the smashing of thunder. It rains for several hours in solid straight shaft of water. Then it stops and the city steams like a laundry in the sun. Then it rains again as before. It goes on like this for four months, while Calcutta collects almost all of its annual quota of 64 inches rainfall. It comes down so fiercely and in such quantity and Calcutta is so ill equipped to bear this sudden blessing that the streets are awash the motor traffic is stalled, the trams can no longer move and only the rickshaw-pullers keep going through the floods up to their knees and axles in water. (like in the film ‘City of Joy’, this is the time when the Rickshaw pullers earn their money)

The Times of India (18th June 2005) talked about ‘The deadly duo of Heat and Humidity’ - ‘Temp 40 c with 80 degrees humidity is like 45 c with 60 % humidity. We had temperature of 40 c and humidity levels of 92%! This weather much more dangerous than arid climates. The schools closed down because it was too hot to sit in the classroom, so summer vacation was extended by 7 days. ‘The colossal steel mesh of the Howrah bridge is habitually 4 feet longer by day than by night’ People walking around with black umbrellas desperately trying to preserve some shade. Kalkuta is indeed a teeming, steamy, sultry city.

According to Moorhouse., ‘This is probably the filthiest climate on earth, then. … the perfect breeding ground for malaria and any other disease that thrives on moisture. It was christened Golgotha by the British sailors who landed in the 17th c ‘Yet on this bog the British created their capital in India. Nothing but commercial greed could possibly have led to such an idiotic decision.’

Calcutta is an ‘idiotic‘ British-built city, with crumbling edifices of the Raj everywhere, epitomised by the Victoria Memorial building now a huge white marble museum housing relics of the Raj. In Dalhousie Square (now BBD Bagh), the site of the ‘Black Hole’ a tiny guardroom in Fort William where of the 126 prisoners captured when the city fell to Siraj-ud-Daula in 1756 only 23 survived the night. The numbers may have been exaggerated for propaganda purposes (21 out of 64 suggests Moorehouse) Other bits of old British India remain, but the buildings seemed almost diseased. There appears to be little maintenance.


Calcutta stretches 30 mile along the length of the Hooghly River, a tributary of the Gandies and therefore a place of semi-holiness. We had a walk along the Nimtala Ghat and a ferry boat trip over to the Ghats, where little boys dive in from the bridge, adults bathe alongside cremation pyres and where the gods are set free in the river during the festival of Durga Puja,The gentle breeze was most welcome in the sticky heat. We even saw a buffalo carcass floating in the water yards away from bathers, who had no intention of getting out of the water.
Calcutta is unfairly stigmatised argues the Lonely Planet guide, fed by antiquated sterotypes of the mass of humanity, crumbling buildings, frenetic streets - In contrast it claims to be the Cultural capital of India, birthplace of Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore and India’s friendliest metropolis . Yet they didn’t seem stereotypes to me – more stark reality. ‘fume-belching cars, jostling for space on the already clogged streets’ Lakhs of people, a very useful Indian word for 100,000) sleep on the streets.

Moorhouse’s ending to his book (written in the 70’s) is Nightmarish, a depressing conclusion, with the poor rising up in a chaos of bloodletting as they slaughter their rich oppressors. The rickshaw pullers ominously clinging their bells to identify them. ‘The time for compassion will be past’


TO BE CONTINUED...........

CMS in the news

Look on the BBC website for story on one of our CMS People

On a mission for the 21st Century
Doughty, formidable and full of conviction: the image of a missionary is, for many, rooted in the 19th Century. The Victorian missionary can be a source of inspiration to some - but today's missionaries are a different breed.
Richard Cross-Sudworth is one example
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4718619.stm

And on the CMS website there are regular stories produced by the communication team – well worth reading to keep up with what CMS is up to. Some recent examples from the region I travel in:


02 September 2005
To Russia with love
New Moscow office opens up for CMS.

read more»http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/to_russia_with_love_070905.htm

11 August 2005
Living in the eye of the needle
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven,” said Jesus. CMS mission partner Stephen Wright describes what it’s like to have a wealthy lifestyle and yet hold kingdom values.
Read in Full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/eye_of_needle_110805.htm

04 August 2005
Clean water for all
Here’s how you can promote a simple, affordable means by which millions of underprivileged families can make their own water filters.
Read in Full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/clean_water_for_all_040805.htm

27 July 2005
London bombings: a reflection
Graham Kings, a vicar based in London, offers theological comment on the recent terrorist attacks on the British capital.
Read in Full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/bombings2_27_07_05.htm

20 July 2005
Seeds in the desert
In the villages of southern Pakistan, a Church-run teacher-training programme is letting both children and adults flourish. CMS mission partner Jane Jerrard reports.
Read in Full http://www.cms-uk.org/news/2005/jerrard_20_07_2005.htm

AND MANY MORE

2 minutes silence: Waterloo and Woking July 2005

We stood in silence for 2 minutes in the middle of Waterloo Road, to remember the events of that Thursday (7/7) when over 50 people were killed in 4 bomb attacks on London. It was deeply moving as London came to a standstill. Waterloo Road had been where ambulances had congregated from the Home Counties to support the emergency. The front entrance to Partnership House was close off, whilst the whole of the Waterloo Road was used as a command centre.
I went over after the 2 minutes to the Ambulance HQ, where they were standing in a circle with a chaplain leading them in prayers. I was able to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of Partnership house for all they did during the bombings. And the staff of PH shouted three cheers for the ambulance service.
At the time of the bombings I was attending a CMS and ‘Faith-to-Faith’ gathering in Cuddesdon, Oxford, blissfully unaware. We were actually discussing how to engage as peoples of faith in Britain. As news of the attacks trickled in a sense of urgency and poignancy came to our meetings.
I was surprised to receive messages of condolences from all over: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nairobi, Switzerland, Iran, USA, Thailand. The list goes on… People expressing sorrow and dismay, trying to come to terms with living in a terrorist world. The Global touching the local. Our partners touching us.


Then on the Sunday, the third day after the bombing, I attended an international BBQ where, among others, I met some Pakistanis - including an 'agnostic Muslim', doing his PhD at Surrey University. He has now invited me to attend a Pakistan Society meeting in the future. He came with me to our local mosque in Woking, where they were running their annual Mela (fete). It was very good public relations. The bombings were condemned publicly and people talked informally in huddles about their reactions. The atmosphere was positive, communal, family, even carnival. I have never witnessed the same in Pakistan among the Muslim Community - only in Christian Melas.
There were rides, slides and bouncy castle. Plus stalls from community projects: The Maybury Partnership, Woking College English as a Second language Course; The Duke of Edinburgh award, Surrey Police and many others. Woking Mosque, the oldest in the country built in 1889, received the first Fair-Trade status for a Mosque in the country.
White and black, Asians, Christian and Muslims mixing, eating on a glorious summers day - just half an hour by train from where the bombings in London took place.
Now, just a week later, it has become clearer that these were young British Muslims of Pakistani origin from Leeds, Luton, Ayslebury, whose zeal had been developed whilst training in Afghanistan. All sorts of connections across our fragile and volatile region.
So back to standing in the middle of the Road in Waterloo. I was left thinking that as well as national mourning; we must connect with other people of faith. We must encourage the moderates. We must resist the polarisation, the descent into dirty diatribe that lingers just under the surface. We must keep the conversation going.

From your own correspondent July 2005

Countries I have visited

I discovered this map programme whilst wandering, and of course had to fill it and see how many countries I have visited so far - It’s easy to do and a bit of fun !



create your own visited countries map


51 countries = 23% . Still a lot out there to collect !

for more details see: http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedcountries/

Mullah Nasraddin

One day Mullah Nasreddin … had lost his donkey. While he was looking for it, he kept repeating, “Thank God! Thank God"
"Nasreddin, why are you thanking God all the time?" the people asked. "I am grateful that I was not on the donkey. he answered.’Otherwise I would be lost too,"