An Islamic doctor wonders why the Arab world's humanitarian gestures to Haiti paled in comparison to the IDF.
It's remarkably introspective and honest piece. Dr. Qanta Ahmed ties together a number of important points, including:
- The IDF's logistical feats of setting up a field hospital so quickly.
- The tragic death of Dr. David Applebaum, a pioneer in Israeli emergency medical response.
- Saudi Arabia's experience with "semi-permanent health infrastructures" serving 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims annually
- How Iran rejected Israeli aid after the 2004 earthquake in Bam.
- The Arab custom of simply writing a fat check.
Dr. Qanta concludes:
We are in an age when selfless acts of Global Health Diplomacy maybe one of the few currencies remaining which can help unite an increasingly fractured, inflamed global landscape. The current climate prevailing towards Muslims and Islam particularly behooves us to act to the best of our ability in the service of others far beyond writing cheques or wiring money. We need to step beyond the limits of entrenched politics, generational hatreds and, thus freed, lend our vibrant imaginations, our diverse experience, our own raw power and pitch in alongside others, 'even' the IDF.
