A reminder: 31,000 died in the Iranian earthquake a year ago yesterday.

[Minstrel Boy]

Iran: Thousands Mourn One Year After Bam Earthquake
26/12/2004

Thousands of Iranians have gathered in the southeastern city of Bam to mark Sunday's one-year anniversary of the earthquake that claimed more than 31,000 lives and devastated the ancient city.
http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=11782

What I find interesting, remembering this, is not the synchronicity of dates, but the disparity of reactions.

I don't recall the same effort to rush aid to Iran as there is to the victims of the tsunami.

I don't mean to diminish the magnitude of yesterday's tragedy, but rather elevate the magnitude of Iran's tragedy a year ago December 26.

Could some of the difference be accounted by the fact that Western tourists were among the victims yesterday, and the tsunami hit beachfront properties where Westerners could imagine themselves vacationing?

The ancient city of Bam, and 31,000 Iranians, just didn't seem to resonate quite the same, did it?

[Squatch]

1. Shit, that's weird...

and for the record, as soon as I heard of this most recent earthquake, I immediately had the same reaction as the quake in Bam, which was:

1) High population denisty
2) Lax building and property code
3) No disaster plan in place
4) No infrastructure to deal with the casualties

Those who do not remember history...or something along those lines.

[arcos]

2. I think this is probably because tsunamis happen less often...

and ten countries suffered from the disaster, instead of one. That probably multiplies by several the amount of people in different places who know someone who was affected.

[Synnical]

3. Shame, shame

To all "Westerners". And I count myself as one of them.

[nytemare]

4. My heart goes out to the victims of Iran and this recent one

I think that America could have really put a step forward in that Iran earthquake diplomatically to really help out. I think that would have advanced our standing with their desire to build nuclear weapons much better than this hardline posturing has.

[Disturbed]

5. Wasn't it around 60K dead?

Didn't the U.S. Govt. offer to send refief aid workers and the
Iranian Govt. refused to allow any from the U.S.?

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Yes

They refused aid from the US and Israel. It was a real tragedy what happened and a bigger tragedy that the government allowed politics to come into play when it came to helping its own people.

[riverwalker]

7. they missed out on all that American aid

like the kind pouring into Iraq right now. 100,000 dead and those who survive are homeless and starving. Can't blame Iran for saying thanks, but no thanks. They were protecting their people from our "charity'.

[seemslikeadream]

8. U.S. Sends Relief Assistance to Iranian Earthquake Victims

December 29, 2003

U.S. Sends Relief Assistance to Iranian Earthquake Victims

U.S. gov't, charity groups work to address the victims' needs

Washington -- A U.S. C-130 transport aircraft landed in Kerman, Iran, shortly after midnight December 28 with more than 9000 kilograms of emergency relief supplies for the victims of the December 26 earthquake that devastated the ancient city of Bam.

U.S. airmen and Iranian soldiers unloaded the plane's cargo onto waiting trucks, which transported the supplies to the disaster site, 185 kilometers to the southeast.

This is the first U.S. flight to Iran since the Iranian hostage crisis ended in 1981.

Defense Department Spokesman Lt. Col. Jim Cassella said, "We share the victims' grief and we stand ready to help them in any way we can."

In all, the United States plans to ferry more than 68,000 kilograms of supplies to Iran. The Defense Department reports that eight C-130 aircraft and one C-17 have been commandeered from Centcom's Middle East fleet to participate in the humanitarian mission.

Captain Steve Honda from U.S. Transportation Command also reports that three U.S.- based aircraft have been loaded with supplies and disaster relief teams from the United States and are en route to the Kerman airfield.

To date, emergency supply deliveries have included intravenous fluids, bandages, gauze and surgical equipment as well as food and purified water. Blankets and pajamas will also be provided, as most of the survivors currently have no protection against the cold.
more
http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/wwwhwashnews1135.html


Church World Service Shelters Survivors of Iranian Earthquake

December 28, 2003
NEW YORK - Church World Service is assisting the thousands who survived the December 26 earthquake in Bam, Iran, with an emergency grant of $30,000 to purchase and distribute emergency shelter materials. The humanitarian agency is also planning emergency airlifts, pending further assessment on Dec. 29, of blankets, tents, hygiene and medical supplies. Immediate needs for those left homeless are tents, blankets and medical supplies.

The considerable scale of this disaster means that rehabilitation and reconstruction will be a monumental challenge. CWS is making plans to provide long-term rehabilitation assistance to affected communities. Some 200,000 people live near and around Bam and about 70 percent of the houses in Bam were destroyed, Iranian State television reported.

more
http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2003/12/146.html

[AntiCoup2K4]

9. Does anybody find it really odd that 2 such tragedies would happen on ....

....the same day??

That's starting to make the "tin hat theories" a little more reasonable.

Or else Jesus is using the time around His birthday to tell us something? And I don't believe He has any particular beef with Iran or Sri Lanka.