Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

It is neither proper nor wise of some to explain natural disasters as revenge on the part of Almighty God (e.g., the recent Tsunami disaster that claimed the lives of nearly 300,000 people). [See AWR, 2005, week 2, art. 7]



Some persons have said that the life-harvesting tidal waves took place as punishment by God because of people’s sins and evil deeds.



If sin injustice had really been the reason behind God’s revenge, tsunami should have happened in another place where there are genuine tyrants killing in cold blood.



And supposed the peoples of the tsunami-hit countries had been sinners just like any other human being anywhere in the world; their sins do not amount to crimes of genocide, mass extermination that have been committed elsewhere.



The superficial explanation for the disaster is an affront to God Almighty, Who would never condescend to the base human sentiments of retaliation. The proposed explanation also contradicts with His mercy.



The reasons given by some to explain the disaster as God’s wrath--retribution for past sins--do not provide a justification for this account of divine vendetta because God’s mercy has preceded His wrath.



The disaster should have been explained on the basis of natural causes, i.e. science. It would be valuable to mull over the physical causes of the disaster.



Muslims’ perpetual problem has always been failure to confront the causes of natural disaster through a scientific approach, blaming any disasters on fate. It was the very same set of ideas that led some to kill and steal and then say that God Has ordained them to do so.