Disaster strikes. In any given
place; in any give time. It gives little warning, but has staggering
impacts. On 26 December 2003, the Iranian city of Bam was tragically
struck by an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale—the largest
ever to hit Iran.
Horrible and beautiful things are
rarely seen to mix the way they did in Bam. A terrible tragedy besieged
the entire nation, or should we say, the entire world; and aid and relief
efforts were on their way from all over the world shortly after the
catastrophe—which is feared to have left over 40,000 dead.
To exacerbate the loss of innocent
lives, over 80% of the ancient city was destroyed, including the
two-thousand year-old Arg-e-Bam (Bam Citadel), the largest earthen
structure in the world. Even though many—including UNESCO—have offered to
rebuild this structure, this severe blow to Iran’s invaluable cultural
heritage weighs down on the conscience of every Iranian like a pile of
rubble.
We too join the national and
international community in voicing our sincere and deep condolences and
heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims at this time of national
mourning. We also express our gratitude to the countless foreigners who
directly or indirectly helped in the aftermath of the crisis, many leaving
their families and New Year celebrations behind to offer a helping hand to
the people of Bam.
