Harvard Memorializes Kashmir

Hundreds of members of the Harvard community lit candles last night in Memorial Hall in remembrance of the victims of last month’s earthquake in South Asia.

Attendees were greeted by a large screen with a slide show of the devastation in Kashmir, including the individual faces of those affected by the earthquake. The service was an interfaith gathering with readings from the sacred traditions of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim faiths, which were followed by a song and speakers.

Asim Ijaz Khwaja, assistant professor of public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, was one of the speakers at the event. Khwaja expressed concern not only for the victims of the catastrophe but also for those who thought attending a vigil might be an ample reaction. “I object to this vigil,” he stated. “I believe it shows an acceptance of the calamity and absolution of responsibility.” Khwaja also emphasized that the fight is not over because people are not done dying and not enough is being done.

“No my respectful silence and my serene candle are not enough. They are not loud enough or bright enough,” Khwaja said. He then said that he hoped that the audience would return home “enflamed.”

The idea for a vigil arose out of an overwhelming sense of passion for those affected in last month’s disaster that left over 3 million homeless and led to over 79,000 deaths, said Rabia G. Mir ’07. Mir, who was the main coordinator and master of ceremonies, said she was inspired to get involved because she is a Pakistani citizen.

“For me this hit home,” she said. “It hit people that I grew up with and family members and I know I’m not the only one.”

“It still hasn’t hit people, I wanted to do something to open people’s [minds], I felt a need to make it real for them,” Mir continued.

Mir blames an overall lack of public concern for the delayed reaction from Harvard. But for many the vigil served as more than a reality check—it was a call to action.

Executive Director of the Phillips Brooks House Association Gene Corbin ’55 said the Harvard community needs to become more engaged in the relief effort.

“We must find it within ourselves to do something more than grieve,” Corbin said.

Reverend Chaplain Mark D. W. Edington made a similar appeal.

“This is not a religious service, nor by any means a funeral it is a remembrance and a call to action,” he said.

Throughout the vigil, many audience members bore solemn faces and had tears in their eyes.

“It is uplifting to see so many people care so much about people so far removed from our daily lives, it shows hope for them and for us,” said Owais Siddiqui ’07. “The vigil was successful because it showed Harvard’s continued sense of passion.”

Mir stated the underlying mission of the vigil was to put a face to the numbers.

“I don’t want Harvard or the world to look back and say that we could have saved another million people. It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the people,” she said.

“It will be difficult to keep your light lit as you go, and that is appropriate,” Edington warned as the participants left the shelter of Memorial Hall and embarked into the mist with their candles.

According to Mir, a comedy event to benefit the South Asian earthquake victims is scheduled for December.