October 24, 2005 Source: University of Toronto:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051024-1739.asp Earthquake victims remembered Speakers call for aid to devastated area
Oct 24/05
by Michah Rynor (about) (email) The Soldiers’ Tower carillon rang mournfully over the St. George campus Oct. 21 while the soft sounds of sitar and tabla music wafted throughout the halls of Hart House. Students, faculty and staff filed quietly into the Great Hall for a noon-hour service to remember the victims of the recent South Asian earthquake. The Oct. 8 quake flattened villages, destroyed urban infrastructures and killed an estimated 80,000 people. It also left millions homeless and without the basic necessities for survival. Ghalib Iqbal, the Pakistani consul general in Toronto, urged those in attendance at the memorial to give whatever they could, stating that tents and medicine -- along with food and water -- were two urgent priorities for his government. Safiyyah Ally, communications director of the Muslim Students’ Association, wondered aloud why this tragedy wasn’t getting the same level of public support and donations that other disasters this year have garnered. Professor David Farrar, vice-provost (students), Professor Chelva Kanaganayakam, director of U of T’s South Asian studies program, and Nouman Ashraf, the university’s anti-racism and cultural diversity officer, also spoke. Music was provided by Professor James Kippin (on tabla) and Anwar Khurshid, director of the Sitar School of Toronto. The service was sponsored by a number of student organizations and U of T’s anti-racism and cultural diversity office. "A lot of people came to the Pakistani Students’ Federation to see what was being done so we tried to get together as many groups on campus as we could to show that we have student support," said Raza Siddiqui, federation co-president and a third-year commerce student who helped co-ordinate the service and a candlelight vigil later that evening. "Basically, we wanted to pay our respects to those who have died and to raise awareness. We’re in the process of setting up booths to collect donations at different locations around campus along with other student groups who are planning dinners, concerts and walk-a-thons to raise funds. The situation is getting worse and worse and the quake victims will have a hard time surviving with winter setting in and temperatures getting colder so we need people to come out and support us now." For up-to-date information on fundraising events, visit the Pakistani Students’ Federation website at psf.sa.utoronto.ca. A fundraising breakfast for South Asian relief, Wake to the Quake, is scheduled for Oct. 26 from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. in the main lounge of the Munk Centre for International Studies.
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