Taverna du Liban, Kabul

 I like many expats have dined in the Taverna du Liban in Kabul, a mini haven of normality in the midst of so much confusion. You can read the reviews on Trip Advisor.
I remember going there with the ORA team in Kabul, and on many other occasions. Good food,  good company, good atmosphere....  
So it was a with a  real sense of shock that we heard of the suicide bombing and the death of 21 at the restaurant.  BBC's Lyse Douset also wrote a piece about Kamal,  the cafe owner who died trying to defend his restaurant.

An Afghan friend of mine, now living in the US wrote the following on Facbook - he used to be involved in running a coffee shop in Kabul himself .....

I stumbled across a tweet seconds after the cowardly attack on Taverna Du Liban restaurant this morning (night time in Kabul). My millisecond instinct reaction has taken me to ‘chaila’ days – fears like today (of what happened at Taverna) has robbed many nights with the question, threat and fear hanging on the back of my mind “what if they…”
As I was thinking about the horror of today’s atrocity, it took me back to the time we’ve decided for ‘chaila’ to remain in people’s memory than a physical reality.
Call it downheartedness of today’s event or nostalgia (already) of good ol' days, Taverna was a beautiful corner of Kabul with incredible hospitality and food. Last time I arrived to pick up a food order, I was early. I parked the car on the opposite corner of the restaurant and turned the car off to take a short nap (it was late evening). I opened my eyes with the sound of a knock-knock on the window - the guard asked if I was waiting for a guest inside to which I replied “no”. “I am here”, I said, “to pick up my order and I’m 30 minutes early”. “Go check inside… they might have it ready for you!” said the guard. I went inside paid the bill and while waiting for the food to come, Kamal brought me a glass of fresh pomegranate juice -- “Drink this while you are waiting, Sedi’i” and we both sat and chatted.

 I read that Kamal picked up his gun to defend his guests and died on the first few minutes of the firefight with these two cold-blooded Talib assailants. But there was also another gentleman who didn’t get a chance to defend his guests. His name was Kramuddin. He was 35 years old and father of five girls and one boy – the youngest 3 months old. His income was Afs 10,000 – roughly $170 per month and he was the sole breadwinner of the family. He was one of the guards at the entrance gate and died on the initial suicide attack. Most likely everyone who went to the Lebanese Restaurant saw him at the gate but may not know his name.

Once again, I’m speechless of what humans are capable of doing in the name of God.
A few days ago, I read a poem which resonates with what has happened today. It loosely translates to:

“They search for You in hundreds of colours
And in deceit and cunning
They seek You with spears in wars
In this place, they are looking for You in a rock
You give life, but here…
They take lives and call it your dictum!”

My Daily Newspaper

 My Guardian:  This must be my favourite song at present  

 '

'You go before me, my Guardian' by Ben Cantelon #Guardian. We sing it a lot @CCWoking. You can hear it/ watch it on YouTube http://t.co/jnU9V5K5

King of love and grace
My Guardian
All my hopes and fears
Are in Your hands
I'm in Your hands

Where You go I'll go
Show me the way
Every step I take
Be now my guide
God on my side

You go before me
You're there beside me
And if I wander
Love will find me

Goodness and mercy
Will always follow
You go before me
My Guardian

When I hear You say
Trust in the way
I will walk by faith
And not by sight
God of my life

So let Your kingdom come
Your will be done
All Your promises will stand forever
You're my defender

You go before me
You're there beside me
And if I wander
Love will find me

Goodness and mercy
Will always follow
You go before me
My Guardian

You are God
Our Great defender
Strong in love
Forever faithful
We are Yours
And we will trust in You
(x2)

You go before me
You're there beside me
And if I wander
Love will find me
Goodness and mercy
Will always follow
You go before me
My Guardian

My Guardian

Wandering4theloveofGod

I wanted to change the words a bit - in fact I do sing the chorus slightly differently. The song implies there is something wrong with wandering. I suppose it is talking about wandering astray. But I do it (wander I mean) all the time. As you can see, my blog is called wandering4theloveofGod. 'Peregrinate pro Dei Amore'.   To me 'wandering is a good thing, it is part of our pilgrimage and involves being attentive to the winds of the spirit guiding us.

So I now sing:

You go before me
You're there beside me
And when I wander
Love will guide me 

Goodness and mercy
Will always follow
You go before me
My Guardian

I mentioned to a friend that this song is like me, left of centre and couldn't imagine an equivalent 'My Telegraph'. So during the service at the back of church (which is a very creative space!) he wrote the following:

My Lord, my God,
You hear my prayer
You listen to what I have to say
And in the silence     
When I'm listening                           
You speak to me
We talk both ways
My Telegraph 

 

Now I'm thinking of maybe a whole series on My Newspaper........   

In fact I seem to remember a conference I went to (Spring Harvest?) organising different streams based on Newspaper titles.

So how about 'my Mirror' (I Cor 13:12 or James 1:23?), 'my Sun' (of Righteousness? Mal 4:2)  'my Daily Mail' ( a bit like Daily bread readings), 'my Times' (1 Chron 12:32?), 'my Independent' (I Cor 11:11??) 

Any poetic contributions welcome.... 

Francisco d'Andrade, Reading a Newspaper

 

Simpson Saga 2011-12 Annual Newsletter

I'm trying something new this year and uploading our SimpsonSaga as a picture (jpgs)   I think you can just click on it to read it larger. This is just the front page of a 4 page newsletter.  I have not put it all up since it is personal. If you would like a copy send me an email phil_simpsonCMS@mac.com We will then send a copy as a pdf. I want to also see if I can do it as a download somewhere like dropbox or on a website  (any ideas?). Worth a try..... 


POSTSCRIPT  (3 Feb 2013)
SAGA2012 click on the link and see our family newsletter SimpsonSaga 11-12 via #Dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jmxjq0uyqbvvy8v/dSp1y0sngV/SAGA2012.pdf
its pretty tongue-in-cheek! 

"a flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome"

You will probably have heard of the 9 year old schoolgirl who started a blog about school dinners called 'NeverSeconds: One primary school pupil's daily dose of school dinners'. . It was very simply comments and a photo about her daily intake at midday. and a very fair assessment 




Then Jamie Oliver commented and people started sending in photos of their school dinners and she started raising funds for a school feeding programme, Mary's Meals in Malawi  and so it grew.....

But then she was banned from taking photos of her school meals and the Twittersphere and Blogosphere took on the council. The council backed down and it was all reported in the National press.  At the time of writing her blog has had nearly 5 million hits and rising fast.  Its a real demonstration of the power of social media (and of course local and national press)


All I could think of was the words from the musical 'Les Miserables' sung by little Gavroche:  "a flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome"






you can read all the words to the song here

GAVROCHE
They laugh at me, these fellas,
Just because I am small
They laugh at me because I'm not hundred feet tall!
I tell 'em there's a lot to learn down here on the ground
The world is big, but little people turn it around!

A worm can roll a stone
A bee can sting a bear
A fly can fly around Versailles
'Cos flies don't care!
A sparrow in a hut
Can make a happy home
A flea can bite the bottom
Of the Pope in Rome!

Goliath was a bruiser who was tall as the sky.
But David threw a right and gave him one in the eye.
I never read the Bible but I know that it's true
It only goes to show what little people can do!

ALL
A worm can roll a stone
A bee can sting a bear
A fly can fly around Versailles
'Cos flies don't care!
A sparrow in a hut
Can make a happy home
A flea can bite the bottom
Of the Pope in Rome!

GAVROCHE
So listen here professor,
With your head in the cloud.
It's often kind of useful
To get lost in the crowd.
So keep your universities
I don't give a damn
For better or for worse it is
The way that I am!

Be careful where you go
'Cos little people grow...

And little people know
When little people fight
We may look easy pickings but we got some bite!
So never kick a dog because he's just a pup
You better run for cover when the pup grows up!

And we'll fight like twenty armies
And we won't give up

ALL
A worm can roll a stone
A bee can sting a bear
A fly can fly around Versailles
'Cos flies don't care!
A sparrow in a hut
Can make a happy home
A flea can bite the bottom
Of the Pope in Rome!

well done little one.....  don't lose your bite.....
 

Street Angels: now a part of 'Big Society'

It has just been announced that Street Angels has been awarded the Prime Ministers 'Big Society' Award.  This being received by Paul Blakely MBE of Halifax Street angels who pioneered the approach,  which is now operating in 100 towns and cities across UK (including Woking)
Woking Street Angels also got an honourable mention in the House of Commons by Woking's conservative MP, Jonathan Lord, during a  debate on Hackney Carriages.

This blog's painting is loosely based on Van Gogh's Angel, in Oil Pastel......  another Angel keeping watch at night.....    I've not blogged about Street Angels for a while but have been out 3-4 times this year so far. So come reflections on the evenings...... 

Sat 31st December  New Years's Eve
a night of 2 halves (as often is the case)  of partying and fun up to around 1 or 2 am with incidents forming the sting in the tail after 2 and 3 am.

An African man was frolicking on the wall outside Woking Station under the Canopy, running along recklessly. I was concerned he might stumble and hurt himself so went to talk to him.  He got into a quarrel with a couple  and was pulled down from the wall onto his head (a very loud cracking sound!) by a passer-by who was not involved at all. It seemed to me to be a moment of blatant racism.
The Police cordoned off the area because it was a potential GBH.  I had to go and give a statement to what I had witnessed and left my fellow angels to stay with the injured man and wait for the ambulance.   I later learned it had not arrived for some reason and the police had taken him to the hospital in a van for a check up. I had no idea what happened to him, and feared the worse.

 New Year's Night:  'All is calm. all is bright' 

 Friday 13thJanuary 

I like the new Outside lights jackets - they really do glow in the dark!  Outside lights set up a table under the Station Canopy and serve free teas and coffees. They are also available to chat and talk about issues of faith. They are a great complement to the walk-about service of the Street Angels.
As for the evening itself,  the highlight was being sung to by an elderly traveller who had an excellent voice and a real twinkle in his eye.  

Outside Lights glow in the Dark

Friday 3rd February
Very Cold night - we think it was around  -6 degrees. It was so cold,  some youngsters even wore coats!  So we changed the pattern to one hour out and half hour in just to keep warm.  We  helped one very cold  girl, with a blanket and eventually managed to get her into a taxi, and she definitely did not want her boyfriend to follow.
We witnessed a fight outside Spec Savers - a bunch of blokes making a spectacle of themselves
As usual we gave out lollipops which seemed to cheer people up in the cold.  There was quite a lot of broken glass around which we ended up cleaning up.   Definitely decided hand-warmers would be a great idea and maybe even a hip flask !  Team 2's pedometer recorded 8.6 miles walked during the night shift - no wonder it was quite tiring.
The Quake had a Goth Night with about  800 youngsters, who dispersed like smoke at the witching hour.
One great relief for me was meeting Mohinda from Congo, the guy who had been pulled from the wall on New Yera's eve. He said he'd hurt his hand and not his head whihc he claimed was made of iron! However he did have a big scar on his forehead. He also tended to talk a lot about nothing, definatley not right in the head .....

Minus 6 at night:  A cold and frosty morning

Friday 16th March
The majority of the evening centred around Agnes, a young woman from Poland, who was seen by one of the Angels sitting with her two pink suitcases.   She had been kicked out of her cousin's after  a dispute over money and could not return and was intent on getting the bus back to Poland on Sunday (it does a pick up in Woking!)  She did not have quite enough money for the bus (it costs £75) nor for anywhere to stay. She'd been hoping to sit in a waiting room at the Station til the morning and go to her agency and see if she could get some more cash.   Different Angels spent most of the night talking to her  under the canopy or in MacDonald's  and guarding her luggage. Also trying different hotels and B&B's. The Police were in a similar position of being concerned but not being able to act.  We were all using smart phones to surf the Internet for solutions.

Eventually someone put her up in Holiday Inn (not on our usual circuit) and we encouraged her to come to Christchurch the following day to talk more, after she's been to her employment agency.    An unfinished story -  which highlighted her vulnerability, and also the lack of facilities to sit and keep warm in Woking in the wee hours of the morning.

No room at the Inn

For me these evenings highlight the effectiveness of the ministy and the contribution Street Angels make to the Big Society. It also illustrates some of the gaps there are that need plugging....

Shaken, not stirred

A personal reflection on the UN killings in Afghanistan



"Diatribe never gets anywhere"





(Painting: © Phil Simpson/CMS)



This article is from the CMS website
The painting is an oil pastel I did, based on the photo used, which was taken by Simon in Korea



I followed the events in Afghanistan with shock and horror. The brutal murders in Mazar-e-Sherif and then protests in Kandahar and Jelalabad – all in response to a fundamentalist pastor in Florida and the ‘trial and execution’ of the Qur'an.

The image of the burning Qur'an inflamed minds all around the Muslim world.

It struck me that the Bible could similarly be tried and found wanting, because it is how the text is interpreted and (mis)used that is the real issue.

Unfortunately, careful debate of our sacred texts is not a factor in these situations. What concerns me is the typical pattern of people in the mosque on a Friday being stirred up by the preaching to retaliate.

What may start as a peaceful protest so easily escalates and gets out of control (and the same dynamic happens in London when students take to the streets to protest against tuition fees) until you have a frenzied crowd seeking revenge. That appears to be what happened in Mazar.

What is needed but so sadly lacking in Afghanistan is interfaith dialogue – even more than the usual condemnation of such provocative acts as the Florida Qur'an burning. The trouble with such condemnation is that it provokes an equal and opposite response. And leads to escalation.

Diatribe it seems to me never gets anywhere.

CMS is involved with partner organisations in Afghanistan and has been for many years. There are team members working there in various humanitarian roles. I have visited many times over the past 15 years and seen their excellent work.

One of our people based in Mazar-e-Sherif wrote shortly after the crowd stormed the UN compound and killed staff there:

“We are ok. Shaken up but ok. Gunfire all afternoon off and on. We are staying inside and just waiting to see what will happen. Really devastating that so many UN workers were killed in such a terrible way, so brutally…. It changes how you view people. I am sick of all this senseless killing. The building was our side of town, some people one street away had bullets land in their garden. We will probably just keep a low profile for a few days while the facts of what happened comes out.”

That’s the problem with senseless killing – it makes you sick, tired and weary and can erode your commitment. 'Compassion fatigue' can apply to workers as well as donors.

Like the apostle Paul, we are at a loss to understand but not despairing (2 Cor 4:8–9). Shaken by events but not stirred up to participate in the cycle of revenge.

The challenge is to ‘hope against hope’ and to just keep going.

Afghan girl receives enduring heart award

You remember the TIME article about an Afghan girl disfigured by the Taleban and left to die

It was very contraversial in the way the picture was used politically. However the 19 year girl, Aisha, has now received a new prosthetic nose and is all smiles.

All was revealed at a ceremony where she recieved an 'Enduring Heart award'

You can read all about it

Disfigured Afghan teenager smiles again and also

The smile that defies the Taliban: Afghan teenager whose mutilated face shocked the world unveils her new image

It's a small victory for humanity in the face of oppression. a case of 'cutting of a nose' which has now 'spited the face' of the Taleban.

Tangmarg School: before and after

The beautful Tangmarg school BEFORE

And AFTER !

We had a day of fasting prayer in the Diocese (Report below). Thank you for praying with us.
I have attached a heart-breaking photo of Tangmarg school after it was burnt. Please share with other friends!

+ Samantaroy

Responding to a call by Bp.P.K.Samantaroy, fasting prayers were observed throughout the diocese from morning till 4:00 p.m. Pastors, field workers, the diocesan office staff, teachers and lay men and women totaling above 100 assembled in the St.Paul’s Church, Amritsar and spent time in prayer, singing and reflection. The participants were seen emotionally moved as they prayed for peace in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. A candlelight dedication prayer marked the closing of the fasting prayer during which people committed themselves to stick to Christian values and to work for peace. The Bishop and a few leaders met the D.C. of Amritsar and handed over a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of India. The participants broke their fast with tea and snacks over an informal fellowship.

Tragedy in Kashmir

I received the following from the Bishop of Amritsar about the school in Tangmarg. I quote it in full because it sets the context so well:

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings to you from Amritsar! Today was a very special day for me. In the midst of receiving greetings and messages for my birthday I got a horrifying message from Parwez that the Tangmarg branch of Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson was vandalized and set on fire. I was shocked and immobilized for few moments not willing to believe what I had just heard. I was even hopeful that the fire brigade would be able to reach the School and save it from devastation. But the unexpected happened. The whole school building got completely burnt destroying everything in it. We have lost the most beautiful school of the Diocese. However, I thank God for there was no human casualty. The few support staff who were present in the School managed to run away to safety in time.

This ghastly incident was a result of a rumor that was deliberately spread to announce an alleged burning of copies of Quran in the U.S.A. There were few other incidents of attacks on church. Last night a C.N.I. Church was burnt in Malerkotla (Chandigarh Diocese) and a Roman Catholic Church was attacked in Poonch (Jammu) but the police successfully prevented any damage to the Church.

I have written letters to the President, Prime Minister and other high officials to take steps to give adequate protection to the Christians of J & K. apart from informing the C.N.I. Synod office, friends and partners. I request you to write letters to the Prime Minister of India urging him to take appropriate action.

The Tangmarg School building is gone but not our hope and confidence. I thank God for the gift of this challenge to rebuild on my birthday. I know my limitations. But I believe your prayers will cause a storm in heaven and invite God’s intervention in the Kashmir situation.

It is a time to pray and act together.

+Samantaroy

Diocese of Amritsar

Kashmir school principal on burning of Tangmarg school

Mr Parwez Kaul, head of the Tyndale-Biscoe and Mallinson schools, speaks on the shocking arson attack

LISTEN HERE

"We ask everyone to pray for us around the world," he says. "In Kashmir we are used to facing challenges, this the worst challenge I have been forced to face."

The sound quality is far from excellent, but we wanted you to hear the voice of those involved.

a school in Kashmir burnt in reaction to a pastor in Florida

Ed Lorenz famously said that a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon and there is a Hurricane on the other side of the world. (1972 “Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas?”) A threat of burning a Koran by a small town pastor of a tiny congregation in Florida and the next thing you know there are riots in Kabul and then in Kashmir schools being burnt. It is worth noting that this is a supposed 'reaction' or response to the proposed 'Koran Burnings' that did not actually happen. Fighting fire with fire just does not make sense to me.

I received a number of messages about the Tyndale Biscoe School in Tangmarg. I visited it a couple of months ago and it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip - seeing the kids reherse a cultural performance they were doing for their proud parents. And a real sense of bringing education to remote under-served areas where it was most needed. I remember two young girls I spoke to during the tea break and their dream to be doctors..... Now all such dreams are on hold.

I include some of the messages as I received them and the unfolding story of this senseless waste.....

Bishop Pradeep Samantaroy of Amritsar writes:

following the Quaran burning threats in America, the Tangmarg branch of the Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson Educational Society in Jammu and Kashmir has been put on fire. Curfew has been imposed. Even as this message is being typed, the school building is still burning! Kindly pray that peace will be restored soon and that nobody is hurt.

Read more from the local press in Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Observer

LATEST UPDATE:

S. Samantaroy The School students are not hurt. The building has totally burnt down. It was entirely made of wood. Though the officials were informed of a possible attack and requested for safety there was no action taken. The mob even stopped the fire brigade from reaching the spot. We are yet to procure a photograph. We will keep you updated.

Bishop Pradeep Samantaroy I am heart broken because I was involved with the Tangmarg School from the time we selected the land. I saw the building built and the School grow and flourish with committed staff and beautiful Kashmiri children. The School was more like a beautiful garden. How can I see it turn to ashes? The students are crying because they learnt their School is no more.

Faith on the move: myDiocese app for i-phone

I have just downloaded the new MyDiocese app for i-phone, with news from CofE and a number of Diocese - including my own Guildford. To try it out (its FREE) just go to i-tunes or apps on your i-phone

There are 4 main areas:

1 home page (with a daily reading) :

2 News (from CofE and particpating diocese - Oxford not yet one of them)

3 Faith (services, resources etc)

4 Community (find churches)

you can read more on the Guldford diocese media release

It's what you might call 'Faith on the move'

10 Murdered Medical Aid workers in Afghanistan

From top left, Glen D. Lapp, Tom Little, Dan Terry, Thomas Grams, Cheryl Beckett,

Brian Carderelli, Karen Woo, Daniela Beyer, Mahram Ali, and Jawed

I have been following the news about the Noor Eye Camp team which was murdered - gunned down in fact - after they had trekked into and out of Nooristan and were returning to Kabul via a 'safer route' through Badakhshan. Below are the news reports as I posted them via Twitter feed and Facebook Updates. You can click on the links to see the newspaper reports:

Eight foreign medics & 2 afghans executed by Taliban | Raw Story: http://bit.ly/b6WgMd - tragic deaths of charity workers

07 August at 15:30

10 Aid Workers, Including 6 Americans, Killed in Afghanistan: Photo: AP An international Christian charity says mi... http://bit.ly/bi9bx8

07 August at 15:36

RT @cmsmission RT @AlertNet: Eight foreign medical workers killed in #Afghanistan http://ow.ly/2mkGb #aid #health #aidworkers

07 August at 15:40

Very saddened by News of killing of 10 Noor workers returning from eyecamps. Been thinking about it all day. I knew the leader Dr Tom well

07 August at 22:25

RT @journeytosmile Murdered medics: Was the Taliban responsible? Or was it Nuristani bandits http://bit.ly/9FL2DO

08 August at 14:22

BBC Tributes paid to Dr Karen Woo killed in Afghan ambush http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10907188 - 'a true hero'

08 August at 19:14

Reading @cbsnews: Afghan Medical Mission Ends In Death For 10: http://bit.ly/dtrOe2 - a helpful summary report. I knew Dr Tom well. very sad

08 August at 19:25

‎'Little family in Afghanistan' http://www.viiphoto.com/detailStory.php? news_id=566 a photo essay on the 'Little Family' with a BIG impact

08 August at 19:28

Slain Workers Undaunted by Risks, Friends Say http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/world/asia/08aidworkers.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp

08 August at 19:46

Afghan politician Abdullah praises killed medics http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10908807. He trained under Dr Tom Little.

08 August at 21:47

Libby Little talking about Noor's work http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/08/afghanistan.aid.widow/index.html#fbid=kaoRmsBmehv&wom=false

08 August at 23:29

‎'Victims of Afghan massacre gave years of service' http://bit.ly/bz6bRp very good background on the Nuristan team

09 August at 11:15

http://www.iam-afghanistan.org/ Just realised Cheryl was one of those killed! http://www.iam-afghanistan.org/press_release_2/photos.html

09 August at 18:08

AP Exclusive: Aid workers' last moments http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

12 August at 09:00

Ten Dead in Badakhshan: Four Afghan Reflections http://aan-afghanistan.com/index.asp?id=970

12 August at 9.01

'Killing aid workers: unravelling Afghan society' Michael Semple http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0809/1224276416553.html

12 August at 11:05

In Kabul, a Service for Slain Aid Workers http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/scenes-from-a-memorial-service-for-slain-aid-workers/

13 August at 14.00