Sunday, September 30, 2018

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wheel chair rolling. Pedestrian strolling. Corner approaching. Two souls rendezvousing.
An uneasy feeling. Back pocket starts squealing. Wallet's revealing some ringgits for dealing.
Some gracious accepting. Lives intersecting. Good deeds compiling. God must be smiling.
[2011]

THE BACKSTORY ~ Posted on the 10th Anniversary of Geographically Yours, 4 August 2020: When I saw this transaction unfolding on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, I had to get to my camera fast. I knew something was taking place that everyone should see. I had to document it. Snap, snap, snap: Done. This is the way “almsgiving” works in a Muslim society. People take care of those who can’t easily take care of themselves, even if they are strangers. Just don’t call it charity! It is nothing “over and above”; it is the least that God expects. Here were a few seconds of performance art that made tangible one of the pillars of Islam. It reminded me so much of my studies and travels in the Arab World, where I met some of the kindest and most hospitable people anywhere. I am so glad I was quick on the draw with my point-and-shoot (so much more responsive than those old 35mm varieties I used to strap around my neck). After I returned home, I found the images here to be among my favorite mementoes. I liked the scene so much I wrote the poem above. D.J.Z.

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