Anita Creamer: No borders for caring, compassion

By Anita Creamer -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Friday, February 6, 2004

Without intending to, Assad Zamani has built a bridge between cultures, countries and religions, a bridge that links Sacramento with Iran, his homeland, which he left 30 years ago for a new life in America.

While he was studying computer science in Chico and establishing his career, first in the Bay Area, then in Sacramento, along came the Iranian hostage crisis and long years of distrust between the two countries, culminating when President Bush labeled Iran part of the "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union speech.

"But if we take away the layers, underneath we're all human," says Zamani, 57, a computer analyst. "That's what I've learned."

He became an American citizen, but he remains a citizen of the world, connected to people he's never met in ways that exceed international boundaries.

A Muslim, Zamani attends Sunday services at the interdenominational Spiritual Life Center in midtown Sacramento. It was there in November that he learned of the grim prognosis facing the Rev. Faith Moran, who founded the 700-member church five years ago with her husband, the Rev. Michael Moran.

Three years ago, Faith Moran began losing track in conversations. She became disorganized and unfocused.

Doctors initially diagnosed a stroke, then multiple sclerosis. Despite treatment, her symptoms worsened. Early this fall, the Mayo Clinic diagnosed her with posterior cerebellum atrophy, an untreatable and progressive condition leading to dementia.

"It's been a great gift, once I got over the shock, sadness and anger of it," says Moran, 58. "I'm more connected with God than I ever have been. And what a connection this has been with the congregation."

Assad Zamani was so upset at the news that he asked his sister, Farideh, a teacher in Tehran, to pray for Moran. In turn, she asked her class of 30 middle school girls to pray for this stranger as well.

Here they are, in pictures e-mailed from Tehran, raising their hands in supplication, holding framed photos of the Morans and another congregant, who has cancer. And here came letters from the girls, written in Farsi, which Zamani has translated.

"If one person in a corner of this huge universe is suffering, other people are concerned about them," wrote Elham.

"I told my mom, and we prayed for you," wrote Samira. "In the morning, when I woke up, I heard my mom during her prayers whispering to God and praying for you."

"These letters from these beautiful young girls just make me cry with gratitude," says Moran.

Yet Zamani wasn't finished building bridges.

The earthquake that rocked Bam, Iran, the day after Christmas caused enormous devastation. The magnitude-6.5 earthquake leveled most of the historic city in southeast Iran.

Thousands were trapped under the rubble, and thousands more died of exposure. The death toll now stands at more than 41,000.

Zamani, so far away from the country of his birth, called his brothers in Iran and asked how he could help.

They told him, he says, that earthquake victims were dying because doctors in nearby towns lacked enough beds and equipment to help them.

And so he began calling and e-mailing friends in America, asking for help.

Within days, he says, he'd raised more than $35,000 - and his brothers drove two truckloads of medical supplies from Tehran, setting up a surgery center with 30 hospital beds.

"The bridge has been both ways," Zamani says. "That's the beauty of it. Americans felt the pain of these earthquake victims and wanted to help. And my sister and her students felt for Faith's suffering. Every time mysister calls, she asks about her.

"Pain is pain."

And compassion is compassion, transcending the bounds of cultural, religious and political differences.

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