By M
C Bah, Atlanta, GA-USA, former NDA Presidential Aspirant
Dr.
Sheik Omar Khan may not have come from Bethlehem in Palestine or Mecca in Saudi
Arabia; but he left an indelible message of human compassion, a unique character
of self-sacrifice and what it means to serve humanity even if it means losing
your “cherished life” as he once mentioned to reporters. Even a Sierra Leonean
who had never travelled to distance shores or not find his names on
international headlines before and never shake hands with Kings and Presidents
could save more than 100 lives by his simple God- fearing gift of an “agape
love” – a redemptive action that requires no return but genuine goodwill to
all.
In
the midst of this deadly virus, Dr. Sheik Umar Khan taught us what we can do as
Sierra Leoneans. That we can chose to only help our families, villages, towns
and tribesmen and then build a bleak future for our next generation or we can
confront our challenges and fears together and save many lives while
transforming our communities and nation into thriving centers of economic
development. Dr. Khan’s life on this earth reveals to us: we can be a blessing
to others by doing extraordinary things.
That
greatness is not who is the fastest runner at the Olympic games or the winners
at the battlefields, but who among us that can make the sheered sacrifice to
saving others from either ruthless tyranny, extreme poverty and the fight
against epidemic diseases like Ebola. Dr Khan is to the fight against Ebola
Virus in Sierra Leone as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was to the struggle
against racial inequality and social injustice in America. Both men were anointed
by God to take on an impossible task of changing the world and serving mankind.
Both men did not pass the age of 39 years old.
As we
mourned the passing of this great giant who led the war against the deadly
invasion of Ebola from the Eastern frontiers of Sierra Leone; we should never
forget that he did not die in vain. Dr. Khan’s life was the missile defense
system that prevented the viral onslaught of the Ebola against our innocent
people in Sierra Leone. Like the laser fever disease which he was also instrumental
in fighting against in Kenema and Tongo; God had prepared him for bigger
challenges to come. Sierra Leone could have been mercilessly overcome by the
first outbreak of Ebola without the gifted hands of this fearless and
courageous man.
If
Dr. Khan could talk to the heath workers today who are the first responders to
Ebola victims, he would say to them: my life is a lesson for you to continue
the fight and we can win if we do not despair and loss faith in ourselves. And
in the tragedy of diseases, our souls and characters are tested for human
elevation. That pain and suffering can be redemptive and it can shake the
unwanted settled behaviors to blossom to the best that good human deeds can
perfect. That a world without challenges will be a place where mistakes are
repeated and no lessons can be learned.
Dr.
Khan’s life will be forever stenciled in our national conscience not because of
how much money he may have in his bank accounts or the luxurious mansions he
may have and the beautiful family he left behind; it is his distinct human
courage and his act of unimaginable selflessness to lead us in our darkest days
as a worried nation. He may not have been buried in a tomb or witnessed state
funerals by the attendance of world leaders; but to many of us – he was our
Nelson Mandela who led the crusade against a ferocious epidemic that still
shivers the spine of an innocent people.
Like
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India who dined with people with leprosy and fed the
hungry, Dr. Khan epitomized the best that Sierra Leone can be. He was the
perfect soul that reminds us that our nation can be great if we show our true
human character of care and compassion to one another. I can hear Dr.Khan
saying to politicians today: do more to help our people. We are here on earth
for a short time – open labs centers in Jui and waterloo, train more nurses to
protect themselves against the virus, do more prevention and containment. We
can overcome Ebola.”
Indeed,
no single life has grief-stricken a nation like the passing of a man who has
shown us the way to be humble citizen of our sovereign nation. In his death, he
left behind a nation today that needs to practice his example of looking out
for the most vulnerable among us. That by eradicating poverty and diseases, we can
become a safer and more prosperous nation. But such ambitious works can be
achieved through the personality and character like what he has exemplified –
not greed and treacherousness, ego –centrism and contempt for ethnic diversity
– but a Sierra Leone that produces more Dr. Omar Khans – who are not afraid to
die in saving the lives of others.
May
your soul rest in peace, Doctor and May God protect your family forever. And
May God bless Sierra Leone.
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