The majlis: Representing the UAE on a Spirit of Peace trip to Japan

Aisha Al Ameer with students in Aso, Japan. Courtesy Aisha Al Ameer

I was recently chosen to represent the UAE on a Spirit of Peace trip to Japan – an initiative of Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, a member of the Ajman royal family who’s fondly known as the “Green Sheikh”.

I was part of a team of Emirati peace ambassadors who travelled there to provide support to the people of Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture. In April, the city was struck by a series of earthquakes, the most serious of which had a magnitude of 7.0. Dozens of lives were lost and thousands of buildings, including historical places such as Kumamoto Castle and Aso Shrine, were damaged. More than 44,000 people were evacuated from their homes and are currently living in shelters provided by the Japanese government.

Four Emirati women, including myself, were chosen to accompany Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who said he had focused on selecting women he believed held influence within their own communities and could do so around the world.

Our visit involved aid and ­cultural-exchange activities, and also included meetings with influential Japanese figures such as astronauts Mamoru Mohri and Naoko Yamazaki, who shared their experiences in space.

To me, this experience was an amazing journey. To be introduced to a different culture and meet people who share the same values makes you realise how small the world is.

It was a pleasure to meet some of the people in the shelters and share some emotional moments with them – people who lost their homes and some who lost family members.

Aside from the gratitude and sense of worth we received, it was also beautiful to be so close to nature, including the largest active volcano in Japan, Mount Aso. And the region is rich in nature and full of peaceful, lovely people.

One of the most unforgettable memories was visiting ­Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center in Tokyo, before heading to ­Kumamoto. There, we experienced a simulation of an earthquake of the magnitude the people of Aso experienced, so that we could understand the fear and damage on the same scale. Before that, a video was shown about past earthquakes in Japan and how the country had learnt to overcome these kinds of crises.

The Japanese people are a ­living example of the power of unity, overcoming challenges by working as one.

In this context, Islam comes from a place of peace and this is the message we want to spread. Being one, united and working together for peace, should be our mission always. As Prophet ­Mohammed said: “Believers are like a building whose different parts support each other.”

Aisha Al Ameer is an Emirati adventurer and motivational speaker.

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