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AEI - Open Windows News
The
Kairos Palestine Document
The Arab Educational Institute supports
the Kairos Palestine document, released on
11/12/2009 in Bethlehem.
The following is from the news release
of the World Council of Churches:
A PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN CALL TO END
THE OCCUPATION
A
group of Palestinian Christians representing a
variety of churches and church-related
organizations have issued an animated and
prayerful call for an end to occupation of
Palestine by Israel.
The call, issued at a 11 December meeting in
Bethlehem, comes at a time when many
Palestinians believe they have reached a dead
end. It raises questions to the international
community, political leaders in the region, and
the churches worldwide about their contribution
to the Palestinian people's pursuit of freedom.
Even in the midst of "our catastrophe" the call
is described as a word of faith, hope and love.
Referred to as "The Kairos Palestine Document"
the call echoes a similar summons issued by
South African churches in the mid-1980s at the
height of repression under the apartheid regime.
That call served to galvanize churches and the
wider public in a concerted effort that
eventually brought the end of apartheid.
The authors of the Kairos Palestine Document,
among them Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah from
the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the
Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem Munib Younan, and
Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna of Sebastia
from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of
Jerusalem, have raised the challenge of the
urgency for peace with justice to religious and
political leaders in Palestinian and the Israeli
society, international community, and to "our
Christian brothers and sisters in the churches"
around the world. They believe that current
efforts in the Middle East are confined to
managing the crisis rather than finding
pertinent and long term solutions to the crisis.
Decrying empty promises
Expressing their pain, the signatories of the
call decry the emptiness of the promises and
pronouncements about peace in the region. They
remind the world about the separation wall
erected on Palestinian territory, the blockade
of Gaza, how Israeli settlements ravage their
land, the humiliation at military checkpoints,
the restrictions of religious liberty and
controlled access to holy places, the plight of
refugees awaiting their right of return,
prisoners languishing in Israeli prisons and
Israel's blatant disregard of international law,
as well as the paralysis of the international
community in the face of this tragedy.
Rejecting Israeli justifications for their
actions as being in self-defence, they
unambiguously state that if there were no
occupation, "there would be no resistance, no
fear and no insecurity."
They argue: "God created us not to engage in
strife and conflict but together build up the
land in love and mutual respect. Our land has a
universal mission, and the promise of the land
has never been a political programme, but rather
the prelude to complete universal salvation. Our
connectedness to this land is a natural right.
It is not an ideological or a theological
question only." They reject any use of the Bible
to legitimize or support political options and
positions that are based upon injustice.
Declaring the occupation of Palestinian land as
a sin against God and humanity, they steadfastly
adhere to the signs of hope such as "local
centres of theology" and "numerous meetings for
inter-religious dialogue", recognizing that
these signs provide hope to the resistance of
the occupation. Through the logic of peaceful
resistance, resistance is as much a right as it
is a duty as it has the potential to hasten the
time of reconciliation.
Asserting that this is a moment demanding
repentance for past actions, either for using
hatred as an instrument of resistance or the
willingness to be indifferent and absorbed by
faulty theological positions, the group calls on
the international community and Palestinians for
steadfastness in this time of trial. "Come and
see [so we can make known to you] the truth of
our reality", they appeal.
Poignantly, they conclude, "in the absence of
all hope, we cry out our cry of hope. We believe
in God, good and just. We believe that God's
goodness will finally triumph over the evil of
hate and of death that still persist in our
land. We will see here 'a new land' and 'a new
human being', capable of rising up in the spirit
to love each one of his or her brothers and
sisters."
The authors are:
Patriarch Michel Sabbah
Bishop Dr Munib Younan
Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna
Rev. Dr Jamal Khader
Rev. Dr Rafiq Khoury
Rev. Dr Mitri Raheb
Rev. Dr Naim Ateek
Rev. Dr Yohana Katanacho
Rev. Fr Fadi Diab
Dr Jiries Khoury
Ms Sider Daibes
Ms Nora Kort
Ms Lucy Thaljieh
Mr Nidal Abu Zulof
Mr Yusef Daher
Mr Rifat Kassis - coordinator of the
initiative
Media contact in Jerusalem:
Ranjan Solomon
+972-54-733-7857
Full text of the Kairos Palestine Document:
·
In
English
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2009pdfs/Kairos
Palestine_En.pdf
·
In
Arabic
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2009pdfs/Kairos
Palestine_Ar.pdf
·
Auf Deutsch
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2009pdfs/Kairos
Palestine_Ger.pdf
·
En
franηais
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2009pdfs/Kairos
Palestine_Fr.pdf
For the list of signatories:
http://kairospalestine.ps/?q=node/2
Churches in the Middle East: solidarity and
witness for peace:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3113
Additional information:
Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org |
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