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UN International Day of Prayer For PEACE
Monday, September 24, 2006
In cooperation with the NCOB
(National Christian Organizations in
Bethlehem), the AEI-Open Windows
organized and celebrated the
anniversary of the UN International
Day of Prayer for Peace. The
celebration took place on Monday the
24th September 2007, at the AEI
Sumud/ Peace house, which is
situated near the Separation Wall,
between Rachel's Tomb/ Bilal bin
Rabah Mosque and the Israeli
terminal to the north of Bethlehem.
Bishop 'Atallah Hanna, the Orthodox
Arch Bishop of Sebastian, and Shaikh
Dr. Tayseer Tamimi, High Judge in
Palestine and the President of the
High Judiciary Council. Dr. Victor
Batarsah, Mayor of the Municipality
of Bethlehem, and Mr. Abdallah
Shakarnah, Director of the Ministry
of Higher education office in
Bethlehem, and Mr. Dwin Capstick,
Ecumenical Accompanier of the EAPPI/
Word Council of Churches, and
representatives of the NCOB network
and a delegation from popular
committee in Beli'in were among the
attendees.
The
celebration started with the
National Anthem and a-one minute
silence and prayers from the Holy
Qura'n read by Hasan Faraj and form
the Holy Bible read by Silvana
Giacaman. Mr. Nidal Abu Al Zulof,
the coordinator of the NCOB,
welcomed the attendees and said:
"The whole world, with its civil and
religious bodies, celebrates the UN
International Day of Prayer for
Peace, and pray for freedom, peace
and human dignity. On this occasion,
we the Palestinians in the Holy
Land, join our prayers and unified
voice calling for freedom, peace and
the dignity of the human being. We
pray with all nations who fight
against injustice, suppression,
oppression, poverty, and occupation.
He declared the forming of a
coalition of Christian organizations
in Palestine to motivate and
activate the role of the church in
the world, in order to have an
influencing role on decision makers
for prevailing peace in our
countries".
Bishop 'Atallah Hanna said: "here,
we are gathering at the entrance of
the city of Bethlehem to pray for
peace and recall the great event of
the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who came to spread the values of
love, tolerance and brotherhood
among nations." He added: "we pray
to end occupation and dismantle
checkpoints and the separation wall,
which prevent people from traveling
freely from one place to another. We
pray for justice and peace that is
fair to our people and gives us
peace, security, freedom and
independence. We also pray for the
unity of the Palestinian people
especially after the turbulence and
division." He confirmed: "our
country in one and our people is one
and our cause is one". He greeted
Bel'in villagers for the
steadfastness in defending their
lands from the persecutors.
Shaikh Dr. Tayseer Tamimi echoed
Bishop Hanna; "this land is blessed
for it is the cradle of the
monotheistic religions, and we are
here in this city of the birth place
of Jesus Christ which lacks peace
like any other district in
Palestine. So we appeal to God to
make peace prevail". He highlighted
the construction of the separation
wall, and the occupation repressive
actions in confiscating the land,
and stealing the human dignity. He
also greeted the heroes of Bel'in
and called for the national unity to
the Palestinian people with all its
political factions and social
sections. "National unity is our
weapon against the occupiers, and
with unity we can establish our
country and Jerusalem as its
capital." He denounced the Israeli
soldiers preventing people from
praying at Al Aqsa mosque and the
Holy Sepulcher church in Jerusalem.
He demanded all the brothers in Gaza
to stop all the actions that lead to
fragmentation and to return to their
conscious. He also added: "we are
against fragmentation and division
and we have to reunite all our
national and Islamic powers". On the
other hand, he talked proudly about
the Christian/ Moslem living
together and mentioned the Omarian
Covenant as a strong example on
that: "We as Christians and Moslems
work together to get rid of
occupation and to obtain freedom and
independence". Finally, he asked the
world to support the Palestinian
people and to implement the
international legitimate
resolutions.
Mr.
Dwin Capstick – ecumenical
accompanier- delivered a speech on
behalf of the EAPPI/ World Council
of Churches. He expressed his
empathy to what the Palestinian
people suffer from, especially from
the Separation Wall. He pointed to
the importance of the non-violent
resistance and finally he prayed for
peace.
Some youths read wishes and prayers
for peace. Then Artas Folkloric
center performed Dabkah (Palestinian
Folkloric Dance), which was followed
by a candle light vigil around the
area which is surrounded by walls
from different directions. This
activity ended with an Iftar meal
where some of the participants
especially the Moslems were invited
together with the Orthodox Bishop
and Shaikh Tayseer Tamimi.
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