Freedom to Worship: A Call of the Churches
We, the undersigned Christian organizations and churches, stand with the churches of Palestine in their rejection of recent restrictions on their religious freedoms and the attacks on their houses of worship, cemeteries, and clergy.
One of the highlights of Passion Week is the Ceremony of Lights on Holy Saturday, where people gather together in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher with unlit candles and lanterns as they wait for the priest to emerge from the empty tomb with two candles carrying the Holy Fire. The fire is then passed from one believer to the next, throughout the streets and to various communities, and even to other churches in Palestine. The fire is even flown to Cyprus and Greece, where it is met with prayers and jubilation. During the Ceremony of the Holy Fire this year, the Israeli police arbitrarily restricted the number of worshippers in the Church, which can hold 10,000 worshipers, to a mere 1800 (with 1200 more in the courtyard) and physically prevented many worshippers from reaching the holy site to participate in the ceremony. They also canceled, without explanation, the permits they had previously issued to 700 Gazan Christians to come to Jerusalem for this occasion. The Greek Patriarchate rejected the excuse of the Israeli authorities that this was a safety measure, pointing out that there has never been a stampede or serious incident during this ceremony for centuries.
These heavy handed restrictions and deviations from the historic Status Quo Agreement came on the heels of a sharp increase in attacks on Christian Churches, cemeteries, and clergy by Jewish fanatics. An Anglican cemetery was recently desecrated; another church was vandalized, and the statues of the virgin Mary and Christ were broken and smashed to the ground by a Jewish fanatic. The Armenian Convent was also vandalized, as hateful anti-Christian messages were spray painted on its walls. Christian nuns and clergy report multiple incidents of being attacked, humiliated, and spat on by Jewish settlers, particularly in the Old City of Jerusalem. The current government seems to handle such incidents, where the perpetrators are usually known or briefly arrested, with tolerance and timidity, and many fanatics feel that they have powerful representatives favoring their views within the current government, particularly its Minister of Police and other officials. These attacks seem to mirror other restrictions and attacks on the Al Aqsa Mosque and attempts by Jewish extremists to alter the sensitive arrangements governing access to these Holy Places.
Despite public announcements that it will respect the religious freedom of all groups, and that it does not intend to alter the Status Quo Agreement, the behavior of the current government and the public pronouncements of some of its ministers are a source of serious concern. The impunity with which such attacks have been met must end, and the Israeli authorities must realize that there is a price to be paid for failure to respect the religious freedom of all people, including Christians.
We call on all churches to stand in solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land and we call on our elected representatives to communicate these concerns directly to the Israeli government.
The political situation in the Holy land is precarious enough and we should not enable religious zealots and fanatics to inflame matters and use the power and control of the Israeli Government over the Holy Sites to disrespect the religious rights of others in their attempt to assert domination and control.
Respectfully,
The Undersigned
Organizational Endorsements:
Americans Committed to Justice and Truth
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Antiochian Orthodox Church of North America
Beit Sahour USA
Christian Council of Delmarva
Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace in Israel/Palestine
Cleveland Chapter of Irish Northern Aid
Community Peacemaker Teams
Coventry Deanery Justice & Peace Group
Dallas Palestine Coalition
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio
Friends of Mariam Inc.
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
Interfaith Council for Peace in the Middle East
Iowans for a Free Palestine
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Joining Hands for Justice in Palestine/Israel
Lauren Faith Smith Ministry for Nonviolence
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network
NorCal Sabeel
Palestinian American Organizations Network
Palestinian Christian Alliance for peace
Pax Christi - Deutsche Sektion e.V.
Pax Christi England and Wales
Pax Christi Gruppe Oldenburg
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi New York State
Pax Christi Northern CA
Pax Christi USA
St. Louis Friends of Bethlehem
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain
First United Methodist Church Boulder - Supporters for Palestine Peace with Justice
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Hapton Methodist Church
Hope 4 All Interfaith Community
Northeast Kingdom Quaker Meeting
Royal Palm Christian Church (DOC)
St. Columba Catholic Church
Trinity Episcopal Church, Asbury Park, NJ
Valley View Church
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Individual Endorsements:
Bo Fauth, FOSNA, Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network, Co-Chair
Curtis Marwood, The United Church of Canada, Reverend
David Benedict, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Reverend
Ghassan Tarazi, Ravensworth Baptist Church
John Anderson, Israel/Palestine Mission Network PC(USA)-Bay Area
Rev. Dr. Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Director Marina Bühler-Miko, Muslim Voice for Peace & Reconciliation "MVPR"
Merle Showers, University United Methodist Church Buffalo, Reverend
Newland Smth Smith, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Evanston, IL
Randall Heyn-Lamb, Episcopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network, Steering Committee Member
Rev. Gail Bennett, Episcopal Church, Reverend
Rev. Anne Hoganson, United Church of Canada, Reverend
Rev. Dr. FAHED Abuakel, Presbyterian minister in Atlanta, Past Moderator of the 214th General Assembly of the Presbyterian church USA 2002-2003
Rev. Jerald Stinson, First Congregational Church of Long Beach, CA, Senior Minister Emeritus
Rev. Katherine Cunningham, Christian Zionism Working Group of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Rev. Steve Berube, St. Paul's United Church
Susan Elias, Christ Lutheran Church, Lay Minister
The Rev. David Mesenbring, St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Pastor for Church in the World Ministries
Tiffany Hunsinger, University of Dayton
Ann Farr, Pax Christi England and Wales, Chair
Ashlee Wiest-Laird, First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, Reverend
Bea Foster, Hapton Methodist Church, Steward
Brenda Mehos, First United Methodist Church Boulder - Supporters for Palestine Peace with Justice FUMC Palestine Peace with Justice Leader
Brian Grieves, Friends of Sabeel, Priest
Carin B Delfs, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, Sister, SSG
Chad Collins, Valley View Church, Pastor
Chase Danford, Trinity Episcopal Church, Asbury Park, NJ, Rector
Dale Valaskovic, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Elder
Dana Ashrawi, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, President
Dennise Burgess, Pax Christi Northern CA, President
Donna Olsen, Hope 4 All Interfaith Community, Senior Minister Enid Gordon, Methodist Church, Reverend
Evalee Mickey, Pax Christi USA
Genie Silver, Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace in Israel/Palestine, Member (designated to sign for CJ-A)
George Makhlouf, Antiochian Orthodox Church of North America, V. Rev. Fr.
Gerold König, Pax Christi - Deutsche Sektion e.V., Bundesvorsitzender
Howard Stafford, Stafford Farms Limited, Managing Director
Jesse Wheeler, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Executive Administrator
Joe Roos, Mennonite Palestine Israel Network, Chair
Johanna Collins, Valley View Church, Elder
John Conway, Cleveland chapter of Irish Northern Aid, Chairman John Newton Hickox, Americans Committed to Justice and Truth, Director
Johnny Zokovitch, Pax Christi USA, Executive Director
Jonathan Kuttab, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Executive Director
Katharine Davies Samway, NorCal Sabeel, Leadership Team and Steering Committee Member
Klaus Hagedorn, Pax Christi Gruppe Oldenburg
Lea Koesterer, St/. Louis Friends of Bethlehem, Chairperson
M. Theresa Basile, United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), Communications Director; Education Co-Chair
Mark Smith, Lauren Faith Smith Ministry for Nonviolence, Executive Director
Martha Inés Romero, Pax Christi International, Secretary General
Meg Bowerman, St. Columba Catholic Church, Parishioner
Michael Spath, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Executive Director
Mohammad Abd-Elsalam, Palestinian American Organizations Network, President
Muriel Schmid, Community Peacemaker Teams, Administrative Director
Murjan Abu Mahmoud, Dallas Palestine Coalition, Board Member
Nahida H Gordon, Interfaith Council for Peace in the Middle East, Treasurer
Omar Altalib, Altalib Associates, CEO
Paschal Somers, Coventry Deanery Justice & Peace Group, Chair
Rev. Alex Awad, Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Rev. Dr. Robert Diedrichs, Iowans for a Free Palestine, Member
Robert Hall, Christian Council of Delmarva, President
Rola Al Ashkar, Westminster Pres, Rev Rola Al Ashkar
Rosemarie Pace, Pax Christi New York State, Coordinator
Sarah Humphrey, Joining Hands for Justice in Palestine/Israel, Board Chair
Steven Blinder, Royal Palm Christian Church (DOC), Senior Pastor
Sue Claydon, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, Chair
Susan Gunn, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Director
Susan Rhodewalt, Northeast Kingdom Quaker Meeting, Ministry and Care, Clerk
Susan Wilder, Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Co-Moderator
Walid Hayek, Beit Sahour USA
Wally Yazbak, Friends of Mariam Inc., President
Adrian Devlin
Al Shayne
Amrit Khalsa
Audrey Lounder
Barbara Taylor
Bill Both
Carol Wesley, The Rev.
Dr. Carolyn Bradley
Catherine McCormack
Connie Raper
David Small
Debbie Ryce
Doug Mitchell
E Jacob Chacko
Ellen Franzen
Grace Ukoha
Helen Burke
Holly Stuart
Jeffrey Courter
Jl Angell
John Moore
Leslee Abud
Louise Savage
Mario Hazboun
Dr. Martin Fontaine
Mary Arendt
Michael Stevens
Nancy N Brothers
Roberta Swanson
Scott Baier
Seth Morrison
Sima Bakalian
Peter Gunther
Susan Nchubiri
Susan Stout
Teresa Gill
Tina Liakopoulos
Tracy McLellan
Tony Segura
Wendy Jaghab