Ceasefire Vigils - Catholic Worker D.C. (Know Their Names Litany)
Statement/Update
Surrounded by a Holy Cloud of Witnesses, we come to the White House today to say Yes to the God of Love, justice and nonviolence and No to the idolatrous forces of greed, oppression, violence, death and destruction. We are here today because we refuse to be indifferent to evil—the evil of injustice, killing, war and genocide. We ask God's mercy for the ways in which we and our nation have been indifferent to and complicit in evil. We feel and hear the suffering cries of human beings in our world, and especially in the land called "Holy." Mindful of our personal and societal need for repentance and conversion, we recognize that it is our responsibility to do what God commands: to revere all life as sacred, to love our neighbor, to beat swords into plowshares, and never to kill. We therefore believe that to love our neighbor means we must renounce all injustice, violence and killing, no matter who the perpetrator is. And we must denounce all forms of racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia!
We decry the genocidal war Israel is carrying out in Gaza and Lebanon—all with direct U.S. military support! Last Friday during our vigil here, we, in solidarity with many worldwide, appealed that the Israeli government, with support from the Pentagon, not attack Iran. On Saturday, this attack focused on military targets was carried out, further perpetuating the cycle of violence and enmity. We also heard about those living under siege in northern Gaza, that over 770 people have been killed over a 3 week period and that people are “lost between a war and an extermination.”
Earlier this week the following tragic news was reported on Democracy Now:
Situation Update 1:
Situation Update 2:
We pray and stand in solidarity with all who grieve today and who are acting for peace. We pray and stand with Palestinian and Jewish brothers and sisters, as well as all Christians, Muslims, Jews, and all people of goodwill everywhere who are advocating for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, an Arms Embargo of Israel, and for an end to the cycle of violence.
In the name of God who commands us not to kill, we appeal to all people of people of faith and conscience to call for:
An end to the Israeli siege and bombing in northern Gaza, now in its 27th consecutive day!
A ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon!
U.S. Arms Embargo for Israel!
Removal of U.S. troops and weapons systems to Israel!
Removal of the USS Georgia Trident nuclear submarine with 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Middle East region!
An end to settler violence and Israeli attacks in the West Bank and confiscation of Palestinian homes and land!
Release of all hostages and prisoners!
Unimpeded delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza!
UNRWA be allowed to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza and that the U.S. restore funding for it!
An end to apartheid and occupation in Palestine and self-determination for Palestinian people!
Just peace for Palestine and Israel!
Comprehensive peace with Iran, Israel and the U.S.!
As we remember all Palestinian, Israeli, and Lebanese victims who have been killed, and as Palestinians face forced displacement, starvation, torture and endure living in an apartheid state—all with U.S.-backed military assistance—let us act in solidarity with everyone advocating for nonviolent solutions to end this tragic conflict and bring about a just peace in the Holy Land and the Middle East/ West Asia. This includes courageous student groups, 100 city councils across the country who have passed cease-fire resolutions, and the more than 150 NGOs Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel and End to Impunity amid a Spiraling Humanitarian Catastrophe and Escalating Regional Conflict. U.S. complicity in supporting Israel's genocidal war must end!
On Oct. 18, 2023, Pope Francis declared:
“The number of victims is growing and the situation in Gaza is desperate. Everything possible must be done to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe. The world already witnesses so many open war fronts. Lay down weapons and heed the cries for peace from the poor, the people, and the innocent children. War solves no problems. It only sows' death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future; it erases the future. I urge all believers to take one side only: that of peace."
Now more than ever we need to heed Dr. King’s prophetic words: the choice before us is "nonviolence or nonexistence."
Know Their Names Litany
The following information is based on a Report by Mohammed Hussein, Mohammed Haddad and Konstantinos Antonopoulos-- Published on Al Jazeera's web site "Know Their Names," Oct. 8, 2024. (see: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2024/10/8/know-their-names-palestinian-families-killed-in-israeli-attacks-on-gaza)
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
Zein was the youngest member of the al-Najjar family, a common family name in Gaza meaning "Carpenter" in Arabic. They lived in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. On October 10, 2023, 18 members of the family, including five children and three women, were killed and 23 others injured in an Israeli air strike on their home. Zein was just two months old. According to Airwars, a UK-based conflict monitoring organisation, there have been at least three al-Najjar families that have lost 10 or more members.
Among the hundreds of families killed since Israel began its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, at least 393 people were al-Najjars, I was shocked. I rushed home and saw a scene of utter destruction. I could not believe my eyes. Everybody was under the rubble. The house was completely pulverised. The bodies were reduced to shreds.
Over the past year, Israel has killed at least 41,909 - including 16,756 children - in attacks on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, with thousands more missing or buried under the rubble. On September 15, the ministry published a comprehensive report detailing the names, ages, gender and ID numbers of 34,344 of these victims. Thousands more bodies were still being identified.
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
Every day in Gaza, on average:
115 people are killed - that's one out of every 55 people living in Gaza;
46 are children, 31 are women, 38 men;
266 people are injured - that's one out of every 23 people in Gaza;
27 people are missing under the rubble;
5,480 people are forced from their homes
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
The Gaza Strip is a graveyard for thousands of children, the United Nations has said. Many of these children have lived through the trauma of multiple wars. From birth, they have lived under an Israeli blockade that has affected all aspects of their lives. More than 17,000 children have lost one or both parents.
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
In the early hours of the morning on October 26, 2023, at least 38 members of the al-Astal family across three generations, including seven women and 20 children, were killed by an Israeli air strike on their home in the as-Satr al-Gharbi area of Khan Younis.
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
Israel’s attacks on Gaza have wiped out 902 entire families, erasing them from the civil registry. This means every single one of their members was killed over the past year.
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!
Additionally, at least 1,364 Palestinian families were left with only one surviving member, while 3,472 Palestinian families were reduced to just two surviving members. The largest number of people were from these families:
Al-Najjar - 393
Al-Masry - 226
Al-Astal - 225
Ashour - 166
Shaheen - 164
Hamdan - 151
Al-Madhoon - 146
Ahmed - 145
Obeid - 144
Hijazi - 141
Response: God Forgive US. We Remember You!