Ramadan Kareem
On behalf of the entire FOSNA family, we wish all of our Muslim friends, family, and all who celebrate the month of Ramadan a blessed and delightful season. Ramadan is a blessed time of prayer, meditation, spiritual regeneration, fasting, and charitable giving. It is also a month of peace and joy, lights, entertainment, and celebration. Both Christians and secular persons living in Muslim lands usually join in the celebrations and festivities, sampling the delicious foods and seasonal treats like qatayef, awwameh, and maamoul, which are plentiful in this holy month.
While we respect the Holy month, and most of us refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking in public out of respect for our Muslim brothers and sisters who may be fasting, we certainly celebrate with them and often join them for iftar (breaking the fast) at sunset.
We are pleased to see increasing recognition in the United States of Ramadan and its meaning, which is still largely lacking from most of the media and public life. We also are glad that there is greater awareness of the racism and Islamophobia that permeate entire sectors of American life, and we pledge our efforts to see it erased and condemned, as with all other forms of racism and discrimination.
Happy Ramadan to all. Ramadan Kareem.
Take Action!
Tell Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Hold Israel Accountable
(ECCP) There must be a political and economic price attached to Israel’s systematic oppression of Palestinians. The reaction of the international community to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows us that such punitive actions are possible when there is political will to undertake them. Yet that will has been absent when it comes to the rights of Palestinians.
Tangible actions, including lawful sanctions, are the only way to compel Israel to comply with international law, to cease human rights violations, and to ensure protection of Palestinians.
Please send a message below to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ask them to uphold international law and impose sanctions on Israel for its attack on Palestinians.
Get Involved!
We invite you to join us in the following events and activities:
Easter 2023
FOSNA’s 2023 Easter Appeal is just around the corner! The ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people is intolerable. And, those ideologies that would attempt to justify Palestinian suffering are intolerable. So, we pray for a resurrection in thinking and practice, that justice and new life might spring forth from a situation so overwhelmed by oppression and death. Consider partnering with us in our mission to liberate religion from those who misuse it to justify oppression and dispossession.
We are eternally grateful for each and everyone of our supporters, especially those who helped make our 2022 Christmas Appeal such a success. Please continue to stand alongside us in solidarity with the people of Palestine and support FOSNA's work for justice and peace.
Visit Palestine this Summer
We are hosting a witness trip with Sabeel this summer! Join us in Palestine July 11th through the 20th and experience the resilience and struggle for liberation of the Palestinian people. If you are curious and interested to join, please fill out the form below, and share it with anyone who may be interested in being part of this journey
March 28: Online
The Crisis of Apartheid: Report Back from Palestine
In 2023 Israeli apartheid is intensifying. While Palestinians remain steadfast on their land, the new far right government is outright encouraging settlers to violently attack Palestinians and giving the green light to Occupation forces to carry out explicit ethnic cleansing policies. As more and more people around the world turn their attention to Palestine and demand accountability for apartheid, we will gather for a report back from two Palestinian experts on nonviolence and conflict resolution about their recent experiences on the ground.
If possible please review one of our experts, Jonathan Kuttab's recent, moving travel blog posts before joining us. If you haven’t yet read his visionary and important short book, Beyond the Two State Solution, please consider doing so. It is available for free on our site in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. If you want a print copy, we urge you to support this wonderful DC area book store. If you don’t have time to read the book, please read the Executive Summary or watch this under 5 minute video where Jonathan speaks to NVI interns about why he wrote this book at this time.
April 11: Online
Sabeel Easter Service: The Resurrection
On April 11 at 11:00am Eastern / 6:00pm Jerusalem, please join us in celebrating Easter and worshiping with Rev. Dr. B. De Neice Welch and Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek online via Zoom.
April 14: Online
People of Faith Responding to Apartheid
Hosted by Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East:
Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, and the global organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that Israel has created a situation of apartheid.
Unitarian Universalists are urged to center Palestinians as their oppression increases. Panelists will give an update on the situation on the ground in Palestine/Israel and then guide attendees in how they can take action as people of faith. A new initiative, Apartheid-Free Communities, will be introduced.
This event will be recorded with a live audience for on-demand viewing later during the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Panelists include the following esteemed individuals:
Jonathan Kuttab
Dov Baum
Rev. John H. Thomas
Rabbi Brian Walt
Moderated by Dana Fisher Ashrawi, UUJME President.
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem:
Weekly
Sabeel Prayer Service. Join Sabeel every Thursday (6pm Jerusalem) for online Bible Study, discussion, and prayer. Examine scripture in light of the ongoing realities confronting the Palestinian Church and the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.
Wave of Prayer. Subscribe to receive Sabeel's Wave of Prayer, enabling friends of Sabeel around the world to pray over issues of critical concern to the Holy Land on a weekly basis.
Kumi Now! (Week 12) Natural Resources The West Bank is rich in natural resources. However, due to Israel’s occupation and control over the occupied Palestinian territory, access to and use of Palestinians’ natural resources is obstructed. Rampant throughout the occupied territory, this practice is at its worst around the Dead Sea, where Israel exploits the land for its water and minerals. As the United Nations and the world observe World Water Day on March 22, the Kumi Now community is focusing on this environmental exploitation. Here’s what you need to know about this crisis and what you can do so that together we can rise up.