CHRISTIAN LEADER FROM NAZARETH, THE TOWN OF JESUS CHRIST, SPEAKS |
“God is the crucified God in Jesus, the God who suffers with the oppressed.
Not the God who determines who should get what land, but the God who is on the side of people who are oppressed and occupied by others, the weak, children, the sick - all of those who are rejected by society.
God so loves the world that he goes all the way, suffering as the criminal when he is not guilty.
I felt that my people [the Palestinians] are suffering in the same way – they did not deserve to lose their land, to become refugees, to be on a cross.
I was angry at God for a long time, but then I realized through studying Scriptures that God is not a real estate God, but he actually is ready to die for the people who are oppressed. In fact, he suffers even though he does not deserve to suffer.
But the cross is not the end - there is always Easter. God will always be victorious – which means I can live as a victorious person too.
Even though my family and my people [the Palestinians] were victimized – I can act and make a difference in the world. God has showed us what it means to love.”
Extracts from Word Council of Churches interview with Reverend Dr Saïd Ailabouni from the town of Nazareth in Palestine where Jesus Christ spent his childhood. Click here for full interview.
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NELSON MANDELA'S CHURCH, THE METHODIST CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, ADOPTS BDS BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL |
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) - to which the South African icon Nelson Mandela belonged, has adopted BDS boycott of Israel.
At its recent conference, held in Cape Town, the 2 million strong church noted “Israel's ongoing ill-treatment and oppression of Palestinian people, and the historic prophetic role played by the church and international community in fighting Apartheid, and any form of discrimination and injustice."
As an act of solidarity with the people of Palestine, the Church directed "the Methodist people to boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) all businesses that benefit the Israeli economy". The church has also called for a "boycott of all Israeli pilgrimage operators and tours" and is urging Christians visting the Holy Land to rather "deliberately seek out tours that offer an alternative Palestinian" perspective. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa has communities in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
The South African human rights NGO and Palestine solidarity organization, BDS South Africa, commends the Methodist Church for joining the growing list of African churches who are vocally lending their support to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli Apartheid and, in particular, to the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land.
Furthermore we specifically commend the young BDS activists within the Church who, together with senior clergy, have been consistently raising awareness of the Palestinian plight among their congregations including hosting one of our board members, Professor Farid Esack, as the keynote speaker at a recent provincial synod inauguration.
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ISRAEL BOYCOTT GAINING TRACTION WORLDWIDE AMONG CHRISTIAN CHURCHES |
There is sometimes a confusion between the Land of Israel (mentioned in the Bible) with the modern State of Israel (created in 1948 at the expense of the indigenous Palestinians). There is also confusion between the Israelites of the Bible with Israelis of the modern State of Israel. Palestinian Christians, descendants of the first followers of Christ, insist that they, together with all Palestinians, share the same suffering under Israel’s regime of Apartheid.
Palestinian Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna explains that: “Israel desires to conceal the Christian dimension of the Palestinian issue […] attempts to present this conflict as a Jewish-Muslim religious conflict, and it also attempts to neutralize the Christian position, and, therefore, it is irritated by the growing Christian voices raised on the Palestinian issue.”
Churches across the world are increasingly holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Churches that have adopted a BDS boycott of Israel or similar measures in recent years include the over 500 000 member United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), the Mennonite Church of the USA, the Presbyterian Church of the US, the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, Quakers, Unitarian Universalists, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the over 1 million member Council of African Independent Churches (CAIC) and the General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), representing over 80 million Christians.
In March this year American and South African Christian leaders, representing churches with over 50 million members, issued a joint statement urging for the option of "economic pressure” against Israel as a non-violent measure to hold Israel accountable for its violations of International Law. Last month, in September, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa also adopted the BDS boycott of Israel ( click here for News24 coverage).
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