News, articles and documents from the Holy Land

“Peace will be the fruit of Justice and my people will dwell in the beauty of Peace”

 
 
 

 


Issue No. 100 - Saturday, 22 September 2001

Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters,

 

Last October 6, 2001, I started to publish systematically the first issue of the Voice of the Truth from Jerusalem, and after less that 10 issues I changed the name with the new name “Olive Branch from Jerusalem which reaches today its issue No. 100. Since that day I kept very fiddle to my twice a week ten pages newsletter which became a very big Olive Tree as you see. I am glad that God gave me strength and perseverance to continue this work, which is not at all my main job because I have a lot of other things to do. I hope really hope that you enjoyed it and found it useful and interesting. I renew today my commitment to go on in the same direction and I will try my best to be as objective as possible and be always at your service. I am ready to hear your commentaries, opinions, suggestions and contribution. I repeat another time today that you have to feel free to use whatever you receive from me, to forward it to anybody you want, to contact me for more details or further information, to simply delete it or to ask me to unsubscribe you if you don’t like it. I remind you also that through the Olive Branch Fund, which began last June, with some small and generous contributions from friends allover the world, I was able to help building more than ten development projects for poor families in these difficult days in our country. I still count on your generosity and contributions and would like to thank all those who already contributed and showed solidarity.

 

Let me today four of our Patriarch’s activities in these last and coming days:

1)      The Patriarch spent the whole last week in Jordan and attended the annual meeting of the Latin Bishop’s conference of the Arab Countries, which was help in Amman and composed from the bishops of Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Somalia, Djibouti and Cyprus. They discussed the problem of the Christian foreign immigrants in our dioceses. This is a very important and serious subject because communities from allover the world live and work in the Arab world and need pastoral care, which not always very organized because of the different ethnic groups and languages and the instability of these groups. It seems that we have in our diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem more than 25.000 Philippinos, and we just have nominated a Chaplin to take care of them! Our Patriarch is the President of this Bishops Conference because he is the only Patriarch among them.

2)      During these days, the Patriarch presided the celebration of the inauguration of our new school of Al-Wassieh in the south of Jordan near Kerak. This huge school which costed around 2.000.000 of Dollars is supposed to serve around 1.000 students in that area. This big project was possible through the generosity of the Equestre Order of the Ladies and Knights of the Holy Sepulcher in the whole world. Therefore many of the donors and Lieutenants from many Lieutenancies attended this big celebration. We are really and deeply grateful for their help and assistance to our Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and their work in our parishes and schools. At that same day a Kindergarten in the nearby village of Smakieh was also inaugurated.

3)      The nest day, and under the patronage of His Highness prince Ra’ad ben Zeid, the first stone of another very important project was laid near Amman for the Regina Pacis Center which will serve the handicapped people in the first stage and in the second stage another part of the project will serve the Youth in Jordan. This project will be possible through the generosity of many donors, especially the Spanish foundation for the promotion culture; many of the donors are local people from all the parishes. Msgr Salim Sayegh, our Patriarchal Vicar, was the mind behind this project and was striving to realize it since many years, and we see now that after long patience his dream will become true.  

4)      The Patriarch will continue his trip to Lebanon, where he will take part next week in the annual meetings of the Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient, who represent the existing seven Catholic Churches: H.B. Patriarch Boutros Nasrallah Sefeir for the Maronites,  H.B. Estephanos II Ghatas fro the Coptes, H.B. Raphael Bedaouid 1st for the Caldeans, H.B. Gregorius 3rd Lahham, H.B. NERSÈS BÉDROS XIX fro the Arminains, H.B. Gregorius 8th Boutros Abdel-Ahad for the Syrians and our Patriarch H.B. Michel Sabbah fro the Latins.   This meeting will discuss the subject of the Pastoral care of the Youth in our countries and will be attended for the first time by young people representing all the churches from all these countries. For more details about these meetings and the Catholic Churches in the Orient, visit this site: http://www.opuslibani.org.lb     

We will send some more details about these meetings when we receive the final statements of documents.

 

You will find in today’s Olive Branch a further coverage of the actual situation in our country and some more documents about the attacks on the USA.

1)      The Arab Educational Institute is preparing a nonviolent pacific program AGAINST DESPAIR: AN ACTIVATION PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIANS.

2)       A Moslem Pacifist writing about the situation: This is a contribution from our friend Noah who is living in Deheisheh refugee camp and teaching in Hebron University.

3)      Children of a lesser God? Written by Afif Safieh, the Palestinian general delegate to the United Kingdom and to the Holy See.

4)      Dr. Maria C. Khoury shares with us her experience the day of the Enthronement of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, but I don’t know if she was able to arrive to Jerusalem through all the blockades.

5)      U.S. Bishop´s Letter to Bush: "That You Will Find Just, Wise and Effective Ways to Respond". I hope that he will hear their prophetic voice.

6)      Statement from Bishops´ Conference of England and Wales: "Military Action Must Be a Last Resort".

7)      Special Report: Peace activists stand against violence written by MARGOT PATTERSON.

 

I send you the last three documents because we are very concerned about the American response after the attacks. I am afraid that the “Absolute Justice” of Mr. Bush will be “A terrible Vengeance” against innocent people and will lead to a “Global Useless and Endless War”. Therefore, I hope that he will hear the voice of wisdom and learn the lessons of history that violence will never resolve the problem of terrorism, but Justice and only Justice is the best solution.

I invite him and invite you to read the following letter printed 2 days ago in the Independent
from Andy Kershaw, a well-known UK disc-jockey.
Sir, Before George Bush and Tony Blair plunge us into WWIII, perhaps they'd welcome some advice on how to win it:
- Carpet-bomb Afghanistan with food and medicines.
- Follow up this blitzkrieg with ground troops to rebuild the infrastructure.
- Send in behind them the column of doctors and teachers.
- Then lift the nonmilitary sanctions on Iraq.
- And seal the surrender by telling Israel to call off its death squads, get out of Palestine (in compliance with UN SC resolution 242) and stop building illegal settlements there.
- Finally, yank before the International War Crimes Tribunal whoever was responsible for the horrors in Manhattan, along with Ariel Sharon. (Indictments on Sabra and Shatila would do for starters).
It could all be over by the end of the week. And for a handful of small change.

Don’t you think that these are the best solutions??!!

Best wishes from Jerusalem the City tired from war                     Fr. Raed Abusahlia

 

AGAINST DESPAIR: AN ACTIVATION PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIANS

 

The Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza live under an occupation, which flagrantly violates international law. More than ever the Palestinians long for a freedom from the enslavement in which they live. Although many despair, a great many are also searching for ways to help release themselves and their compatriots from the restrictions, killings, closures, encroachments, confiscations and escalating military oppression. The situation as it is now cannot continue. As civilians who feel responsible for the future of our community, for all those suffering now and for our children, we do not want to resign to the prevalent situation. Certainly not at a moment when Israel seems to be exploiting the horrible events in Washington and New York in order to increase the pressure upon the Palestinian people. 

 

Our approach is to bring people together, to jointly search for a sense of mission, purpose and identity, and, especially, to activate them.

 

The project, proposed to be an initiative of Pax Christi, will consist of two series of discussion meetings among Palestinian Christian and Moslem youth in the Bethlehem area which are not theoretical but designed to lead to a joint practical program in which the community can participate. The meetings will consider how the Palestinian Christian and Moslem community can develop different  forms of resistance within the boundaries of international law as a signal of protest against the situation of occupation and oppression in which they live. At present the world sees a rather limited picture of Palestinian society, primarily one of stone throwers, victims and even terrorists. The voice of common Palestinians, including women, does seldom come across. These discussion groups will search for forms of protest which reach out to the conscience of the world, and which show a broader Palestinian image and voice.

 

In order to culturally “ground” the forms of resistance, the discussions will also detail some creative stories of previous resistance by Christian and Moslem Palestinians in the course of the 20th century.

 

Organized in two groups of each some eight sessions, the meetings will result in the formulation of a program and strategy to set up some, well-thought-out forms of youth protest and resistance. The suggestions will specify the community members and organizations who may offer help. The plan will be subsequently put into action by the groups themselves, in relation to the Christmas events in Bethlehem and after.

 

In implementing the project, we will network with the developing alliance “Youth and Communication” in which the following organizations take part: AEI, Panorama, PYALARA and Canaan Institute of New Pedagogy (Gaza).

 

Arab Educational Institute

Bethlehem

 

A Moslem Pacifist writing about the situation

 

First I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to write about our situation

As a peace activist, I find it difficult to talk about violence and about the other side. I think that we all human beings and we look to live in peace, but I see that it is my duty to talk about the suffering of my people hoping that one day we will be able to live like other peoples in the world with equal rights and with enough water to drink and clean ourselves. Before that I would like to appeal to the world and specially to the peoples who believe on peace, justice and love to give Palestinian people a hope that we will live like you in dignity and human situation.

 

Now it is more than eleven months that Palestinians are living under curfew and in closed villages, they are not allowed to move from a city to another freely, they have to pass many checkpoints to go to any place. I’m her talking about Human Rights, before any other rights, the right to eat, the right to move, the right to drink enough water, the right to go to work, before we have a political solution or agreement, I’m asking for food and water. As a peace activist, I think that human rights are not conditioned of a political solution, and before that we have to look to each other as human beings, not to have laws for Palestinians and laws for Israelis, roads for Palestinians and roads for Israelis. This will create desperation, which may lead to more violence. If people lose hope, they lose everything and expect from them anything. Palestinians are losing hope, they feel that the world abandonee them, it is more than eleven months they are living in fear, and in big prisons, a whole people is living in prison more than eleven months.

 

As I said before, there is no solution by power and violence; I don’t think that F16 and tanks could solve the problem. We have to sit together in respect and in equal manners and talk as human beings, to look for solution that brings respect and Justice to the peoples. Ultimatum and conditions bring more violence and more victims from the two sides. We have to give the voice of peace and Nonviolence a chance to work. All negotiations were held between unequal partners, unbalanced power, therefore the results couldn’t be implemented. I think that negotiations should be held between equal people, not under pressure of violence and fear of tanks and arms. The negotiators should feel free to represent the interest of their people and not to fear from preventing them of going back home if they don’t accept the other side’s conditions. Peace is build between equals not forced by power.

 

I’m sorry to say that since Sharon was elected as Prime Minister we didn’t hear from the Israeli government any good word, which might give hope to Palestinians who live under a military occupation. We only heard that he would force Palestinians and he will bring them to agreement by force, but we didn’t hear him saying I would like to talk or negotiate with Palestinians; his language is totally violent language.

 

I live in Biet Jala and I can tell the entire world that our people is looking for peace and Justice and is only asking to live without occupation and checkpoints and to live with respect with our neighbours. We want our children to live in peace and to have the same rights like others, and the same for the other side. We don’t like to kill or to be killed, we are simple people and don’t push as to despair

 

I have many good relations with Israelis who share with me the vision for peace, Justice and mutual respect, but still the peace camp in Israel doesn’t have enough political power to do that. We have to continue to struggle together for building peace and preventing the force of war to dominate and to decide the future of our children and the future of our area and lead us to war and more victims and disasters.

 

Also I would like to appeal to the peace movements in the world to help us to return to dialogue in order to build trust between us, which will lead to a true peace. I think it is very important to have a third party to help us to stop violence and to have peace. Why the Europeans sent troops to Macedonia and Bosnia, but not to Palestine? Why they are helping in Macedonia and not in Palestine? Why this double standard? Now the situation in Palestine is the worst since the conflict started in 1917, so why neither the Americans nor the Europeans want to help and do something for our both peoples who are still suffering from violence and war.

 

I would like to emphasis again that there is no winner or loser in this conflict, both sides are losing children, women, youth, and no one will achieve his goal alone, whatever power he has....!!! The only solution, now or after is Justice, Peace and Equal rights for both sides. May we postpone that, but we will never have another solution. So, why don’t we save efforts and victims and recognise the humanity of the other, discrimination will never last forever. Let us learn from South African experience, and put an end for all forms of discrimination and violence. Any agreement that doesn’t respect human rights and respect for both sides will not stand. Let us take for example Oslo agreement, which has no balance between the two sides. It gave Palestinians false hope, so it couldn’t stand or last for long time and it collapsed under the reality. People will not accept more discrimination and living under military occupation in the 2001.

 

People who believe on Peace and Justice and Equal rights from both sides have to put their hands together to struggle for that and make a difference. Therefore, I ask you the believers on Peace, Love and Justice in Italy and the world to stand with us and support the Peace activists to help to build Peace and Justice.

 

Finally, I would like to repeat that, please give our children a hope for better live, better future, better relation to our humanity. We are all Human Beings, and we have the same need of identity, human rights, security and freedom. I appeal to you in Europe, and USA, don’t send us arms, send us food and human materials, we have enough arms, we need HOPE.

 

Children of a lesser God?

By Afif Safieh

 

CONSISTENT WITH my frequently expressed revulsion at “selective indignation” - depending on the nature of the victims or the identity of the perpetrators - I wish to voice my total and unequivocal condemnation of the horror that took place in the United States.

 

As a Palestinian who, for twelve endless months, witnessed the continuous daily bombing of Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, my sympathy today goes entirely to the victims of this despicable undertaking. Having watched a cascade of daily funerals, I understand and share the pain of their families and friends. Having joined the unheeded call for international protection and the deployment of international observers in Palestine and having advocated an imposed solution by the international community on the basis of international legality, I sincerely wish that international law, and only that, will guide American decision makers in the aftermath of this revolting act.

At a moment when globalization has become an undeniable and irreversible international reality, now more than ever before, universal principles and the highest possible standards should be set and equally observed by everybody all over our “planetary village”. Unfortunately this is not yet the case. In these tragic days, we will hear more of revenge, retaliation and the clash of civilizations, rather than a rational debate over why such atrocities find volunteers to accomplish them.

Alas, I fear that much of the discourse that will pour out of TV channels will appeal more to the instincts rather than the intelligence of viewers, to their hatred rather than their humanity.

I have often explained that the way the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the status of Jerusalem are addressed, handled or mishandled, will affect relations not only at the regional level but also at a global one. Whether there is one kind or different kinds of men and women is not a rhetorical or a polemical question. Since the inception of the Palestinian tragedy, the Arab and Muslim world had the impression of total Western insensitivity to their ordeal. The “exploits” that led to the dispossession and the dispersion of the Palestinian people were welcomed in mainstream Western public opinion with admiration, applause and were considered sometimes even as “miraculous”.

I personally tend to believe in the innocence of God even though the Zionist project was presented as “a divine mission for a chosen people on a promised land”. We were inundated with massive propaganda about the desert turning green, but nobody bothered to answer the moral questions: in the name of what and since when does the planting of a tree justify the uprooting of a human being? Since when does planting a forest justify the uprooting of an entire people? Israel still addresses the Palestinian refugee issue in the most dismissive manner. Their possible return is seen as a threat to the Jewish nature of the state. But no one in a senior capacity will take this argument to its logical conclusion that the Palestinian refugees were precisely driven out of their homeland with that purpose in mind. From the very beginning there were successful attempts to trivialize and canalize the Palestinian tragedy as though Palestinian victims were fatherless, motherless, childless, nameless,
faceless... worthless.

I have never likened the Nakba to the Holocaust. My conviction has always been that there is no need for comparisons and historical analogies. No one people has a monopoly on human suffering and every ethnic tragedy stands on its own. If I were a Jew or a Gypsy, the Nazi barbarity would be the most atrocious event in history. If I were a black African, it would be slavery and apartheid. If I were a native American, it would be the discovery of the New World by European explorers and settlers that resulted in near total extermination. If I were an Armenian, it would be the Ottoman massacres. As a Palestinian, it is the Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948. Humanity should consider all the above repugnant.

I do not consider it advisable to debate hierarchies of suffering. I do not know how to quantify pain or measure suffering, but I do know that we are not children of a lesser God.

In the United States there will be a debate on whether last week's event will result in isolationism, unilateralism, multilateralism or interventionism.

American foreign policy in the Middle East has been most intriguing. It is the only remaining superpower in the international system, yet in our part of the world it seemed as though it had abdicated this role in favor of its regional ally, Israel, which it shields unconditionally at the UN and elsewhere. The US is committed to Israel's existence, a message everybody had understood for decades. Does it need also to endorse the territorial appetite, the expansionist inclinations of its regional protégé? To condone its ferocious repression of the Palestinians' for freedom out of captivity and bondage?

America is a nation of nations. In today's monopolar international system, nonalignment in regional conflicts should be what characterizes American foreign policy, because alignment with the preferences of one belligerent actor results not only in antagonizing other regional players but also in alienating one component of its domestic national fabric.

In his memoirs “Present at the creation”, former American secretary of state Dean Acheson writes that the UN Charter was a condensed version of American political philosophy. All I can hope for is that America will reconcile tomorrow its power with its principles.

Afif Safieh: is the Palestinian general delegate to the United Kingdom and to the Holy See. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.

 

                     Enthronement of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch
                                       By Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.

Four checkpoints later, many hours on the road, foreign passports and the Grace of God get local Christians into Jerusalem these days. A simple twenty-minute ride under Israeli occupation and military siege is a nightmare. If you use Palestinian roads, the Israeli soldiers detain you, if you use Israeli settlement roads, the snipers might shoot you. But, it was a special day in the history of Orthodox Christianity last Saturday for the enthronement ceremony of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Irineos I. And, as a Greek by birth, I was compelled to see it. I believe the Greek delegation from Greece including President Stephanopoulos and Greek foreign minister George Papandreou had an easier time making it to the Holy Sepulcher from Athens than local Palestinian Christians coming from their nearby villages. All faiths were present but this was strictly an Orthodox affair involving a beautifully chanted centuries old ecclesiastical ceremony. The choir members even flew in from Greece.

For the first time in the history of Orthodox services in Jerusalem (that I have seen the last twenty years) there was strict and very tight security. And I don’t mean just hundreds of policemen and soldiers in every corner of the old city. Not only did you need an invitation card, which by the way I did not have one. Once you arrived at the entrance of the Holy Sepulcher, you must present your card, check your name on the invitation list, receive a sticker with a seat number on it and present the card with your seat number again before entering the church.  And as you might know, Orthodox churches do not have seats on this side of the world, so the Greeks went to a lot of trouble to set up and organize this arranged check-in.

It’s Jerusalem and miracles of God do happen so I was able to have a nice seat right behind the American Consulate general at which time I expressed my deepest sadness for the tragic events that took place in New York and Washington. Most Palestinians expressed their unequivocal condemnation for this catastrophe in America. But unfortunately the media does not like to promote average Palestinians mourning the life of Americans in East Jerusalem so I won’t be surprised if you didn’t see this candle light vigil on your TV screen. Here in the Holy Land, we live and suffer with such terror, fear, and bombing everyday that we do not wish such horrifying attacks on anyone. The tragedy in America is a crime against humanity and shocking to all.

As hundreds of priests and dozens of bishops marched in the Cathedral of the Anastasis (Resurrection) right opposite the Holy tomb of Christ everyone started shouting “Axios” (worthy) as the new Patriarch took the throne. His all holiness received a standing ovation and blessed everyone with the cross in his hand. The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos was the first to praise the new Jerusalem Patriarch followed by warmest wishes read from King Abdallah of Jordan and President Yasser Arafat for the historical position Irineos will hold. All of the major world Orthodox patriarchs sent official decrees read in Greek during the service with the exception of the Russian patriarch who sent his sermon in Russian. A large TV screen outside the Holy Sepulcher allowed everyone to follow the ceremony with translations available.

The patriarch of Alexandria sent a special cross as a gift to His All Holiness Irineos reminding him to be a strong witness for Christ in this sacred land while the Patriarch of Antioch suggested the Holy Spirit would help the new patriarch maintain this historic continuation of a big mission for God. According to Sister Maria Stephanopoulos the feeling of most Orthodox Christians is overall enthusiastic that good changes will take place to deal with old conflicts in the Patriarchate. Most people want to stay positive, have faith in a new era and hope the new patriarch will be a “good shepherd” first and a “Greek” second.

It was indeed a special day for Orthodox Christianity in the Holy Land because in this small chapel overcrowded with high profile dignitaries and representatives of non government organizations, representative from thirteen Christian denominations and simple followers of Christ, one deeply feels the essence and power of faith. No matter where we live on earth perhaps God calls us to maintain a Christian presence and to be a witness for Christ. As Fr. Demetri Tsigas states with an internet letter: “We need to shine the light of God’s love in the world…Let us be a blessing to God that He may bless us all.” But for those of us that live in the Holy Land, this witness takes on even a more significant meaning because we really do live in the land made holy from the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ himself over two thousand years ago. Except the modern reality of living in this sacred land rips your soul apart at the injustice and destruction you see.

The same evening of the patriarch’s enthronement while diplomats were enjoying a spectacular reception at the King David Hotel, the Israeli army was invading the Al Sharayet residential neighborhood in Ramallah with thirteen military tanks surrounding the area with severe bombing. Several heavy armored jeeps patrolled the neighborhood and heavy gunfire coming from Apache helicopters could be heard in the villages all around including mine.

All American money and American weapons killing us and injuring us daily. 
May God bring peace to the world.

 

U.S. Bishop´s Letter to Bush
"That You Will Find Just, Wise and Effective Ways to Respond"


WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 21, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the letter dated Sept. 19 and sent by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to President George W. Bush this week.


Dear Mr. President:

In the aftermath of last week's terrorist attacks, I would like to reiterate that we stand in solidarity with you and the American people in prayer for our beloved nation at this time of terrible loss and momentous decisions.

The war-like acts of last Tuesday were appalling attacks not only against our nation but against all humanity. Our nation, in collaboration with others, has a moral right and a grave obligation to defend the common good against such terrorist attacks. Therefore, we support efforts by our nation and the global community to seek out and hold accountable, in accord with national and international law, those individuals, groups and governments which are responsible. It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize this common threat, and to be willing to make appropriate sacrifices in support of our nation's multi-faceted and long-term effort to respond in a morally responsible way.

Your administration has been clear that a broad range of security, political, diplomatic, legal and military measures will be necessary to stop this kind of terrorism and bring the perpetrators and their supporters to justice. While we must take into account the unique nature of this new kind of terrorist threat, any military response must be in accord with sound moral principles, notably the norms of the just war tradition such as probability of success, civilian immunity, and proportionality. Our nation must ensure that the grave obligation to protect innocent human life governs our nation's political and military decisions.

As we undertake the heavy burden of defending the common good, in morally appropriate ways, against global terrorism, we must not lose sight of the ultimate goal and responsibility of using our nation's considerable influence and power to contribute to a more just and peaceful world. Among other things, I hope our foreign policy will give new emphasis to deepening our engagement with the Arab and Muslim worlds and, in particular, will continue every effort to press for a just and peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I want to commend you for calling on Americans to repudiate acts of ethnic and religious intolerance. Arab-Americans and Muslims are not our enemies but are our brothers and sisters, part of our national family. Attacks on them are attacks on all of us. Your continued leadership in this area will be critical in the months ahead.

We pray that you will find just, wise and effective ways to respond with resolve and restraint to the long-term task of ending terrorism, confident, in the words of Pope John Paul II, that Americans will not "give in to the temptation to hatred and violence, but [will] commit themselves to serving justice and peace."

Sincerely yours,
Most Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza
President, USCCB  


Statement from Bishops´ Conference of England and Wales
"Military Action Must Be a Last Resort"

LONDON, SEPT. 21, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of a statement released Thursday by leaders of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.


Statement on the Current International Situation, 20 September 2001, by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and Archbishop Patrick Kelly, President and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

1. As President and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, we express our horror at the events of 11 September, our unequivocal condemnation of the attack as an outrageous crime against our common humanity, and our sympathy with and prayers for the victims of the attack, their families and friends, and all who have been working heroically to rescue and care for the victims.

2. Such a crime demands a response on the basis of justice and law, not of vengeance. The instruments of international governance and law, and especially the United Nations, should be closely involved in agreeing the proper response to this atrocity, so that the international community will not be bitterly divided. From a Catholic point of view, legal remedies are not to be reduced to considerations of retribution and punishment, but are to be directed towards the ultimate goals of justice, reconciliation and healing.

3. Military action must be a last resort, when all other political, legal and diplomatic remedies have been exhausted. If, in the pursuit of law and justice, military action has to be taken, a Catholic and Christian framework of moral understanding has certain relevant and urgent principles to invoke:

+ Proportionality. This principle does not concern the numbers of victims on either side, but to what extent the response achieves the effective restraint of evil, or, on the contrary, to what extent it could actually unleash even graver evil;

+ Discrimination between the guilty and the innocent. Many of those most immediately guilty have already died. Now the crucial and necessary search is for the persons or groups who planned and authorised the attacks. But whole peoples must not be attacked and punished for the actions of small and unrepresentative groups;

+ Prospect of success. Notions of a 'war against terrorism' aspire to guarantee that no group will ever again dare to mount such terrorist attacks. But to speak of a war against terrorism also carries with it a danger of unrestrained escalation and perpetuation of the conflict, and of multiplying the number of enemies in the next generation.

4. Within our own countries there are many innocent nationals who come from the regions which might conceivably be attacked by the Western allies. They, too, are potential victims of this tragedy. We are grateful that many distinguished political and religious leaders, and several media sources, have warned that reprisals against these innocent people are intolerable. We encourage the people of our countries to grow in respect and solidarity with this vulnerable group. In particular we call on all Christian people to remain faithful to the great commandment of love: love of God, of our neighbour and of our 'enemy'.

5. Some of the nations which might be accused of sheltering suspects of this crime are among the poorest in the world. Even before this event, their people have suffered grievously and are strongly represented among the world's refugees and asylum seekers. The present crisis can only worsen the plight of such refugees and asylum seekers. We urge our Government and our people to show compassion and humanity towards those who suffer in this way.

6. Nothing can justify the taking of innocent life, and we have a solemn obligation to try to prevent such outrages in future. One essential element of this effort is to understand the causes of violence and the context out of which it springs. Everything done to overcome gross economic, social and political inequalities contributes to building up peace and avoiding war. The struggle to overcome terrorism must not deflect the international community from redressing these fundamental injustices.

7. We pray for those entrusted with the immense responsibility to act in response to last week's attack, and who must make their decisions in the face of profound public grief and anger. Never, perhaps, will our societies be more tempted to hatred and vengeance. In these circumstances we wish to echo the words of our brother bishops in the United States of America, who said on the day of the attacks: 'We call upon all our fellow citizens to renew their trust in God and to turn away from the bitter fruits of the kind of hatred which is the source of this tragedy'.

 

Special Report
Peace activists stand against violence

By MARGOT PATTERSON

As President George W. Bush and other national leaders spoke of declaring war against an enemy still unknown, Americans responded with shock, horror and anger to the Sept. 11 bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, icons of American financial and military might. Amid calls for retaliation and reprisals, however, peace groups across the country counseled restraint and nonviolence while reaching out to immigrant communities, donating blood for victims of the bombings, holding vigils and prayer services, and perhaps most important, offering a different perspective on the violence than that seen in the mainstream media.

Within the peace community, there was a range of responses. Fr. Daniel Berrigan, dean of the Catholic peace movement, refused to comment. “It’s all beyond words. I can’t talk to you. It’s too close,” he said.

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, auxiliary of Detroit and a longtime activist in peace and justice causes, said, “My hope is that we’ll find a way as a nation to look at this in a much broader perspective. We need to ask the question ‘Why?’ Why would anybody go to this extreme, to kill themselves and thousands of others?”

“When I begin to think about it, it reminds me of a slave rebellion … when people are so oppressed that they have nothing to lose by killing themselves,” he said.

Asked if Catholics might become targets of harassment if they make bold statements against retaliation, he replied, “Do you mean we should water down our words? I think not. If the religious community of the United States can’t come up with a different response than one of violence and war, we’ve betrayed our whole religious tradition.”

Other peace activists spoke at length and published condemnations, condolences and reflections. Expressions of sorrow, dismay, sympathy for the victims and their families were common. So, too, were calls for restraint and a concern that the United States might rush to judgment.

“We have deep, deep concerns about retribution and calls for violent responses and we’re beginning to put out the message that war is not the answer,” said Joe Gerson, Northeast program director of the American Friends Service Committee. “What we all deeply feel is that this is almost exclusively an attack on innocents, and attacking other innocents whether in this country or elsewhere doesn’t make it any better.”

Trinitarian Fr. Stan DeBow, director of the Office of Justice and Peace for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious spoke of the need to step back and use common sense in responding to the terrorist attacks. “It’s already being called a war, but a war against whom?” asked DeBow, the morning after the terrorist attacks. “Let’s be balanced. We do not know who has done this yet.”

As word filtered in later in the day that Osama Bin Laden might be involved in the bombings, DeBow emphasized that the United States must avoid demonizing an entire people because of the actions of one zealot or stereotyping people because of religion, ethnicity or ideology.

Concern about vengeance at home as well as abroad was also sounded by the interfaith peace group, Fellowship of Reconciliation. “Will we respond to what has happened with suspicion of our neighbors because of their ethnicity, dress, religion or culture? Will we compound the tragedy by taking out our anger on others?” the fellowship said in a statement.

Vengeance vs. justice

Pax Christi, the national Catholic peace movement, urged U.S. leaders to break the spiral of violence that many citizens may be quick to embrace. “Vengeance is not justice. The only kind of justice that will honor the memory of all those who lost their lives is a justice based on international law, not reckless retribution,” Pax Christi said in a statement.

Tom Cordaro, chairperson of the national council of Pax Christi USA, was one of many who said that for the United States to contribute to the cycle of violence by lashing out blindly would be counterproductive.

“I think the perpetrators need to be brought to justice,” Cordaro said. “But we have to distinguish between justice and violence. It disturbs me profoundly that President Bush says we will make no distinction between terrorists who commit such acts and those who harbor them. And yet distinctions must be made between the guilty and the innocent, between the perpetrators and the civilians who may surround them, between those who commit atrocities and those who may simply share their religion or political points of view. Justice must be targeted toward those who are guilty and must be done according to the rule of law. If at all possible, they (the culprits) should be apprehended and brought to stand trial, to be found guilty or innocent by proper authorities. This is what it means to live according to law. Vigilantism, whether it be by a superpower or individuals, is always wrong.

“Terrorism will end,” added Cordaro, “when all nations great and small adhere to and are accountable to international law. As long as the strong can lord it over the weak, terrorism will be the choice of the disenfranchised.”

Longtime peace activist Elizabeth McAlister, who lives at the Jonah House community in Baltimore and who has devoted much of her life to anti-war activities, said the attacks have exposed the vulnerability of a nation that spends billions of dollars in the name of defense and security.

Money for defense

“How many billions have we spent on the military to defend us? They can’t. How many billions have we spent on the [National Security Agency], CIA and FBI and they’re powerless, and they’ll remain that. We can spend double that. There is no security and there is no defense except the works of justice,” McAlister said.

If many in the peace community expressed sorrow and grief at the attacks, most also seemed unsurprised. Instead, they said, the bombings should cause Americans to look more deeply at the causes of the violence that has been brought home to them in such a devastating way.

“We can’t condone any act of violence no matter who carries it out, but we have to understand that because of our policies around the world, we are hated by many people for our acts of military intervention, economic policies and our support for dictatorships,” said Art Laffin, a member of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker community in Washington.

Laffin noted that his community holds a peace vigil every Monday morning outside the Pentagon, just a short distance from where a highjacked jetliner cut a swath in the west side of the building killing hundreds.

In New York Kathy Kelly, a member of Voices in the Wilderness, a Chicago organization working to end the economic sanctions on Iraq, was on the 37th day of a 40-day, liquids-only fast when the attacks occurred. Kelly and other fasters planned to break their fast on Sept. 14 with a meal of lentils and rice they would share with passersby at the corner across from the U.S. mission to the United Nations. Kelly said that after the attacks the focus of the fast changed to “breaking the cycle of violence.”

A frequent visitor to Iraq, Kelly recalled a family in Baghdad who welcomed a newborn into the world during the U.S. bombing in 1998 and named her Hofran, which means forgiveness. Rather than emphasizing national security, Kelly urged that Americans “forge bonds of compassion and understanding” with all peoples.

Roots of terrorism

In addition to advocating a measured, legal response to terrorism, peace advocates spoke of the need to change U.S. policies that feed terrorism.

Gerson at the American Friends Service Committee said, “I think it’s important that we think through in both a compassionate and rational way the multiple causes of this to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and I think that means looking at our military budget and our foreign policy and that is in no way meant to justify this attack. It’s terrible to see Palestinians celebrating this attack, but it’s understandable, given the U.S. financial and diplomatic support for the Israeli occupation, which has been a brutal experience for more than three generations of Palestinians.”

Arun Gandhi, director of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said the terrorist bombings should be a wake-up call for the peace community to work harder for peace and justice.

“We have to understand that nonviolence is not a strategy. Nonviolence is an attitude. It’s about cultivating an attitude of peace and nonviolence within yourself. Everybody’s response is that somebody is going to have to pay for this, and we’re going to smash them. But how many people are we going to smash? To get rid of Saddam Hussein, we bombed the whole nation, and so many men and women and children we killed, and we made the whole nation of Iraq into terrorists. A lot of innocent people are going to die because we want Osama bin Laden. This kind of response, a political response and a violent response, is not going to solve problems.”

Justice is a misunderstood concept, Gandhi said. Justice should not mean revenge but reformation, recognition that the other person is misguided and needs reform.

Margot Patterson is NCR senior writer. Her e-mail address is mpatterson@natcath.org Patricia Lefevere, Patrick O’Neill and Claire Schaeffer-Duffy contributed to this story.

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