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Opinion Editorials, June 2013 |
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Archbishop of Canterbury’s false start in
Holy Land:
Gaza and Bethlehem Ignored By Stuart Littlewood Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, July 1, 2013 Long-suffering Gaza and Bethlehem communities ignored – “no effort to go to the heart of the issues”Before he left for the Holy Land I telephoned Justin Welby’s office for details of his first visit as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, only to be told none were available in advance. So I emailed a list of questions….
When there was no reply and it became obvious he wasn’t going to Gaza I sent a second email:
Again, not even the courtesy of a reply. The archbishop announced that he sought “to serve all the people of this region, without exception”, so I telephoned Lambeth Palace again yesterday to see how far he had gone towards achieving that aim. His press officer was very defensive and said, in effect, that details of the trip were up on the website and there was nothing to add. In such a short visit there had not been enough time to go to Gaza. He would not be drawn on whether the archbishop had been denied permission by the Israelis. Nor would he comment about the promise to serve all the people of the region “without exception” while apparently making a very important exception of the Christian communities in Gaza and Bethlehem, surely the most oppressed of all. When is the next trip? Couldn’t say. Is another trip being planned? Couldn’t say. “People expected more”Press releases on the archbishop’s website tell of woolly words and mutual admiration at inter-church level, and little else of substance. Fortunately the Guardian printed a pretty blunt observation of its own. “Palestinian Christians have expressed disappointment that the archbishop of Canterbury did not visit their beleaguered communities to offer solidarity on his first trip to the Holy Land since taking office.” Welby’s three-day schedule had not included Bethlehem and its surrounding villages, where Christian families have suffered severe economic hardship as a result of the separation wall, and many have left the Holy Land. “Palestinian Christians would have expected a close interest from one of the most important Christian figures in the world,” said Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian official. “Christianity was born in Palestine, and the followers of Jesus Christ are suffering. These people expected something more.” Hanan Ashrawi, the veteran Palestinian politician and an Anglican, said the archbishop should have “reached out to Palestinian Christians. He should meet people and talk to them to see the impact of occupation and confiscation [of land].” The Guardian also told of the struggle Christian families in the village of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, are having in their campaign against Israel’s seizure of Palestinian land to make way for the hated separation wall, which threatens to divide people from their lands and livelihoods and cut off the monks of the Cremisan monastery from the nearby convent and local community. That obscene wall, by the way, was ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice nine years ago and ordered to be dismantled. The head of the Catholic church in England, the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, had roundly criticized Israeli land appropriation and the UK government had also taken up the case, said the Guardian. “Christians in Palestine don’t even know [Welby] is here,” remarked one Beit Jala campaigner. “He has made no effort to go to the heart of the issues concerning Christians here.” A friend who has made many trips to the area, retired surgeon David Halpin, wrote a letter to the archbishop ahead of his visit, in which he said:
“Help mankind reach upwards”Receiving no reply, Halpin wrote again that the archbishop’s visit “was even more disappointing to millions of us than we had imagined.
Dire situation in the Holy Land should be a priority for WelbyI’d add that Welby must waste no time getting to grips with the tragedy that has been allowed to overtake the Holy Land if he is to command respect outside the splendour of his Lambeth Palace residence. We’re not forgetting that he recently refused to endorse the courageous and very necessary work of the EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, which provides a protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitors and reports human rights abuses and supports Palestinians and Israelis working together for peace). That’s a black mark he has yet to expunge. One positive snippet of information to come out of his ill-planned expedition was that on his way to Ramallah he passed through the notorious Qalandiya checkpoint and spoke with human rights observers with the EAPPI. Did he suddenly see the light? On his next trip the archbishop should please take enough time to do the Holy Land, its people and the dire situation justice. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – on the Anglican agenda more important than this. Welby told Christian leaders in Jerusalem that he believes in blunt speaking. Let us see if he now stands up in the House of Lords and, along with the 25 other bishops on the bench, roundly condemns the illegal Israeli occupation, and berates those unprincipled politicians who tolerate and perpetuate its devastating effect on human life and hopes for dignity and freedom. |
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