Middle East Council of Churches

2004-09-11T21:38:00.000+03:00

Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria Dies in Helicopter Crash

His Holiness Patriarch Petros VII, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and one of the MECC's four Presidents, died today in a helicopter crash.

Official MECC statement of condolences
News story links from
CNN; Reuters; BBC News; Macedonian Press Agency.
A listing of the names of the deceased, from Macedonian Press Agency.

2004-06-25T12:24:00.000+03:00

Some comments on possible flows of Iraqi refugees, from Edmond Adam, who coordinates MECC relief work in Baghdad but is for the moment in Beirut, paraphrased:

You could call it a flood of people, mostly well-off people who have some money and can find their own accommodations, coming in to Jordan and Syria to stay for a few months and evaluate the situation in Iraq after that time.
Jordan is implementing a strict policy towards refugees, turning most of the people who show up at the border back. On the other hand, Syria has an open border policy. There are not a lot of people going to Iran.
The Jordanian-Iraqi border will be closed on June 30. Starting July 1, there is supposed to be a visa system for coming into Iraq, but nobody yet knows which nationalities will need visas or how this will be enforced.
He doesn't think there will be a mass refugee outflow from Iraq of the sort that will require camps or other emergency-response measures. In case of internal displacement within Iraq, there are no international NGOs now operating there, and there are no local Iraqi organizations with the capacity to deal with mass flows, and given the problems with moving goods around (particularly the continued lawlessness & banditry along the roads) there's no real prospect of building that kind of capacity.

This post was inspired by some comments from Juan Cole on the Informed Comment weblog.

2004-06-23T17:01:00.000+03:00

On the official site, a story about the new refugee social services center opened in Beirut & the world refugee day celebration.

Refugees sell their handicrafts at the opening of the new center

2004-06-18T13:34:00.000+03:00

The MECC's Service to Refugees, Displaced and Migrants, in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is opening a Community Center for refugees in Ain El Remmaneh, Beirut. The center will provide a space for the community of refugees to support each other, as well as a venue for educational and social programs. The opening coincides with the commemoration of World Refugee Day.

2004-06-18T13:25:00.000+03:00

Further info from the Reformed Church in America General Synod:

Presentation to the 2004 General Synod
by Mitri Raheb

"We might have different opinions when it comes to Palestine, but a moment of truth has come," said Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, in his address to the 2004 General Synod. "Today is a historic moment. Many people worldwide are comparing the situation in Palestine with the situation in South Africa under apartheid, but so far no mainline church body has attempted to speak to this issue."
Raheb told delegates that the Belhar Confession's emphasis on unity, reconciliation, and justice is highly relevant to the conflict in Palestine/Israel.
Raheb cautioned that there are also significant differences between the situations in South Africa and Palestine. Though in South Africa the division was between two Christian groups, the division in the Holy Land is between two peoples.
"The Belhar Confession sees unity grounded in the church and Christ," he said. "Is there, nevertheless, a possible common ground?"

More of Raheb's work can be seen at the International Center of Bethlehem web site. His full presentation is available from RCA as a PDF and an RTF file (readable on most word processing programs, eg MS Word.

2004-06-17T11:44:00.000+03:00

Several things noted:

Reformed Church in America rejects Christian Zionism, compares situation in Israel and Palestine to Apartheid South Africa:

Countering the interpretation that places the modern state of Israel at the center of God's redemptive purposes, the synod strongly declared the ideology of Christian Zionism and the extreme form of dispensationalism that undergirds it to be a distortion of the biblical message, and noted the impediment it represents to achieving a just peace in Israel/Palestine.

This action was based on the paper "Christian Zionism: A Historical Analysis and Critique" (available online as a PDF; 203k [AND ALSO HERE AS HTML - EDITOR]), which was recommended by synod to be studied in RCA congregations. The synod's declaration against Christian Zionism followed presentations at the annual ecumenical breakfast from Christo Lombard and Mitri Raheb, who discussed the Belhar Confession and how its origins and uses in southern Africa might be applied to the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

The Belhar Confession continues to be studied as a possible addition to the RCA's historic creeds and confessions.
We heartily encourage our American friends to endorse and support this ad that faithfulamerica.org (a group supported by the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA, among others) wants to play on Arabic-language TV:

Ad Transcript - "A Salaam A’alaykum ["Peace be with you" in Arabic]. As Americans of faith, we express our deep sorrow at abuses committed in Iraqi prisons. We stand in solidarity with all those in Iraq and everywhere who demand justice and human dignity. We condemn the sinful and systemic abuses committed in our name, and pledge to work to right these wrongs."
"This message was endorsed and paid for by thousands of Americans. www.faithfulamerica.org" [Appears on screen at end of ad].
Speakers - Rev. Dr. Don Shriver, Imam Feisal Abdur Rauf, Sister Betty Obal and Rabbi Arthur Waskow.
And, from the Official Site, two releases:
"The time has come for a just, complete, and lasting peace" (May 26)

The time has come for peace to prevail in place of the continuing bloodshed in Palestine and Iraq. The Middle East Council of Churches, speaking with the voice of its member churches, calls for an immediate end to the chain of aggressions against innocent victims in both countries. These injustices devastate both human beings and their land, and prevent the establishment of stability, just peace or true development.

Open Letter to the National Council of Churches, USA (June 17):
We in the Middle East have long appreciated the role the NCCCUSA and its member churches have played in reaching out to us in the region and in advocating for just policies by your own country. This has been especially apparent during the many phases of the crises in Palestine and Iraq.

2004-01-20T15:46:00.000+02:00

Official site:

Relief Goods Delivered to Earthquake Victims, Jan 12-18

Report from MECC liaison in Iran

Thanks to its international partners, MECC has been able to distribute relief aid to the earthquake-stricken inhabitants of Bam, Iran. The following is the report of the delivery of a relief shipment from Church World Service (CWS), an ecumenical expression of the churches in America. MECC's liaison in Iran is Mr. Melik Khodaverdian. Mr. Dvin Khodaverdian has been assisting him with work on earthquake relief.
more...

2004-01-13T13:22:00.000+02:00

The following two posts from the Healing Iraq blog are crucial reading, about the death of Zaydun Ma'mun Fadhil Hassun Al-Samarrai, apparently at the hands of American soldiers:

2004-01-08T14:41:00.000+02:00

More stuff from the Iran Earthquake:

2004-01-02T23:28:00.000+02:00

Some edits to the site template:

Removed link to http://mideastchristians.virtualactivism.org/, which seems to be a dead link.
Added link to NECC-Gaza, MECC's humanitarian service organization in Gaza. Check it out, it's worth the time.
Removed, for truth-in-advertising purposes, references to regular updates to this site. We'll do our best.

2003-12-29T15:59:00.000+02:00

MECC, Partners respond to Iran Earthquake

The Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, sent a letter to Iranian President, Mr. Muhammad Khatimi, in the name of the council’s presidents and in his own name. He expressed his sorrow for the suffering that the earthquake has brought to the Iranian People, causing much death, injury and homelessness.

In solidarity with the people of Iran the MECC immediately sent aid in the value of US$100,000.- to buy tents, blankets and medical supplies. Rev. Jarjur also formed a relief committee made up of representatives of Iranian churches in cooperation with the Iranian Red Crescent whose task it is to get the help to those affected. It will also monitor the pressing needs so as to facilitate cooperation with Action by Churches Together (ACT- International), the council’s partners and international christian relief agencies.

MECC Alert on Earthquakes in Iran (includes detailed breakdown of aid to be distributed)
Action by Churches Together Dec. 27 update
Action by Churches Together Dec. 28 update

2003-12-06T15:57:00.000+02:00

Correction:

Per The Detroit Free Press's corrections page, the new Chaldean Patriarch did NOT take the name Karim III, but is properly named Emmanuel III Delli.

2003-12-05T20:22:00.000+02:00

Girgis Saleh, a Coptic Orthodox theologian, has been elected General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. He succeeds Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, the council's General Secretary for the past eight years and now honorary General Secretary.

At the same time, two of the MECC's presidents stay on, Pope Sheoundah of the Coptic Orthodox Church and Patriarch Petros of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and two new presidents have been elected, Rev. Dr. Safwat el-Bayadi of the Synod of the Nile and Bishop Yohanna Qolta of the Coptic Catholic Church. This is the first time that all four presidents of the Council have been from the same country. Egypt has the largest Christian population in the Middle East.

Official Final Statement of the Assembly
Listing of new members of the Executive Committee
Bio of Girgis Saleh

The acceptance speech of Professor Saleh and the farewell speech of Dr. Jarjour will be posted as soon as full translations are available.

In other decisions, the Extraordinary Session announced below will be held "within two years" rather than "within one year" as originally proposed.

2003-12-04T15:14:00.000+02:00

Eighth General Assembly:

Assembly Calls For Extraordinary Session to Amend Constitution

In order to enact significant reforms to its existing structures, the Eight General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches has called for a second extraordinary session to be held a year from now. The call came when some delegates found a series of amendments proposed by a committee charged with reforming the document to be superficial and insufficient to the task.
...
[During a discussion of the proposed amendments,] HB Patriarch Michel Sabbah suggested that the amendments proposed to the Constitution are, at best, superficial and that further amendments on basic issues needed to be made and presented to the Executive Committee. This led to a great deal of discussion of the process of election of the General Secretary. Rev. Dr. Safwat el-Bayadi suggested that the nominating committee report the candidates for major posts earlier than in the present system, wherein the nominations are announced only a few hours before the election itself. The matter was referred to the executive committee for future amendment. Patriarch Sabbah talked about a discussion held by the Catholic family with Pope Shenoudah concerning possible future procedures for electing the General Secretary. The proposal was that the existing unwritten practice of rotating the General Secretariat between the families would be formalized – the General Secretary would represent one family every four years, and the family whose turn it was would put forward one or two candidates ahead of time. The candidate or candidates would then be interviewed over a longer period to decide on that candidate’s suitability for the post.
Ultimately, it was decided to convene an extraordinary General Assembly specifically to reform the Constitution. The Executive Committee was asked to prepare for and convene the Assembly in a year's time. Bishop Munib Younan asked whether such an assembly would be more expensive than could be supported by the normal MECC budget. Rev. Dr. Jarjour noted that various cost-cutting measures could make it possible.
...
The Assembly then returned to the question of the extraordinary General Assembly. Metropolitan George Saliba requested that the member churches and families respond well ahead of the Assembly with their suggestions for the amended Constitution and Bylaws, and Bishop Boulos Matar suggested that these suggestions be forwarded in full, rather than in summary, to the member churches.

There are other reports and things in the full article, but this is the full text referring to the extraordinary Assembly.

2003-12-03T23:27:00.000+02:00

Delli Elected New Chaldean Patriarch
According to an AP story, Bishop Emmanuel Delli of Baghdad was elected as the new Chaldean Patriarch. Delli, who has served on the MECC Executive Committee for the past four years, was elected by the Chaldean Synod meeting in Rome, and took the name Karim III. He succeeds Rafael I Bidawid, who died in July. here is the AP article as it appears in the Boston Globe.

2003-12-03T23:16:00.000+02:00

General Assembly day 2:

Here it is - today was unit reports day, so there's not a whole lot of stirring rhetoric this time 'round.

2003-12-03T15:36:00.000+02:00

General Assembly:

The MECC's Eighth General Assembly opened yesterday, December 2. The two reports from the opening day's sessions can be found here (morning session - MECC Presidents' speech, speeches from the Cyprus President and Muslim representative Muhammad Sammak) and here (message from Cardinal Walter Kasper and report of the General Secretary.

The Middle East Council of Churches, the ecumenical body that represents 95% of the 15 million or so Christians living in the Middle East, is holding its eighth General Assembly in the Saint Rafael Hotel, Limassol, Cyprus. The Assembly, which runs from the 2nd to the 5th of December, brings together church leaders from around the region in order to give the Council its direction for the next four years of its activities. The assembled delegates, sixteen from each church family (Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant), will elect the council’s Executive Committee and Presidents to oversee the Council during the period between Assemblies, and will choose a new General Secretary to replace Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, who has completed his second and final term.

2003-11-03T15:55:00.000+02:00

Daily telegraph: Iraq's Christians run gauntlet of anti-US hostility:

Hostile sounds of a city in revolt drift over the iron gate as one of the last Christian families in Ramadi, a hotbed of Islamic resistance in post-Saddam Iraq, prepares for lunch.
Before the war, the Oro family ran a popular entertainment empire, serving alcohol in their restaurants and shops. Now, an Islamic fatwa declares that no one should trade in alcohol on pain of death.
The big casino and dance hall that was once the flagship of the family's 15-strong property portfolio has been taken over by bearded men who plan to turn it into Ramadi's premier mosque.
"Fifty years I was working with drink and now I have nothing," said David Younan Oro, the 70-year-old patriarch, his voice trailing off. "They drink like donkeys here. Business was good. I had a lot of restaurants and shops. Now my family tell me they want to kill me for keeping them here in this place."

2003-11-03T15:43:00.000+02:00

New Chaldean Patriarch to be selected in December

From Zenit.org:

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2003 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II called the Synod of the Bishops of the Chaldean Church to meet Dec. 2-3 in the Vatican to elect the new patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans.
The Pope's decision came in virtue of Canon 72 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, explained Vatican press office director Joaquín Navarro-Valls. The patriarchal see of the Chaldean Church is in Baghdad, Iraq.
The 22 bishops of the synod met in August to appoint the successor of Patriarch Raphael Bidawid, who died July 7. Such a process followed the custom of the Eastern patriarchal churches.
Canon 72 provides for the election by a two-thirds vote in the first ballot or by an absolute majority after a certain number of votes. If the election does not take place in the first 15 days from the opening of the synod, Paragraph 2 of the canon establishes that the case goes to the Roman Pontiff.

I'm not sure how they can say they'll meet for two days if there's provision for the synod going on fifteen days before the Pontiff is allowed to step in.

2003-10-23T16:07:00.000+03:00

The new (well, it was new in September) issue of NewsReport is now on-line. The issue focuses on "Victims of Violence", and includes articles on MECC's and international response after the Gulf War, and on a series of unrelated conferences sponsored by MECC on violence-related issues, including religious fundamentalism from Muslim and Christian perspectives, violence against women, and helping child victims of violence. My personal favorite is probably the pair of speeches by Muslim and Christian theologians on The Theology of Domestic Violence

2003-10-23T15:58:00.000+03:00

Reformed Church in America: here are the last five entries by Rev. John Hubers from the visit of the RCA delegation to the Middle East. These entries cover their visit to the West Bank and Jerusalem:

Compassion in the Holy Land "When is shopping an act of compassion? Answer: When it's done in Bethlehem."
Pictures that Needed to be Seen (a slightly self-indulgent piece with pictures of those members of the delegation that hadn't managed to sneak on-camera before).
Refugee Stories
An Incident at a West Bank Refugee Camp covering a brief stop at a checkpoint, and Rev. Hubers' reaction to that event.
That They May Be One - a somewhat philosophical wrap-up and thank-you note to those who helped in the trip.

2003-10-13T11:29:00.000+03:00

Here's the text of an address by Reformed Church in America's General Secretary, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, given at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut on October 9.

Let me also offer to you, as a Christian brother, some broader pastoral reflections on the political situation revolving around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This conflict, after all, is the over-arching reality impacting political life, and shaping the context in which the churches of the Middle East are called to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When Dr. Riad Jarjour came and spoke to the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America in 2002, he concluded his address with these words: "We live in complex and difficult times when, within seconds, the business of any one region becomes the business of the whole world….The wolf packs gather everywhere. We must move as wisely as serpents and as innocently as doves, and the Spirit will give us the gift of utterance when we most need it."
It is our prayer that the Spirit my give you freshly that gift of utterance, for it is clear that words can seem cheap, shallow, and almost futile. We face together, it seems to me, a situation today of utter political hopelessness. It grows by the headlines of each day, even in the days since our delegation has arrived in your lands. Any hope of a political process is being demolished by a culture of death. This, it seems, is what now reigns--only the dark forces that dehumanize life, that are captivated by vengeance, that consistently violate any national or humanitarian boundaries of restraint--including, in these past 48 hours the violation of international borders.

2003-10-10T16:20:00.000+03:00

Reformed Church in America Delegation in the Middle East.

A group of senior clergy and denominational staff from the Reformed Church in America is currently visiting Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Israel/Palestine. John Hubers is writing a series of diary entries (misnamed a "web log" on the site) - it can be accessed from RCA's news page, or you can click on to the first four entries below:

UPDATE (October 13): 3 new entries, from their visits to Lebanon and Syria:

2003-10-06T13:34:00.000+03:00

Zenit News Services: New Chaldean Archbishop: Muslims Expect Much from Christians

BAGHDAD, Iraq, OCT. 2, 2003 (Zenit.org)
At a time of vengeance in Iraq, "Christians are called to show forgiveness and reconciliation," says the archbishop-designate of the Archeparchy of Kirkuk of the Chaldeans.
Archbishop-designate Louis Sako, who had been a parish priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Mosul, had his archiepiscopal appointment confirmed by the Pope last week.
"We must work for reconciliation," the archbishop-designate said. "There is a Christian minister in the new national government. It might be the beginning of a presence which in any case must spread to small centers and peripheral institutions. The Muslims expect much from us."
He said he believes "that encouragement must be given to every effort for dialogue and forgiveness so as not to fall into a dangerous path for the future of the country."
As is traditional in Eastern-rite Churches, the election of the new archbishop was carried out within the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church. The synod met in Baghdad from Sept. 16-24. The Pope gave his consent to the election in order to ratify the Chaldean Church's communion with the universal Church.
"Life is slowly getting back to normal" in Iraq, the archbishop-designate told SIR, the news service of the Italian bishops' conference. "The attacks against Americans are perpetrated not so much by Iraqis as by [non-Iraqi] Arabs. However, the entire population says it's pleased with the change" of regime.
"After 35 years of dictatorship, two wars with 1 million dead, 12 years of embargo, and over a million emigrants, today one can think and live freely again," he continued.
Yet, much remains to be done in terms of peace, which "is the fruit of a plan and a long path," he added. "The people must be educated in peace, dialogue -- and this is not achieved with arms."

2003-10-06T13:27:00.000+03:00

Why should Iraq pay Saddam's bills?, asks Justin Alexander of Jubilee Iraq in an editorial for Iraq Today.

Since Iraq cannot possibly pay even the annual interest on $200 billion, the total will be reduced. The question is whether the reduction will be sufficient and negotiated in a fair way. What generally happens to indebted countries is that the Paris Club, a cartel of the major creditors countries, decides on a level of payments which they think can be sustained indefinitely, and requires debtor countries to submit to economic policies designed by the IMF. The Paris Club, despite dealing with the debt of countries such as Indonesia, Congo and the Philippines - all of which inherited debt from brutal dictatorships - has never admitted that any of its members' debt claims might be odious [that is, invalid because it was incurred by a dictator and used to further his dictatorship], and there is no reason to expect it will make an exception of Iraq. Jubilee Iraq (www.jubileeiraq.org), an NGO combining Western and Iraqi campaigners across the political spectrum, has been calling for a fairer process of debt negotiation than the Paris Club, which gives Iraqis a strong voice and questions the legality debt claims which are odious. Meetings during the first of three weeks of consultations have confirmed that most Iraqis are united in insisting that they have suffered enough from Saddam and should not pay his bills. Unity on this issue is essential if Iraq is to assert herself and break free of Saddam's financial legacy of debt, which hangs like a sword over Iraq's economic future.

2003-10-06T13:10:00.000+03:00

From Christian Aid: Child Kidnapping Becoming Common in Iraq:

A spate of child kidnapping cases has hit Iraqi cities in recent weeks, according to reports received by Christian Aid staff in the region.
Speaking from Amman in Jordan at a meeting of humanitarian agencies, Oliver Burch, Christian Aid's emergency programme manager for Iraq, said many Iraqis had told him of an alarming growth in crime, including kidnapping children for ransom.
'I was told by the Patriarch of Assyrian Eastern Church, His Holiness Maredde II, that unemployment is the biggest problem and that the economic situation is pushing people into crime. His Holiness said kidnapping children and asking for a ransom from parents was becoming more widespread,' said Mr Burch.
'He told me that 20 children were recently found in a house in Baghdad. Many girls won't now be sent back to school due to parents' fears.'
Mr Burch said that he had received similar reports from other Iraqis at the conference. 'I understand that it started in the city of Basra and has spread to Baghdad. Abu Marba - an Iraqi contractor working with Christian Aid partner the Middle East Council of Churches - told me of a gardener who works for his organisation whose daughter was kidnapped - so it's not restricted to the well off.'

2003-10-06T12:32:00.000+03:00

From Al Jazeera's web site: Europe's Catholics Urged to Visit Middle East:

Europe's Catholic bishops have agreed to urge their flocks to visit shrines in the Middle East in order to sow peace in the region and support isolated Christians.
Church leaders from 34 countries backed the initiative at a weekend meeting in Vilnius, said Juozas Ruzgys, spokesman for the host the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference, on Sunday.

"The bishops seek to revive the ages old tradition of pilgrim journeys to the Holy Land, which has been forgotten amid all the conflicts," said Ruzgys, speaking on behalf of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences.
"Every Christian who goes can help to stop the chain of victims and hatred in the Middle East by spreading a culture of dialogue and tolerance. Political and diplomatic means are not enough," he added.
Pope John Paul has said peace in the Holy Land was a particular theme for prayer in 2003. He has often appealed to end violence in the region.

Something not emphasized in the article, but which is important to Middle Eastern Christians, is the importance of reaching out to the local community, to visit the "Living Stones" of the region, and not just the dead stones that make up the shrines.

Living Stones Pilgrimage by Allison Hilliard and Betty Jane Bailey is a good guidebook that focuses on introducing pilgrims to the Christian communities in the Holy Land.

The International Center of Bethlehem (warning: annoying java applet navigator thingy) runs an Authentic Tourism program dedicated to connecting pilgrims with the "living stones". They can be contacted at annadwa@planet.edu, or see their Contact Info page

2003-09-20T18:33:00.000+03:00

More Chaldean news:

From Zenit.org: Chaldean Bishops in Iraq Want the Faithful Defended

BAGHDAD, Iraq, SEPT. 17, 2003 (Zenit.org).-The Chaldean bishops of Iraq have asked Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator for the country, to help guarantee the rights of their faithful.
The 19 bishops who signed the statement asked Bremer to "guarantee the rights -- religious, civil, social and political -- of all Christians of Iraq, first among them our Chaldean people."
The bishops recall that Christian Chaldeans are the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of Iraq. In recent decades thousands had to leave their land, willingly or forcefully, as their culture was suppressed.
Chaldeans are the third ethnic community in Iraq, after the Arabs and Kurds. Among the Christians, they constitute about three-quarters of the total.
In their statement, reported by Fides, the bishops affirmed: "We declare here our solidarity with all Iraqi citizens, Arabs, Kurds and Tremens, and all ethnic and religious groups living in peaceful brotherhood, especially with our Christian brethren: the Assyrians, the Syriacs, the Armenians and the Latins, for the purpose of building a new, democratic, free and prosperous Iraq."
(quoted in full

Also, rather belatedly, The Guardian has an obituary of the late Patriarch Bidawid

2003-09-12T14:28:00.000+03:00

Incidentally, if anyone is wondering who the new Chaldean Patriarch is, the answer is, no answer has yet come in. The synod has not, after almost a month of deliberations, agreed on a candidate yet.

2003-09-12T14:20:00.000+03:00

Official site: a new Statement on Iraq, basically covering the events of the summer, and in particular responding to the string of bombings in August.

I talked recently to Edmond Addam, who frequently visits Iraq in his work for MECC's Emergency Relief Services program, and he had a number of stories to tell.

Highlights:

Asked if Baghdad now was better or worse than Beirut in the 70's and 80's, he said, definitely worse in Baghdad. In Beirut, there were some border crossings that were risky, but if you stayed away from them you were pretty safe. But in Baghdad, nowhere is safe.
Illustrating the previous: Twice, he and colleagues were eating in a restaurant in a supposedly "safe and prosperous" part of Baghdad when the insecurity came home to them. The first was when a roadside bomb hit an American military convoy less than a block away. The second was when his taxi driver, having driven off for a few minutes to refuel his car, came walking back. He had been held up, his car stolen, while he went off for gas.
Trying to find a generator for the MECC's Baghdad office was a nightmare. With summer temperatures hitting 60 C (140 farenheit), the legitimate supply dried up completely. The only ones available were looted models on the black market. Eventually, after pulling every string he could find, Edmond found a legitimate generator in Basra for 4 times market price.

2003-08-29T14:46:00.000+03:00

Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, the new General Secretary of the World Council of Churches:

The Rev. Dr Sam Kobia, currently WCC special representative for Africa, has been elected as the new general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Kobia will succeed Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, and will take office in January 2004.
The election took place during a closed session of the WCC Central Committee in which the 134 voting members considered two candidates presented by the search committee: Kobia and the Rev. Canon Dr Trond Bakkevig.
In announcing the result, the Moderator of the Central Committee, His Holiness Aram I expressed "thanks to our common Lord" for his guidance in this important decision. He stressed that it was a very smooth, responsible and serious process and not a choice in the strict sense of the word.
Speaking to Dr Kobia, he said: "I am sure that you will accept this call, which we believe is from God, to serve the ecumenical cause". He also expressed deep appreciation to Dr Bakkevig for his commitment to the WCC and the ecumenical movement.
Thanking the Committee for its confidence in him, Kobia said, "To gain the capacity to inspire the world we need inner strength. Our strength lies also in our unity. As we reiterate that the WCC is first and foremost a fellowship of churches whose primary purpose is to call one another to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, and 'to advance that unity so that the world may believe', we must work together and be seen to be working together."
He concluded with an African saying: "If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to go far, walk together with others".
-- WCC Press Release

See also Dr. Kobia's biography and a full text of his acceptance speech.

2003-08-27T15:07:00.000+03:00

Official Site: Letter of Condolence to the UN

As you know, the MECC has ministered in Iraq since 1990. We have worked with your staff and with all others bent upon easing the suffering of war and of the Sanctions, and upon helping the Iraqi people regain their dignity and vitality. We will continue to serve as we are able, focusing the commitment of the Middle East’s churches and all our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. As instructed by the gospel, we will work for those things that make for justice and peace, for refreshing in human souls self-esteem and hope, and for breaking down the dividing walls of enmity and so bring reconciliation.
We pledge ourselves to stand with you in this cause and to honor all those who have given their lives for it.

2003-08-24T16:58:00.000+03:00

In Iraq, the chaldean synod is meeting to elect a new patriarch to succeed Rafael Bidawid, who died in July. They started meeting on August 19. A Zenit news release (with no info beyond this blurb) is here. There is as yet no word out from the meeting on the net (or at least nothing Google can see).

2003-08-19T14:31:00.000+03:00

Take a look at Jubilee Iraq, an organization dedicated to making sure the Iraqi people are not held liable for the "odious debt" incurred by the previous government. They also have an online petition you can sign.

2003-08-19T14:27:00.000+03:00

New to sidebar: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East now has a website. The link points to the english version, on the assumption that that's the language most of my visitors read. There is also an Arabic page.

2003-08-19T14:12:00.000+03:00

Official Site:

A report from Rev. Dr. Nuhad Tomeh on his visit to Iraq in late July and early August. The structure for oversight of the council's work by the local churches is being put into place, and some work is being done towards helping the local churches to restart the church-related schools they ran before the 1968 revolution. There's also a report on moves towards creating a Presbyterian synod of Iraq (or perhaps Iraq and the Gulf).

2003-08-11T12:48:00.000+03:00

Official Site:

The previous (Winter 2003) issue of NewsReport is up on the web now - some of it is not too timely (particularly the parts about the lead-up to the Iraq war), but there's a good article by Patriarch Michel Sabbah (reprinted from elsewhere) and a summary of the controversy that blew up when al-Azhar described the Iraq war as a "crusade" and how some Muslim writers called them out on it

In the meantime, the new issue (which includes a lot of articles on MECC's programs related to various social issues in the Middle East that somehow failed to go away in the middle of the war, funny thing that, as well as on responses to the post-war situation in Iraq) is at the printer's, and will hopefully not take three months to get to the web this time.

2003-07-13T15:01:00.000+03:00

Churches for Middle East Peace have for their June newsletter an excellent article on Christian Zionism which closes by saying that

the identity of “Christian” must be reclaimed by the vast numbers of Christians who do not believe in the tenets of Christian-Zionism. The linkage between Christianity and peace must be strengthened in the mind of policymakers.

2003-07-13T14:47:00.000+03:00

Two pieces from the Bethlehem International Center on developments in Bethlehem post-"road map":

Rev. Mitri Raheb summarizes an interview he gave on how much optimism there is or ought to be about the redeployment of Israeli troops out of Bethlehem:
My answer was dialectical: “This redeployment of the Israeli troops in Bethlehem is important and should not be underestimated. And at the same time it is unimportant and should not be overestimated... it should not be underestimated, because it is a sign that a political process is starting again after a long standstill and after almost 3 years of a deteriorating situation... [On the other hand,] I see so many media outlets marketing this event as if salvation comes with it. However, this is not the case. This agreement does not bring us close even to where we were in September 2000 . It does not deal with any of the critical issues: Jerusalem, Settlements, Water, Borders etc.”
A Dose of Reality by Sandra Olewine:
A dose of reality – the daily lived reality of everyday Palestinians – needs to infiltrate the senses of the political leadership at every level. Maybe then there would be a reason to dance in the streets.

2003-07-12T22:55:00.000+03:00

More Bidawid obituaries:

A version of the Associated Press obituary from NewsDay, which stresses Bidawid's opposition to the sanctions on Iraq.
The Zenit news agency obituary which is a bit more biographical.

2003-07-08T15:29:00.000+03:00

Catching up on the Iraq news:

Action by Churches Together has been putting out regular situation reports on Iraq, which can be found at this site. Among the things that jumped out at me from reading the last months' worth:

A paragraph talking about Diakonia Emergency Aid's work in a couple small towns, taken from the June 5 report:
The population of Badra is approximately 6.000. They only received relief materials from the Iranian Red Crescent. The arrival of IDPs during the war had a big impact on the region, as locals shared their food with them. Although Jassan town is only 10 km from Badra, no assistance arrived there before the RCI [Relief Committee in Iraq] shipment. The population of Jassan is around 6,500. Till now only a small amount of medical aid from Kuwait and food as well as medicine from Iranian Red Crescent was sent to the area. There are two hospital, but no medical treatment available, as there are little medicines with which to treat people. Increased incidents of diarrhea amongst children have been reported. The lack of power supplies during the war left all the hospitals’ vaccines and sensitive medicines spoiled. The doctors have requested medical assistance from RCI that include medicines to treat pediatric illnesses, diabetics, as well as syringes, antibiotics, serums, vaccines, cardiology medicines, blood pressure medicines, and vaccines for polio and measles.
From the June 23 report, a detailed listing of relief supplies (mostly blankets and bedsheets) delivered by MECC to different hospitals in Iraq
Also from that report, a set of interviews with Christian leaders reflecting on the World Conference on Religion and Peace meeting (mentioned below) between Iraqi religious leaders held in Amman

2003-07-08T15:04:00.000+03:00

Chaldean Patriarch Rafael I Bidawid died yesterday. Here is the small story on the official MECC site.

Bidawid was responsible for churches in war-torn countries for the last 30 years of his life, first as bishop of the Chaldean church in Lebanon, then as Patriarch based in Baghdad starting just before the 1990 Gulf War. He was too sick to function for the last year or so, and was in a hospital in Beirut during the second (or third, depending on how you count) Gulf war.

It will be very interesting to see who ends up as the new Patriarch. Whoever it is will have some difficult times ahead of him.

2003-07-06T17:53:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Appeal for Iraq (three weeks old, but still current):

As images of military action in Iraq are fading from our television screens, millions of Iraqis are coping with consequences of the fatal combination of crippling sanctions, dictatorship, previous wars and the recent military action. Over 60% of the Iraqi population relies entirely on external assistance. Public services are severely disrupted and any delay in restoring them will increase already rather dramatic security concerns and health issues.
Almost two months into the new era, the Coalition Forces and the international community in Iraq are struggling to establish order, help Iraq through its challenging period of transition to a stable, modern state and at the same time, address urgent humanitarian needs. Iraq remains in need of rapid and forceful action that will help its population get back on its feet.

2003-07-06T17:47:00.000+03:00

Official web site: Report on aid distribution in Jordan. Detail for aid geeks.

2003-07-06T17:41:00.000+03:00

Uri Avneri on the Gush Shalom site:

The Draw

Therein lies the answer to the questions that are being asked now: Will the Hudna [Arabic for truce] last? Will it continue after the initial three-month period? Will Arafat and Abu-Mazen succeed in bringing Hamas along with them?
The answers depend completely on the mood of the Palestinian population. If it wants the Hudna, the Hudna will last. If it detests the Hudna, it will collapse. Hamas does not want to lose public sympathy by breaking a popular Hudna. On the contrary, it wants to play a major role in the future Palestinian state. But if the population comes to the conclusion that the Hudna has borne no fruit, Hamas will be the first to break it.
On what will this depend? If the Hudna delivers a major political achievement to the nation and a marked improvement in the quality of life to individuals, it will be popular and take root.

2003-07-02T18:20:00.000+03:00

On the "road map", there seems to be reason for (extremely) cautious optimism. Here's Miftah on the recent meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon:

Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers addressed their people on Tuesday and announced their rededication to the peace process, using conciliatory language not heard in three years. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon met to discuss recent negotiations and agreed to form a high-level committee to discuss key issues dividing the two sides.
In this rare joint appearance, the two leaders praised the accomplishments of the last few days and discussed how to keep building upon them. Their recommitment marked a significant move toward implementing the U.S.-backed ‘roadmap’ to peace. Their main points of discussion included Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners and claims that both sides incite hatred toward the other.

2003-07-02T18:05:00.000+03:00

Islam Online had an interview a couple weeks ago with Riad Jarjour, during the "Fundamentalism" conference. Their translations (and grasp of Christian theology) are at times a bit squirrelly, but this one seems okay.

2003-07-02T18:03:00.000+03:00

Okay, another hiatus, another apology, but this weblog will now be back to three times a week.

New on the official web site: A schedule of upcoming MECC activities for the next three months.

2003-06-11T16:59:00.000+03:00

Apologies for the extended hiatus (two weeks longer than announced). There will be another gap next week, after which regular service will resume.

Recapping the last month for the Middle East Council of Churches (apologies in advance for anything I leave out):

Last month, the MECC Unit on Life and Service hosted the seventh annual meeting of the Amman Process in Beirut, Lebanon. The Process brings together church-related groups working with migrants and refugees from all parts of the mediterranean. At this meeting, the European partners presented on the latest developments, both legal and social, with respect to migration issues in Europe, and MECC staff presented on the situations in Iraq, Palestine, and on interreligious dialogue. Of especial note was a presentation by Mr. Mustapha Djemali, UNHCR regional officer for the Middle East, who gave an honest and somewhat downbeat assessment of the UN's paralysis during the Iraq crisis.

Also last month, the MECC Program on Justice, Peace and Human Rights held a training session in Agameh, Egypt (near Alexandria). The session, which dealt with "Protecting Children in Difficult Situations" included both theoretical and practical approaches to dealing with children who are at risk due to violence encountered in the home or in society. Twenty educators, NGO workers, and clergy working with children attended the two-day session.

At the end of last month, the MECC Executive Committee met in Amman, Jordan. The official statement of the meeting is available on the official site.

Also in Amman, MECC staff including the General Secretary attended a meeting sponsored by the World Conference on Religion and Peace of Iraqi religious leaders, both Muslim and Christian. The leaders called for "an immediate temporary Iraqi national government, to be followed by a permanent Iraqi government built on the basis of direct, free and democratic elections, a constitution, and the rule of law that protects equally all religious, ethnic and national groupings." Full coverage is available on WCRP's site.

Two MECC associate general secretaries, Father Elias Khalife (head of the Unit on Faith and Unity) and Mr. Samer Lahham, who is also the communications officer for the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, attended the ecumenical Kirchentag in Berlin that ran from May 28 to June 3 and drew at least 200,000 participants from around Germany and around the world. See here for one brief press release.

The MECC Gulf Liaison,Rolf Pearson, is moving toOman to work with the Al Amana Centre. It is hoped that with this move, Rolf will be able to bring in more resources from the MECC in the region to serve the churches in a more effective way. With the Centre’s growing work in dialogue, it is also hoped that this work can be expanded to benefit all Gulf countries.

Rev. Pearson's new address is:

Rev. Rolf Pearson

MECC Gulf Office

Al Amana Centre

P.O. Box 11

Muscat 113 Oman

Last week, MECC in cooperation with the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women (disclaimer: I'm not sure that this is their actual site, and it hasn't been updated in what looks like 3 years) held a conference on "Violence against Women in the Family". Speakers included women from Arab countries as well as representatives from Amnesty International and the UN commission to end all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW). Metropolitan George Khodr and Sayyid Hani Fahs gave presentations on religious interpretations of violence against women from Christian and Muslim perspectives. Of particular interest was the presentation of Dr. Manjiyeh Suwayhi of Tunisia on the Tunisian reforms to their laws on violence against women and the success they have had in reducing at least somewhat this phenomenon in their country.

There remain a number of people displaced by the Iraq conflict, and MECC is continuing to give assistance to them. The latest report from Amman is available on the main site.

In preparation is a Muslim-Christian conference on Fundamentalism. This meeting, to be held in Beirut this Thursday-Saturday, will focus on problems of Fundamentalism in both faiths, and on the phenomenon in general.

Next week, the MECC Commission on Refugees, Migrants and Displaced Persons meets in Amman. I (Tom) will be attending, and hope to have some more information on Iraq and relief efforts there to share after that meeting.

2003-05-14T02:01:00.000+03:00

Hiatus announcement: Tom Scudder is travelling this week and next. The weblog will probably not be updated during that time.

2003-05-08T16:13:00.000+03:00

Rest in peace, Jamil Rifai

2003-05-08T16:07:00.000+03:00

Miftah.org: Two views on the early days of the "Road Map":

No Guts, No Glory (May 3) - "Is Israel truly committed to peace? Are the Israeli people willing to make the necessary shift towards acceptance of the Palestinians’ right to freedom? Will the Israeli government fully withdraw its troops to the boundaries of June 1967, as stipulated by international law? Do the Palestinians want peace? Can they take a collective decision (at all levels of society) to stop attacks against Israeli civilians, which only tarnish the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause? Is the US willing/able to influence Israel to implement binding agreements, if necessary?"
What Lies Beneath - May 5 - "The Palestinian people's expectations of this political process are engulfed by suspicion and wariness. After 31 months of economic and social strangulation, political dead-ends, and extreme hopelessness, Israel is betting on a nonviable solution to suffice. The belief among Israeli hawkish leaders is that after two and a half years of continuous suffering, the Palestinians (people and leadership) will be more prone to compromise, even on fundamental issues. This demonstrates Israel’s own theory of relativity; making the Palestinians contemplate what used to be unimaginable!"

2003-05-08T16:02:00.000+03:00

Official MECC Site: International Delegation Returns from Iraq:

"The primary need of the Iraqi people is security," says Rev. Dr. Nuhad Tomeh. "First, security. Second, services - electricity, water - garbage is everywhere. And third, they need to send their children back to school. The schools have been closed, and many of them have been looted."
Dr. Tomeh, MECC International Linkage Coordinator, returned to Beirut today, May 8, from a 1-week inspection trip to Iraq. He travelled with a delegation of nine officers from church-related relief organizations from the Middle East, Europe and North America.
The group left Amman, Jordan on April 30 and arrived in Baghdad the same day. During their week in Iraq, they visited the northern cities of Mosul, Kirkuk, Suleimaniya and Erbil, and the southern city of Hilli. They saw the situation on the ground, and discussed the problems the country faces with local people as well as church leaders.

2003-05-07T14:08:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Places of worship became places of refuge by Hege Opseth, Norwegian Church Aid/ACT International:

Baghdad, May 6, 2003--Six-year old Caroline, who lit a candle for peace just before the war on Iraq broke out, is happy that the bombing has stopped.
"I was so scared that I did not dare to stay in Baghdad," the little girl says.
The majority of Baghdad's residents however stayed … and while the bombs fell on their city during the nights, several hundred families made their way to local mosques and churches, seeking refuge.
Safely back in Baghdad, sitting in her mother's lap, Caroline says, "Omi (my mother) sent me to some relatives in our village. There it was not so bad. Now it has been two days since I got home."
Caroline's mother Sane remained in Baghdad, and along with several other families sought refuge in the cellar of the Chaldean Catholic Church of St. Mary during the war. Night after night she heard the sound of the bombs.
"The only thing I could think of was my children. I was so scared that something would happen to them. I had to send Caroline away from Baghdad. Now I am just glad it is over. Maybe the children can go back to school soon and life can go back to normal, at least for the children," Sane says.

2003-05-07T14:05:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: MECC convoy delivers relief items to Iraq by Guy Hovey:

Baghdad, May 6, 2003--The threat of being hijacked along the highway to Baghdad is a concern shared by many people who travel this road and one of the dangers the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) convoy faced as it traveled from Jordan to Iraq's capital this weekend to deliver much needed relief items.
The convoy - made up of six trucks and driven by local Iraqi drivers was loaded with 250 winter tents, 19,200 cans of meat, 1,000 food packets made up of oil, tea, beans, sugar, rice and detergents, 6380 blankets, 2,2 tons of BP5 high protein biscuits and a 40 foot container of medicines. Several members of the global alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International donated the relief items - Norwegian Church Aid, International Christian Orthodox Charities, Church World Service. The medicines, which were immediately delivered to hospitals in the area, were donated by ACT member, Diakonie Austria.
MECC coordinator Edmond Adam said that the items are for a pre-positioned emergency stockpile as there is a real fear that current rations distributed to people by the old Iraqi regime under the oil for food program will run out mid-year, at which point people could start experiencing severe food shortages. "The outlook is bleak if people don’t start earning salaries soon enabling them to buy food," said Adam as he showed us the stockpile stored at the Old Ancient Church of the East in Baghdad.
The MECC stockpile is enough for 1,000 families in Baghdad and Mosul but Adam is realistic about how far the supplies will stretch and stated that "millions of families could be without adequate food in a couple of months." This view is reinforced by the ACT Regional Coordinator Eszter Németh, who added that "as the oil for food scheme was administered by the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, the distribution system is no longer in place".
It would appear that Iraq is heading for a classic ‘cash famine’, as families are unable to buy available food due to a shortage of work, cash and rising prices. Already, a kilo of apples can cost a month's salary said Németh. This is a view supported by Father Bashar of the Chaldean Church in Baghdad, who is worried that the lack of work to support families will lead to increased lawlessness as desperate families turn to crime to feed themselves. One problem is that government work places have been destroyed. "The coalition says that people should return to work but how can they when their places of work have been destroyed or looted? There’s nothing to go back to," said Adam of MECC.
As the temperature rises each day and people remember the extremely high temperatures of last summer, preparedness operations such as the MECC emergency stockpile will become more important. However, an aid worker in the city commented that "the funds we have are too meager for the what lies ahead." There are also worries of possible outbreaks of disease, as already inadequate water supplies have been potentially contaminated by untreated sewerage from broken down treatment plants. Adam believes that water-born diseases could pose a threat this summer, "although reports from the north of the country say that current disease levels are not above the norm."
Eszter Németh advocates for flexible and rapid funding from ACT donors. "What is needed is the ability to be able to react immediately when a crisis is identified" she said. With the summer coming crises can develop rapidly and soon spin out of control. It is clear that a wait of weeks or even months for funding to arrive will mean a delay in response time, often with deadly consequences for the most vulnerable, children and the elderly.

2003-05-07T13:55:00.000+03:00

International Crisis Group: A Middle East Roadmap To Where?

May 2, 2003
After several false starts, the Middle East diplomatic Quartet (composed of the U.S., the EU, the Russian Federation and the Office of the Secretary General of the UN) finally put its Roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian peace on the table on 30 April 2003. However, although the document has received widespread international endorsement, there is also widespread scepticism about its contents, about the willingness of the parties to implement its provisions and indeed of its sponsors to maintain allegiance to them.
The scepticism is warranted. The Roadmap adheres to a gradualist and sequential logic to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, a throwback to the approach that has failed both Israelis and Palestinians in the past. Its various elements lack definition, and each step is likely to give rise to interminable disputes between the two sides. There is no enforcement mechanism, nor an indication of what is to happen if the timetable significantly slips. Even more importantly, it fails to provide a detailed, fleshed out definition of a permanent status agreement. As such, it is neither a detailed, practical blueprint for peace nor even for a cessation of hostilities.
Yet, these and other worrying realities do not necessarily condemn the Roadmap to irrelevance. It is important to understand what the Roadmap is not -- but also what it can be. It should be viewed as a political document that -- along with significant unilateral changes within the Palestinian and Israeli arenas, and in the context of a transformed regional and international situation -- might conceivably serve as a catalyst and vehicle to help Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab world internalise the requirements and contours of a sustainable peace agreement. The Roadmap can become a mechanism around which efforts by Palestinians and Israelis to return to a genuine political process are organised -- indeed, further justifying these efforts by the promise of a political settlement.

2003-05-07T13:52:00.000+03:00

Four media articles about Iraqi Christians:

Catholic Times reprints a CNS report: Iraqi bishop's advice to U.S.: Help us, but leave quickly. Iraqi archbishop asks for autonomous government in harmony with religious convictions. The report features quotes from a number of Iraqi and other Middle Eastern Catholic clergy.
From crosswalk.com: Iraqi Christians Apprehensive About their Future: "Iraqi Christians are apprehensive about their future and waiting to see if a new government in their country will lean more towards a Western-style democracy or a Shiite regime with strict Islamic law, a Christian charity involved with churches in Iraq said on Friday." - the article is pretty good, although the overall site seems a bit suspect.
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reprints a Washington Post story: 'Sad Easter' for worried Iraqi Christians:
By Carol Morello

Washington Post
April 21, BAGHDAD, Iraq - In all his 57 years, Samir Ahad has never experienced an Easter Sunday so filled with sorrow, hopelessness and dread as this one.
At every turn was a reminder of the war that left lives in shambles and usurped a government that had pampered the small Christian minority. Parishioners arrived at the Evangelical Protestant Church, where Ahad is the secretary, in cars pockmarked by shrapnel. The absence of the chocolates, colored eggs and new clothes that usually mark Easter services at the Presbyterian church underscored that the parishioners have no income to spend. The Italian organ donated by ousted President Saddam Hussein sat silent, for lack of $2,000 to repair it.
Finally, Electronic Iraq reprints an April 22 George Irani commentary from the Beirut Daily Star: Iraq's Christians and the challenges of the post-war setting which is less of a direct report and more of an analysis of the situation of Christians throughout the Arab world.

2003-05-07T13:35:00.000+03:00

Two old-ish articles pointed out by Fr. Ron Roberson of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in his monthly newsletter:

First, from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, a press release detailing efforts in the US Congress to secure Israel's recognition of Patriarch Irinaios' 2001 election to the Patriarchal seat in Jerusalem. Among those joining in the effort are Senator Joe Lieberman, America's most prominent Jewish politician, and Congresswoman Shelly Berkley, who has collected the signatures of almost all the Jewish members of the US House of Representatives in support of Patriarch Irinaios' case.
From Syriac Orthodox Church News: Ancient Syriac Gospel stolen from the Church of Forty Martyrs in Mardin
April 18, 2003
According to the Turkish newspaper Zaman, a 300 year old Book of the Gospels in Syriac were stolen from the Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs in Mardin. The robbers came to the church early yesterday and introduced themselves to a Syriac Orthodox boy as researchers. The boy let them into the church. They locked up the boy in the church and fled with the Gospel Book. Earlier, on January 7, 2003, the Church of the Mother of God in Diyarbakir was similarly plundered by criminals who remain at large. It appears that an organized gang of criminals is operating in Southeast Turkey. The church has appealed to the Turkish authorities to help protect the Syrian churches and monasteries in Tur `Abdin and its invaluable heritage from looting.

2003-05-05T15:49:00.000+03:00

Added to sidebar: US State Department's "Road Map" as archived by Churches for Middle East Peace. Please feel free to suggest any other appropriate documents to link.

2003-05-05T15:31:00.000+03:00

United Methodist News Service (via WFN): Work with Muslims requires sensitivity, board exec says

May 2, 2003
DALLAS (UMNS) - The rhetoric of some Christian organizations toward Islam "is not always helpful" for those doing ministry in Muslim countries, the top staff executive of the United Methodist missions' agency says.
The Rev. R. Randy Day emphasized that the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries never ceases to proclaim Christ in its work around the world. At the same time, he said, it's important for Christians to understand Islam, to be "students of the Quran as well as the Bible," in order to understand their faith and work cooperatively with Muslims.
Day spoke May 1 to the international United Methodist Council of Bishops during the episcopal leaders' semiannual meeting in Addison, Texas. The bishops, who met April 28-May 2, had asked Day to address the topic of Islam and evangelism.
The denominationwide mission board has a long history of relationships with people in Islamic cultures, particularly through providing relief following natural and manmade disasters, he said. Agency staff work in many countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East "where Islam is sometimes a militant and dominant force." Through its United Methodist Committee on Relief, the church is currently serving in areas that include Afghanistan and Iraq.
Working in those settings is not always easy, he said, noting that Islamic militants have killed many Christians. "The public rhetoric of some Christians is not always helpful in some of those sensitive settings."
Day avoided naming any specific individual or group. In the last two years, some well-known Christian leaders have condemned Islam. Those have included Franklin Graham, whose relief organization, Samaritan's Purse, is planning to work in Iraq.
UMCOR does not mix aid and evangelization, but reaches out to whomever is in need, Day said. The Bible says nothing about feeding, clothing or visiting only Christians, or about using food or any services in love to gain disciples, he noted. "That's why we strive to make sure that in all that we do, people know who we are and the deep Christian commitment of our organization.
"I realize that not everyone understands or agrees with our theology of service," Day said. "Sometimes our approach, which is shared by most mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic relief organizations, places us in tension with groups with which we find ourselves working in emergency situations."
UMCOR's approach "does bear gospel fruit in the long run," he said. Its relief work has been the prelude to the startup of United Methodist churches in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, he said.

2003-05-05T15:23:00.000+03:00

Zenit News Agency: Iraqi Christian Leaders Want a Constitution That Respects Human Rights:

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Christian patriarchs and bishops of Iraq have asked that their country's future Constitution recognize fundamental human rights, particularly religious liberty.
In a signed statement published today by the Vatican press office, the religious leaders also called for dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
"When Christianity and Islam met, their respective 'holy ones' began the two religions in respectful and reciprocal coexistence," the statement affirms.
"By virtue of our original right of belonging to the most ancient peoples of this land, we claim for ourselves and for all those who live in it today, whether a majority or minority, united by a long history of coexistence, the full right to live in a state of law, in peace, freedom, justice and equality, according to the Human Rights Charter," the document continues.
Iraqi Christians -- Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrians, Armenians, Greeks, and Latins -- ask that a future Constitution:

recognize religious, cultural, social and political rights;
envision a legal statute in which each person will be considered according to his capacities, without discrimination, so that each may have the right to actively participate in the government and the service of the country;
consider Christians as Iraqi citizens with full rights; and
guarantee the right to "profess our faith according to our ancient traditions and our religious law, the right to educate our children according to Christian principles, the right to freely assemble, to build our places of worship, and our cultural and social centers according to our needs."

The religious leaders' appeal is made "before everyone, the Iraqi people, rich in ethnicities and religions, the political and religious authorities, as well as to everyone who has the good of the country at heart, and to the leaders of the international community."
Iraq's 24 million includes 670,000 Christians, three-quarters of whom are Catholic, mostly of the Chaldean rite.

2003-05-05T15:18:00.000+03:00

Christian Aid: Christian Aid welcomes move towards a viable Palestinian state:

2 May 2003
Christian Aid today welcomed the publication of a Road Map for peace as a positive move towards resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Map - formulated by the Quartet of the US, the EU, Russia and the UN - intends to create an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel. Christian Aid agrees that this will provide the best opportunity to bring about an end to violence and poverty in the region.
However, Christian Aid's partners in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) are concerned that:
The Road Map does not acknowledge the inequality that exists between the two sides
Palestinian sovereignty is not endlessly postponed by the process
All parties must be guided by human rights, international law and key UN resolutions

...
Dr Bernard Sabella, Chief Executive of Christian Aid partner, the Middle East Council of Churches in East Jerusalem, said: 'The Road Map tends to forget almost completely the fact that Israel has created new facts on the ground, such as the annexation of East Jerusalem, construction of settlements, use of water and other resources found in the Palestinian Territories in contradiction to UN resolutions and international conventions, including the Geneva Convention.'

2003-05-02T16:12:00.000+03:00

The MECC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, travelled with a group of Christians and Muslims from Lebanon to the Sudan yesterday. They are attending a conference in Khartoum held by the Council for International People's Friendship entitled "Coexistence and the culture of peace." Other members of the group include Muhammad Sammak of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, Shi'ite clergyman Sayyed Hani Fahas, and Kamil Mnasseh of L'Orient le Jour newspaper.

2003-05-02T15:46:00.000+03:00

ICRC: Daily bulletin, May 1:

Wide-ranging report, including reports on places ICRC has not previously reported on, including several cities in south-central Iraq (Nasiriya, Samawah, Diwaniya, Najaf and al Amarah: "No major needs were reported, but some social institutions have either been totally looted or fear that any assistance distributed could be looted.") and eastern Iraq (al-Kut, Badra: "Al Kut has more or less returned to normality, with security no longer an issue during the day. Military operations are over. Badra for its part has been spared by the war, with the people from surrounding areas and cities who had sought refuge in Badra now returning to their places of origin. However, unexploded ordnance also seems to be a problem in these areas: several cases of related injuries have been treated so far in the health dispensary in Badra. In the town of al Kut (population 380,000) the contamination from unexploded ordnance seems to be greater and more widespread than in Badra. Children are generally the most affected group among the population. There is therefore an urgent need for an awareness programme concerning unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war.")

2003-05-02T15:41:00.000+03:00

ICRC: Iraq: A not-so-unique tragedy:

After twenty years of detention in Iran, Adnan returned to Baghdad in March, at the start of the latest war. Everything had changed, including the street names. He could scarcely find his way around the modern city that Baghdad had become. Adnan became distressed, unable to cope with the changes in society and with the deterioration in the values he believed in. Even the stack of banknotes he received in return for his long years of detention was almost worthless. His dream of building a house soon evaporated.
Adnan's memory was not what it used to be either. It took him days to find his parents' house. Someone else was living there. Even the neighbours had moved. He finally met an old man who remembered him, but even he was shocked to see Adnan, as everyone had assumed he was dead. The man told him his father had died seven years previously, his mother three years later. Desparate, Adnan started searching for his wife. Several gruelling days later he found her phone number, and discovered that she was now living abroad.
The war had destroyed the telecommunications system, but someone directed him to the ICRC, which had set up a satellite phone service. He knew where their office was, because they had given him a detention certificate a few days before. At the office Adnan joined the queue, anticipation rising as he waited to call his wife. All around him, ICRC employees and Iraqi Red Crescent volunteers were busy processing requests, dialling phone numbers, putting people in touch with their relatives abroad for the first time in weeks. Adnan was getting more and more tense. Finally, his turn came. He took the phone and uttered a few stumbling words. A long pause. In the busy office, others sensed that something was desperately wrong. As all around him fell silent, Adnan burst into tears. He hung up the phone and walked away, his face drained of expression. His wife had re-married a year ago.

2003-05-02T15:34:00.000+03:00

Added to sidebar:

Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, a nonprofit organization seeking to increase awareness among American Christians of the urgent needs of Christians in the Holy Land, to enrich the lives of American Christians through contacts with Christians in the Holy Land, and to raise and distribute money for programs which will encourage and assist Christians to remain in the Holy Land.
Christian Foundation for the Holy Land, an apolitical organization dedicated to providing scholarships for Christians living in the Holy Land, both immigrant and native.

2003-05-02T15:22:00.000+03:00

National Council of Churches USA: Muslim, Christian, Jewish leaders release joint peace guidelines:

April 30, 2003, CHICAGO - As President Bush prepared his Thursday evening address to announce "the end of the Iraq war," more than 75 Muslim, Christian, Jewish and other faith leaders from across the United States converged on Chicago to issue a set of principles to lead toward a peaceful future. The summit addressed the humanitarian, spiritual and civil costs of war and its ramifications here at home.
The summit participants’ "Urgent Call for Reflection, Hope and Action" calls on the President to:
draw back from the use and threat of "first strike" war;
draw back from unilateral US control over the reconstruction of Iraq;
bring the US occupation to a prompt end by transferring to the United Nations and multilateral, non-governmental organizations the authority to work with the Iraqi people toward Iraq’s own reconstruction;
make available US resources as part of a world effort to serve the needs and decisions of the Iraqi people.

The religious leaders also called on all people of faith to make this a time of deliberate reflection and to gather in town meetings, teach-ins and other community forums "to explore what kind of society we seek to become." In a second document, titled "Words of Reflection," they called for a national day of prayer and reflection, with a special emphasis on interfaith gatherings. "We further call on the President to distance himself from religious leaders who demonize the faith of others," they said, and urged Americans not to forget "the continuing suffering of the Iraqi people, which demands large-scale international humanitarian relief."

2003-05-02T15:17:00.000+03:00

WFN and PCUSA news: Presbyterian churches in Iraq escape major damage by Jerry L. Van Marter

April 24, LOUISVILLE - Word has finally reached Presbyterian Church (USA) officials from Iraq that the five Presbyterian churches there have escaped significant damage and are carrying on with their ministries.
In an April 24 email from Cairo, Worldwide Ministries Division coordinator for the Middle East Victor Makari wrote: "First-hand report indicates that the Presbyterian churches in Baghdad and in Mosul are managing fairly well under the circumstances. The Arab Evangelical (Presbyterian) Church of Baghdad was able to gather for services on Good Friday and on Easter."
Makari said that the Rev. Nuhad Tomeh, the PC(USA)'s mission co-worker with the Middle East Council of Churches who is coordinating MECC relief efforts in Iraq, told him that the Good Friday service at Arab Evangelical church was
broadcast live on Iraqi television.

2003-05-02T15:11:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: 3 good articles by Jonathan Frerichs:

Go read all three.

2003-04-30T16:06:00.000+03:00

ICRC: Iraq bulletin (primarily Baghdad), 28 April:

Much stuff, including:

Baghdad hospitals
The general state of hospitals has not changed noticeably over recent days. The functional capacity of hospitals falls into three categories: a) a few hospitals whose staff have devised coping mechanisms allowing them to work but at reduced capacity; b) the majority of hospitals providing only emergency care; and c) quite a number of hospitals not functioning at all. During the period covered, the ICRC assisted al Rashad psychiatric hospital with food and basic medicines and al Karama hospital with a one-month food ration for 400 patients.
Water and electricity supply
Despite recent improvements the water and power situation remains difficult, with some parts of the city receiving little or no supplies. The ICRC estimates that over the weekend about 40 per cent of the normal electricity supply was restored. Infrastructure such as pumping stations, electrical substations and water- and waste water-treatment plants is still falling prey to looters. The situation at Rustumiya waste water-treatment plant remains critical, with the sewage of about three million people currently flowing untreated into the Dyiala River, a tributary of the Tigris.

2003-04-30T15:59:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Basra: water shortages continue by Hannu Pesonen (FinnChurchAid):

Baghdad, April 28, 2003 -- The water lies stagnant and dirty in the irrigation canals of some of the poorest suburbs of Basra, Iraq's second largest city. Green and foul, this is the water that the city's two million inhabitants use for washing. And if for some reason, the water tanks brought in by INGOs cannot get through to the areas, people come to these canals and the dilapidated wells to draw their drinking water.
Basra is still suffering from a shortage of water. The situation was bad even before the war, reminds Tor Valla, a water engineer with Action by Churches Together (ACT) International member, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA). Valla and other NCA staff have been seconded to UNICEF and were amongst the first people to start distributing water in southern Iraq in early April, while the war on Iraq was still going on. Several members of ACT International have helped fund this work.

2003-04-30T15:56:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Needed now - humanitarian 'resistance' by Jonathan Frerichs, ACT Press officer

Baghdad, April 28, 2003 – "We need resistance in the trenches, not resistance in hotels". The saying, sharpened by a play on words in Arabic, is current in the streets of Baghdad. This captures the local political mood towards émigré Iraqis returning from fancy hotels in Europe as would-be leaders.
More plausible are leaders who have lived through war, dictatorship and sanctions, like the people they would lead - a people who have never determined their own fate and wonder even now if they ever really will.
The 'trenches' of strife-torn and impoverished neighborhoods around this city are also the place where humanitarian 'resistance' is most needed now. There is no master relief strategy in place at present, but supplies are being rushed to the frontlines of suffering that crisscross this city. Some of them come from the global inter-church alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.
St. Elya Chaldean Church served as one about 50 parish relief centers established by ACT member Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) during the war. Families seeking shelter and safety when the city was being bombed and besieged were welcomed at these centers with food, blankets and clean water. But St. Elya serves another purpose as well. From its safety and security, medicines and supplies are reaching small medical clinics fighting chronic disease, now re-opened in some of Baghdad's poorest neighborhoods.
"If we would not have had St. Elya's, we could not have done anything during the war," said Alexander Christof, head of the German non-profit, APN. Three US members of ACT International assist his work as part of a special health campaign for Iraqi Children.

2003-04-30T15:51:00.000+03:00

Anglican Network for Inter-Faith Concerns: Christian-Muslim relations in a future Iraq: Recent media comment by Clare Amos:

This is the first of a monthly series on an aspect of Christian-Muslim relationships. Reports in this series will firstly seek to provide a factual digest of news reports or other published information on the subject under discussion. They will also include a brief conclusion – which will contain the element of evaluation.
Structure of following information:
Basic information regarding the situation of Christians in Iraq
Precis of major article in The Tablet March 15 2003
Information from Iraqi diaspora sources
Information based on comment/direct news etc of Christians in Iraq/Middle East
Possible difficulties relating to Western Christian
Conclusions
There is both a substantial – and also historic – Christian community in Iraq. A reasonable estimate seems to be perhaps 750,000 out of a total population of approximately 24 million. There are also considerable numbers of Christians of Iraqi origin living outside the country (in some cases for generations). Detroit,in the US, is a particular base. What is the attitude of the Iraqi Christian community to the war and what does the future hold for them? They have received a reasonable amount of attention in the news media in recent weeks – and the following comments are based on that as well as an extended conversation with a senior Christian Iraqi currently resident in the United Kingdom.

Read the whole thing. It's an excellent overview.

2003-04-30T15:46:00.000+03:00

Official Site: Pictures from Baghdad (Late March, 2003).

Better late than never.

2003-04-28T16:57:00.000+03:00

Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia: Armenian Martyr's Day (scroll down to find the story):

On Thursday, 24 April 2003, on the occasion of the 88th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, thousands of Armenians attended the Divine Liturgy and requiem service for the one-and-a-half million Armenian Martyrs, the victims of the Genocide organized by the Turkish Government. The Holy Liturgy was presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I.
Bishop Dirayr Panossian celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon stressing the importance of 24 April in the life of our people.
Following the Divine Liturgy His Holiness, surrounded by members of the brotherhood of Cilician Catholicosate, Seminarians and the faithful, walked in procession toward the Chapel of Martyrs, where he presided over the requiem service.
In his message Aram I said: ¡ÈWe have not forgotten and will never forget our martyrs, because the martyrs are the source of the power of a people¡Çs existence and a way to eternity. People live with collective memory. The Armenian Genocide is deeply rooted in the collective memory of our people. All attempts to deny the Genocide will fail because the Genocide does not belong to history, it is part of the daily life of our people all around the world. A people that has martyrs and that knows how to be martyred for a sacred purpose is immortal¡É. His Holiness denounced all efforts aimed at compromising the memory of the Genocide and stressed the solidarity of our people in seeking to regain our just rights.

2003-04-28T16:45:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Open letter on post-war Iraq:

April 22 - In post-war Iraq, humanitarian aid of all kinds must be clear about its purposes.
Providing aid solely on the basis of need is not only sufficient grounds for aiding Iraq but also the most solid ground for doing so – especially, we believe, for church-related agencies working in the Middle East. Basing aid on need is a core principle of humanitarian conduct, clearly codified in international humanitarian law and broadly accepted within the worldwide humanitarian community.
Those who need help have the right to receive aid on the basis of that need and to be served regardless of their race, creed or nationality. Those who provide help must respond, in turn, without attaching political, military or religious conditions to their aid or making adverse distinctions among the recipients. ACT International and its member agencies whole-heartily endorse these standards both as practitioners and as signatories to the international humanitarian codes of conduct.

2003-04-28T16:43:00.000+03:00

Human Rights Watch (via ReliefWeb): Northern Iraq: Civilian deaths higher since war ended

(Arbil, Iraq, April 27, 2003) The number of civilians killed or wounded since the war ended in northern Iraq is higher than it was during the conflict, Human Rights Watch said today.
Extensive research at five hospitals and morgues in Kirkuk and Mosul suggests that the high civilian tolls can be attributed to general lawlessness after the collapse of local authorities; the ready availability of weapons and ammunition; and the vast stores of ammunition and ammunition components left behind by the Iraqi military, including landmines, rocket-propelled grenades, and other explosives.
Many of the victims have been children who play with explosives or pick up unexploded ordinance (UXO) as toys and sustain serious injuries as a result.
"In some ways, the peace has proved more lethal than the war," said Hania Mufti, London Director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch.

2003-04-28T16:38:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: A new 'inspector's' brief for Iraq, today by Jonathan Frerichs:

On the Amman-Baghdad Highway, April 24, 2003 ¡¦We are on the road to Baghdad, a small team of inspectors of sorts. Not a high level mission ahead, just "grassroots" visits. No U-2 flights and Geiger counters, just a notebook or two. Not life at the eye of a political storm, just time with people whose dramas make few headlines.
But there will be evidence to find on this inspection program and growing pressure for international action before too much time will be allowed to pass. That's because, like the world-famous weapons inspectors in Iraq, we are also hunting for things that can kill people.
The evidence should not be too hard to find. Before we even crossed the border, locals and travelers were giving us tips on where to look. We have questions, for example, about activities at one Baghdad hospital. In a particular pediatrics ward, which has 12 cots, children have been spending only two hours in treatment. Reportedly, staff admit twelve at a time, do what they can in short order, and then discharge them to make room for another batch.
...
And there are politics ahead as well, even at the level where we work. One "informant" (a Danish journalist also interested in biological and other "Weapons of micro destruction" told us to watch out for what people would
say. Residents of an impoverished Baghdad neighborhood told her this week: "We want Saddam back. We had water. We had electricity. Now we are afraid to send our children out to play. We hated Saddam Hussein but at least we
were safe."
But good prospects surely outweigh the bad. There are no intractable mysteries surrounding inspections like ours. No immovable obstacles, personas or political positions block success either. With each passing day, local volunteers and professionals, outside aid workers and United Nations staff are setting foot on more and more of Iraq.
This growing 'army' of inspections will get somewhere. The threats take some finding and they will take some fixing. But remedies are readily available and quite low in cost. The soap some of us sent in to kids¡¦clinics just before the war cost about $3 per child for six months. Never mind that we just heard that a whole truckload was dissolved by a misguided bomb.
There is more where soap comes from, and basic medicines, clean water, temporary rations -- even job programs and new governments, too. All are relative bargains in this crisis, and they save lives without any arguments.
These inspections need not take long. A long standoff with disease and hunger could soon be over.

2003-04-28T16:33:00.000+03:00

New Posting schedule: Given that things are happening slightly less quickly, this site will be updated 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).

2003-04-26T13:46:00.000+03:00

Official site: Report from Northeast Syria on aid distribution

Lots of detail for aid geeks. (No, this isn't the end of the hiatus. Just a mid-hiatus hiatus).

2003-04-24T12:59:00.000+03:00

Hiatus: There will be a temporary hiatus on updates for this site. We will return next Tuesday.

2003-04-23T15:56:00.000+03:00

Christian Aid: Iraq crisis: US can learn from Afghanistan April 23, 03:

As the war in Iraq cedes to peace, few concrete plans have emerged as to what will happen next. Christian Aid's emergency officer, Dominic Nutt, spent time in Afghanistan - both under the Taliban and after September 11, when American troops had overthrown the fundamentalist regime. He argues that George Bush has vital lessons to learn from his first war on terrorism.
...
After the Afghan war, Bush and Blair went on record promising to put Afghanistan on top of the political agenda. During the conflict, the Prime Minister said: 'To the Afghan people we make this commitment. The conflict will not be the end. We will not walk away as the outside world has done so many times before.'
Bush has made the same pledge to Iraq - a developed, oil rich country which is very different to Afghanistan. However, like Afghanistan, if serious plans to deal with the post-war situation are not made now, Iraq and the Middle East as a whole, could face horrific problems.
Yet Blair and Bush's post-war intervention in Afghanistan has been patchy, to say the least.
...
So the main lesson from Afghanistan is simply this: the US has a credibility problem. Whether deserved or not, many people across the world and certainly in Afghanistan and the middle East suspect the US has an agenda of its own, that it's not in Afghanistan to liberate the poor and that it's not in Iraq to free the people suffering at the hands of Saddam. Many feel the US is in Iraq for the oil, for the construction contracts and eventually to re-organise the whole Middle East country by country in its own interests.

2003-04-23T15:51:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together also has a new Situation Report from Iraq, covering all parts of the country.

2003-04-23T15:49:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Humanitarian aid delivered to Mawasi area in Gaza

East Jerusalem, April 18, 2003
There are significant and growing humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza areas of the Palestine territories. In collaboration with other Christian organizations, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is continuing to assess needs and to respond to areas that have unmet humanitarian needs. The most recent effort was to bring aid to the Mawasi area of Gaza.
LWF, as part of a coalition of Christian International NGOs distributed 1200 food kits and 1200 bags of flour to the Mawasi area in the Gaza strip. This is an area that is literally sealed off from the outside world by Israeli settlements and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).
The 8,100 Palestinians who reside in the Mawasi area are surrounded by 14 Israeli settlements. The Israeli checkpoints in the area block access to and from Mawasi. Freedom of movement for Palestinians that live in Mawasi is highly restricted -- getting permission to leave or enter Mawasi and then crossing the checkpoints can take days, if not weeks.
It took the group of Christian INGOs almost 2 months to make arrangements to enter the Mawasi area to bring in the food provisions. Even with all of the proper arrangements, aggressive soldiers and being forced to unload the truck with the food and reload it onto another truck almost created a situation where all of the food did not get delivered.
...
The convoy was well prepared and fully coordinated with the Israeli authorities in the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless LWF, Catholic Relief Services, International Orthodox Christian Charities, World Vision, and the Mennonite Central Committee were not easily given access into the Mawasi area. The three trucks and several cars waited 3 hours at the checkpoint. The 2,400 packages and bags were unloaded at one side of the checkpoint and then carried by local workers and staff to the other side in order to be loaded in other trucks for transportation to a local warehouse before being distributed.
Later in the week, the entire population of the Mawasi area received the convoy food packages. There was no home in the area that did not benefit from the initiative. Even those who work in Mawasi, but reside outside the boundaries of the area, got their share of the packages. "At least for one day, the residents of Mawasi knew that they were in our thoughts and prayers."
"Those whose lives are under great pressure and whose livelihood is deeply jeopardised do realise that there are still people who care at the other side of the checkpoint."

2003-04-23T15:45:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Vignettes of courage and resourcefulness - with looters in the streets and graves in the garden by Jonathan Frerichs, ACT press officer:

Amman, Jordan, 22 April, 2003
While church aid contacts with co-workers inside Iraq are still minimal because of bad communications, some good humanitarian news is getting out. Stories just starting to reach Jordan tell of Iraqi health workers finding ways to do their jobs despite post-war disorder and strife.

2003-04-23T15:43:00.000+03:00

Action by Churches Together: Some of Iraq's tension spills into no-man's land near Jordan by Jonathan Frerichs (quoted in full):

Amman, 22 April 2003 -- Some of the unrest inside Iraq sent a small but sharp influx of refugees to the Jordanian border over the weekend and aid workers including an ACT sanitation specialist are scrambling to set up extra facilities.
A makeshift camp at Al Karama in no-man’s-land has more than doubled, from 500 people late last week to 1,100 people by Monday. The refugees include ethnic Kurds, dissident Iranians, expatriate Palestinians and Syrian refugees who have been living in Iraq.
"The new arrivals, particularly the Iranians and Palestinians, said they fled Iraq because they were threatened by armed Iraqis and felt unsafe, while others say they left due to the chaos and lawlessness," said Peter Kessler, spokesperson in Jordan for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Now the different groups find themselves camped along a desert highway between the Iraq they just fled and a Jordan determined not to allow its neighbor’s crisis to spill over the border.
Tensions and crowding among the refugees is tangible for aid workers like sanitation engineer Jan Haug of ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA). The sudden influx has taxed toilets he helped install just last week for 500 people. "There’s lots of trouble all of a sudden -- one group says the other is dirty or that they won’t share," he says. "20 people do have to share each unit." ACT-NCA will now move additional latrines from two large but almost empty camps it helped prepare before the war at Ruweishid 85 kilometers inside Jordan. Plans for Al Karama are being coordinated by Jordan’s official Hashemite Charity Organization.
Taxis with more refugees arrived today, Haug said. Tents will soon go up on both sides of the highway, he said, which will ease crowding in the camp. UNHCR counts 500 children among the refugees.
UNHCR’s Kessler urged authorities in both Iraq and Jordan to solve this refugee dilemma. "It is absolutely incumbent upon the occupying powers to ensure security for civilians inside Iraq and the equitable distribution of aid," he said. "We are also requesting the Jordanian authorities to permit those people in need of temporary protection into our refugee camp at Ruweishid" (the camp inside Jordan that ACT-NCA helped prepare.)

2003-04-22T23:13:00.000+03:00

Middle East Report Online: Shi'ite Religious Parties Fill Power Vacuum by Juan Cole

I'm trying not to put too much general-interest Middle East news on this site, but this is a comprehensive review of the different Shi'ite religious parties now jockeying for position inside Iraq, and is well worth a read.

2003-04-22T10:23:00.000+03:00

Official Site: General Secretary's Easter Letter:

This week or next, as all the world’s churches prepare to celebrate Easter, churches in the Middle East content themselves with conducting services of worship. They refrain from any expression of delight or gladness. We cannot be glad in this festival if we cannot see it to be a reality for our people.
Our family members in Iraq are still burying their dead and dressing the wounds their children sustained during the war launched against their country by the western alliance. They worry about their future in the midst of the violent chaos this oppressive war has left behind.
While the war against Iraq claims the world’s attention, the Israeli military machine continues to brutalize our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Is it possible for us to celebrate and exclaim, "Christ is risen! He has brought light to those in darkness and life to the dead," while some of our people are still carrying their cross, still climbing their Golgotha, with still no sign of a Resurrection Sunday dawn?
In spite of everything that drives us to sorrow, depression and despair, we nonetheless draw strength and hope from the One who is our strength and hope. He is the Lord of truth, of justice and of peace. In our worship we turn to Him so that he may be the defender of those ground down under the boot of hardship. He will transform their weakness into strength, their suffering into resurrection hope.
We pledge that we will continue to stand by them in their trials. They are the trials of us all. We will stand with them, a hand to help rebuild what has been broken down, a voice to rebuke the oppressor ... any oppressor. We stand in solidarity together and that gives us strength to bring peace. In the power of right, that peace will prevail.

This message has been somewhat garbled in its transmission by the media, in particular The Daily Star (Beirut) and Islam Online, both of which headlined it as calling for the cancellation of celebrations of Easter. Of the stories that showed up in a google search, only Ha'aretz got it right, with their headline: Middle East Christian Leader Calls for Low-Key Easter Celebration.

2003-04-21T15:26:00.000+03:00

Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia: Holy Week Pictures and Stories

Some good pictures and descriptions from Holy Week services at the Armenian Apostolic Catholicosal seat in Antelias, Lebanon.

2003-04-21T15:10:00.000+03:00

From Marthame Sanders: Latin Patriarchate School of Zababdeh (West Bank) needs volunteer teachers:

For over two years now, Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders have served as volunteers in the Palestinian Christian village of Zababdeh. While they have had varied tasks, their most important one has been that of volunteer teachers in the Latin Patriarchate School here. This will be their last academic year with us, and we are hoping to find a couple to join us in the Fall. Though they will remain with us until the end of the calendar year, they will not be teaching. However, they will be able to assist, particularly with adjustments, anyone who would be willing to come in the meantime.
The Latin Patriarchate School of Zababdeh is home to some seven hundred students, half of whom are Christian, half of whom are Muslim. The standard of education here is well-regarded throughout the northern region - thus the interfaith nature of both our student body and our faculty. The new school building was completed three years ago with a grant from the Spanish Consulate. We are hoping to update the computer lab soon, as well as adding a language laboratory. Three languages are taught here: Arabic, the native language of the students; French, as an elective for students from grades 5 to 8; and English, a required subject beginning in first grade. For the last two years, the Christian students in high school have also had the opportunity to learn religion in English from Marthame - a gift that has strengthened both subjects as a result. While we have many qualified English teachers here, the role of native speaking English teachers cannot be underestimated.

2003-04-20T18:37:00.000+03:00

ICRC: Iraq Bulletin, April 19:

GENERAL
Iraq is at a crucial stage, where decisions must be taken swiftly to re-establish and maintain safety and public order. Such measures will also help to reassure the population about their future. There is a pressing need for direction and organization, as although most civil servants are committed to resuming their work they remain unclear about their situation in the absence of guidance from a civil administration.
The ICRC views the following as top priorities:
Protection by the Occupying Power (in areas under their control) of such vital facilities as water treatment plants, sewage installations, hospitals and health centres, to prevent further looting, destruction and sabotage. The need for protection continues once these facilities have been repaired and have started functioning again. Security and public order are essential if patients, staff and humanitarian workers are to have safe access to hospitals and health centres.
The restoration of essential services, especially electricity, water, sewage and health.
As an example, restoring electricity in Baghdad would double the amount of running water available. Water is now available again everywhere in the city, but all installations are running on back-up generators. As a result, extra water has to be transported by road, especially to hospitals and health centres.
The restoration of stability to the country as a whole. Public administration and the management of vital structures and services are either absent or at best functioning ad hoc. Few businesses have resumed their activities, although a few shops and market stalls have re-opened. This situation is creating confusion, rivalries and tensions, reducing the efficiency of vital services and affecting the lives of people in general. Many are technically without employment and have received no salary for several weeks. The sense of insecurity and frustration is rising. As many put it, "We don't know where our next meal is coming from."
This aspect of the situation goes beyond the role and capacity of the ICRC. However, what the ICRC will continue to do – if asked by both sides – is to facilitate contacts between Iraqi public service personnel and the Coalition forces so they can discuss and plan.
The ICRC will also continue to provide emergency health services and to help people re-establish contact with their next of kin.

2003-04-20T18:34:00.000+03:00

ReliefWeb (Agence France Presse): Pre-war life starts to return to Baghdad, by Luke Hunt:

BAGHDAD, April 19 (AFP) - Traffic jams and bustling crowds restored some of the pre-war life to Baghdad on Saturday as the US army replaced marines in the daunting task of rebuilding post-war Iraq.
With hopes rising for a resumption of public and commercial activity, hundreds of civil servants gathered around government buildings seeking news on when they could resume work and how they would be paid.
In another sign of the slow return to normalcy since the fall of Saddam Hussein 10 days ago, scores of traffic police returned to Baghdad's streets to ease the chaos that has crippled parts of the capital.
Saturday's bustle contrasted with more strident scenes a day earlier when more than 10,000 Iraqis, fired by anti-American sermons at Friday prayers, demonstrated their anger at the US occupation.
If most shops remained closed in the five-million-strong capital, groceries, bakeries, teashops and barbers started to reopen and sidewalk stands did a brisk business.
Thousands of people milled about in Shorjah, Baghdad's largest grains and food market. "It's close to normal," said a trader.

2003-04-20T18:32:00.000+03:00

ReliefWeb (Agence France Presse): Numbers of refugees stranded at Jordan-Iraq border nearly triples: UNHCR:

AMMAN, April 20 (AFP) - The number of refugees stranded in no-man's land on the Jordanian-Iraqi border waiting for permission to enter Jordan has more than tripled over the past 48 hours to over 600 people, the UN's refugee agency said Sunday.
"As of Sunday morning there are more than 600 people, mostly Iranian refugees of Kurdish ethnicity, who have fled the Al Tash refugee camp", west of Baghdad, UNHCR spokesman Peter Kessler told AFP.
"There are also more and more Palestinians coming in. They said they have been told by local Iraqi host communities that they are no longer welcome in Iraq," he said.

2003-04-20T18:17:00.000+03:00

Christ is Risen -- Christos Anesti -- Al-maseeh Qaam

2003-04-19T13:55:00.000+03:00

Brief note: Rev. Nuhad Tomeh tells me that Edward Ishu, MECC's coordinator in Mosul, is alive and well and was in contact with the Beirut office on Thursday. He got there before the situation became unsettled, and although there has been some looting there, it's not as bad as in Baghdad. MECC will try and get some more relief supplies to Mosul via the Syria-Mosul road next week, following a few shipments that made it in via the same route last week.

2003-04-19T13:12:00.000+03:00

(Beirut) Daily Star: Mideast wars: a humanitarian view by Peter Gubser:

Wars invariably have negative impacts on civilian populations. The war in Iraq and the violent conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories are not exceptions. People have been killed and injured in great numbers. Food, water, and health care are scarce or non available for various reasons, severely degrading the welfare of children, women, and men. To examine these general observations, I will review three specific situations and suggest how they should be addressed. First, the international media have vividly shown us that the people of Iraq are suffering from this war. Because various electricity grids and generators are not functioning, they lack potable water and an operating sewage system. The United Nations’ food distribution system that reached over 60% of the people before the war, no longer operates and people are becoming increasingly hungry. Looters have stripped many hospitals and health care providers are not able to access these institutions, depriving people of normal health services. And ordinary policing has broken down, raising security concerns for families, shopkeepers, and other businesses.
...
Second, fortunately during this war we did not witness a flow of refugees from Iraq to its neighbors. Admirably, Iraq’s neighbors were well prepared to receive refugees. Camps with shelter and food were ready in Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, the border of Turkey, and Iran. The international community contributed to this contingency preparation.
Unfortunately these contingencies must be kept in place for the next few months, at the least. Why? It is entirely possible that civil strife could break out in Iraq, resulting in a flow of refugees in the tens or hundreds of thousands.
...
Third, the war in Iraq and the dramatic and heart-rendering suffering of the Iraqi people, should not divert us from the necessity for forceful attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It too is dramatic and people are suffering. Since September, over 2200 Palestinians and 700 Israelis have lost their lives. About 22,400 Palestinians and 4800 Israelis have been injured. Equally important, over 30% of Palestinian children suffer from acute or chronic malnutrition which means these young people will not fully develop mentally or physically.

2003-04-19T10:38:00.000+03:00

Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem: Easter Message 2003 from Bishop Riah abu el-Assal

Peace from God, the Father and creator of all mankind, and love and greetings from the city of the Resurrection, from Jerusalem. My prayer for each and everyone of you is that you be empowered by the Spirit of the Risen Lord, and that the peace and joy that came from Him who defeated death by dying, Jesus Christ, the first risen from the dead, may be yours and your dear ones throughout the coming days and years.
Christians in many parts of our Global Village celebrate what they call EASTER. Reference is made in our church calendars to EASTER DAY, EASTER MONDAY, EASTERTIDE and the like. Arab Christians in Jerusalem, in Palestine, in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the rest of the Arab countries refer to it as the “Feast of the Resurrection.” Whereas some refer to the site of the crucifixion as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we name it “Kanisat Al-Qiyamah”, the Church of the Resurrection.
It is neither the holiness of the Sepulchre, nor its emptiness that matters most in our faith! It was, and is, and will be: THE RESURRECTION, the first Risen from the dead, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
...
It is this faith in the Risen Lord, in the Resurrection that causes us, in these most trying and difficult times, to stand firm and never compromise our convictions in the ultimate victory of good, of justice, of love, of peace, of reconciliation, of joy and of life.

2003-04-19T10:24:00.000+03:00

UN IRIN (via ReliefWeb): Iraq: Water convoy finally reaches the south

BASRA, 18 April (IRIN) - A convoy of water that has been waiting at the Iranian border for three days has finally made it into southern Iraq. Eleven trucks carrying 5,100 jerry cans each containing 20 litres of potable water crossed the Shalamcheh border between the two countries late on Friday morning.
Speaking from the Iranian capital, Tehran, a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Marc Vergara, attributed the long delay to "bureaucracy".
It was now hoped that by Friday afternoon the convoy would make it to the Al-Faw Peninsula in southern Iraq, which has received no water assistance since war broke out a month ago. The convoy was originally due to have crossed into Iraq on Tuesday.
The water will be delivered to hospitals and health services, as well as to the general population of 10,000 to 15,000. Vergara said it was hoped that the convoy would mark the start of a two-pronged aid approach to southern Iraq, with supplies coming in from Iran as well as Kuwait.

2003-04-19T10:21:00.000+03:00

Church World Service (via ReliefWeb): Third "All Our Children" shipment reaches Baghdad's outskirts; Is being distributed in the city little by little as security allows

AMMAN, JORDAN -- A third "All Our Children" shipment of medical components to assist Iraqi children made it safely to the outskirts of Baghdad and were unloaded to a secure storage facility for distribution in small batches to pediatrics hospitals in the city as security allows.
Church World Service and its partners in the "All Our Children" initiative provided $50,000 for this shipment, which includes 32 wheelchairs, 600 blankets and 800 bedding kits -- a total of three tons of supplies.
The shipment went overland from Amman, Jordan, in one of three trucks that were part of a convoy of goods to be distributed in Baghdad by the non-governmental French humanitarian organization Première Urgence.

2003-04-19T10:12:00.000+03:00

(Beirut) Daily Star: Maronite Patriarch makes plea for unity in Good Friday sermon by Hanna Khoury:

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called Friday for Lebanese to close ranks and seek the country’s interests, saying everyone is in the same boat and that, if it sinks, “we will all drown.”
Referring in his Easter message to US plans for the region, the prelate said constant vigilance is required and that people must “work together to advocate peace.”
Sfeir recalled that the foundations of peace were four-fold, as outlined in a message by the late Pope John XXIII 40 years ago entitled Peace on Earth.
The four bases are truth, freedom, justice and love, without which there can be no peace, Sfeir added.