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Sabeel’s 6th International Conference was
held November 2-9, 2006 under the theme of the FORGOTTEN FAITHFUL – a
Window into the Life and Witness of Christians in the Holy Land.
Meetings were held in various venues starting in Jerusalem and including
Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, and Nazareth. It was a truly ecumenical
experience. The cumulative number of international and local
participants in the different settings was more than 500. Approximately
200 people from 29 countries came from abroad.
Most of the speakers were local Palestinian Christians. The Orthodox
Patriarch gave the initial greetings at the opening celebration and the
Latin Patriarch gave a presentation on the topic of “Palestinian
Christianity: The Challenges and the Vision for the Future." In
addition, Archbishops and Bishops from the Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic,
Syrian, Latin, Maronite, Anglican, and Lutheran churches addressed the
conference. The conference also included prayers, songs, and chants from
the various church traditions presented by clergy, church choirs, and
soloists.
In addition to the 40 lectures given during the conference, there were
special greetings given by the Governor of Jericho and the Mayors of
Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nazareth. Furthermore, the participants
worshiped in and visited 32 churches in 13 villages and came in contact
with more than 50 clergy of the various church denominations in the
different towns and villages. They experienced fellowship with their
local sisters and brothers and had a taste of Palestinian hospitality in
the meals they shared. In both Ramallah and Nazareth special cultural
events were presented by young local musicians and performers who are
keeping Palestinian arts alive and vibrant.
An important feature of the conference was the presentation of a survey
of the Christians of the Holy Land conducted specially for Sabeel. The
survey covered the areas of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as
well as Israel. Due to political instability in Gaza, it was impossible
to complete the survey there. Various aspects of the survey were
analyzed by a team of professors from the Bethlehem University.
Two highlights of the conference were the opening lecture by Christian
Qur'anic scholar Dr. Kenneth Cragg and the series of Bible studies
presented by Dr. Kenneth Bailey in which he examined three parables in
light of their cultural context and their meaning today.
Special mention must be made of the opening celebration of the
conference in which the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III welcomed
and greeted the participants. A message from the General Secretary of
the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, was read.
Through power point, music, song, and dance, the opening celebration
reminded the participants of the origins of the Christian Faith. It
emphasized the death and resurrection of Christ and the coming of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Through the power of the Spirit, the Church
came into being and the Gospel of freedom and love was spread from
Jerusalem to the various parts of the world.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
1. The Palestinian Christians are the descendants of the first community
of believers
who loved, believed in, and followed Jesus Christ. From the beginning
they were a mixture of many ethnic and racial groups but all became
members of the One Body of Christ, the Church.
2. In spite of the vicissitudes of history, they have maintained their
faith in Christ during the last 2000 years amidst excruciating
circumstances and in spite of the religious and political upheavals. Yet
they have preserved the beautiful mosaic of their rich liturgical
traditions and continue to bear witness. In order to strengthen the
Christian presence and witness, it is mandatory, therefore, for
Palestinian Christians to work together ecumenically. The hierarchies of
the churches have a great responsibility to rise above denominationalism
and commit themselves to nourishing closer bonds of love and acceptance
among themselves.
3. Due to political and economic instability, many Palestinian
Christians have been emigrating to the West. Internal as well as
external factors have undermined their presence. Those who are in the
Holy Land today make up less than 2% of the population.
4. Palestinian Christians are an integral part of the Palestinian
people. They share the same aspirations and destiny as their Muslim
sisters and brothers. All Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have
been living under an illegal Israeli occupation for almost 40 years.
With many peace-loving people from around the world, whether faith-based
or secular, Muslims and Christians continue to work for the end of the
Israeli occupation and the establishment of a viable, independent and
sovereign state in Palestine.
5. The Israeli Arab community – Christian and Muslim – continues to
struggle for total equality with its Jewish counterpart. The obstacle,
however, is the nature of the state of Israel. It is a Jewish state and
not a state for all its citizens. Therefore, the struggle will continue
until total equality is achieved.
6. Participants also observed the daily suffering of Palestinians in the
West Bank and East Jerusalem and were acutely aware of the plight of
Gazans, about 80 of whom (half of them civilians) were killed during the
week of the conference. Conference participants were shocked by news of
the Israeli army attack on an apartment building in Beit Hanoun in the
Gaza Strip that resulted in the deaths of 19 civilians, primarily women
and children. Moreover, during the conference day in Bethlehem,
participants were unable to visit the Church of Nativity or to view the
Wall in central Bethlehem because of funerals being held for 2
Palestinians who had been killed and had their family homes demolished
by the Israeli army. Special prayers were raised for the victims and
their families.
7. It was clear to participants that Palestinians and Israelis –
Christians, Muslims, and Jews can live together in peace. The greatest
obstacle to genuine reconciliation, however, stems from Israel's refusal
to accept Palestinian rights to a state of their own within the 1967
borders, i.e. all of the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza
Strip. The conference called for strong response against the Israeli
government policies of confiscation of Palestinian land in the West
Bank, building and expanding of settlements, the presence of hundreds of
checkpoints, and the building of the segregation Wall which separates
Palestinians from Palestinians and takes their land and water. All these
measures are eroding the possibility of the two state solution to the
conflict.
8. Such obstacles to peace must be actively resisted both locally and
internationally through nonviolent methods like boycotts and Morally
Responsible Investment. Moreover, international sanctions that make life
untenable for people in the occupied territories must be immediately
lifted.
9. Palestinian Christians have a mandate from Christ to be salt of the
earth and light of the world. They have a vocation to remain in the land
and maintain a prophetic voice for justice, peace, and reconciliation.
The conference ended on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with a
Communion Service and the commissioning of the participants to commit
themselves to strive for peace with justice. Sabeel calls on all our
friends:
1. To establish bonds of fellowship with Palestinian Christians and to
stand in solidarity with all Palestinians in their struggle for
liberation.
2. To commit themselves to active prayer, education, and advocacy on
behalf of the Palestinian people
3. To campaign for truth and justice with the energy and consistency of
an ever-flowing stream
4. To work without ceasing to bring healing and reconciliation to all
people with God’s joy and peace in their hearts, especially to the
people of the land where the first message of peace was proclaimed.
Sabeel, Jerusalem
November 15, 2006
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