Lutherans Worship at Jesus' Baptism Site
ELCIC
National Bishop Urges Prime Minister to Reconsider Government's
Position on Situation in Gaza
We can help:
Appeal
to Support Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Learn
more and sign the petition at avaaz.org
Sample
letter to Prime Minister Harper plus a short primer on Gaza
KARIOS:
Urgent action: The violence in Gaza must stop, plus good
background infomation
Read more at these
links to further information
|
News 2009 January
11th
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Here are some emails that I have received this week.
Pastor Steve.
ELCIC
INFORMATION
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CANADA
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
Phone 1.204.984.9150 Fax 1.204.984.9185
NEWS RELEASE
From the National Office of the ELCIC
ELCIC
National Bishop Urges Prime Minister to Reconsider Government's
Position on Situation in Gaza and Join in Call for Immediate Ceasefire
Winnipeg, 7 January 2009 -- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson urges the Prime Minister to
reconsider the Government of Canada's position to place the sole burden
of responsibility on Hamas for the deepening humanitarian tragedy in
Gaza and, "join the many voices speaking out for an immediate
ceasefire."
In a letter
sent on January 5 to the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Stephen
Harper, Bishop Johnson expressed disappointment in the January 4
statement issued by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs on the
hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
In the
statement, the Honourable Minister Lawrence Cannon said the government
urges, "renewed international diplomatic efforts to achieve a
sustainable and durable ceasefire, starting with the halting of all
rocket attacks on Israel," further saying that the Canadian government,
"maintains that the rocket attacks are the cause of this crisis."
Bishop
Johnson, currently travelling in the Middle East, is hearing first-hand
the stories of suffering from the people of Gaza and notes the extreme
disproportion between civilian and combatant casualties, "specifically
deaths and injuries to defenceless women and children."
In her
letter to the Prime Minister, she states, "there is no justifiable
defence for this incursion into Gaza with such large casualties.
Placing sole blame for the magnitude of the current crisis on these
clearly indefensible rocket attacks functionally absolves the
Government of Israel from responsibility for the extreme civilian
casualties that are being incurred."
Bishop
Johnson is calling on the Prime Minister to not only reconsider the
government's position and call for an immediate ceasefire, but to then
also, "support negotiations for a just and lasting peace, [and] support
any United Nations resolutions that call for an immediate ceasefire in
Gaza." The full letter from ELCIC National Bishop Johnson to the Prime
Minister is available online at: http://www.elcic.ca/Documents/JAN09LETTERTOPM.pdf.
Almost 600
Palestinians have been killed and as many as 3000 injured in Gaza so
far. Action By Churches Together (ACT) International reports that many
of the injured are unable to seek medical attention and are stuck in
their homes without food and water. As of January 6, 5 Israeli
civilians had been killed by Hamas rockets, and 5 Israel Defense Forces
soldiers have been killed, 3 by so-called friendly fire.
National
Bishop Johnson, four of the five synod bishops, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, along with
more than half of the 66 bishops of the ELCA, the ELCA
secretary, plus spouses and staff are visiting the
Middle East, Jan. 6-13, 2009. Participants will meet with Israeli and
Palestinian religious, community and political leaders, visit
congregations and schools, and sites of religious
significance.
A small
delegation, including National Bishop Johnson and Presiding Bishop
Hanson, were in Jordan, Jan. 3-6. They met Jordanian religious and
political leaders before traveling to Jerusalem to meet their
colleagues.
Details and updates from the Bishops' trip is online at: http://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran
denomination with 162,000 baptized members in 613 congregations. It is
a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of
Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for
reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they
may find useful.
For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca
TOP OF PAGE
ELCIC
INFORMATION
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CANADA
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
Phone 1.204.984.9150 Fax 1.204.984.9185
NEWS RELEASE
From the National Office of the ELCIC
Lutherans
Worship at Jesus' Baptism Site, Leaders Meet King
AMMAN,
Jordan (ELCA) -- About 60 people, including about 10 bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), worshipped at the site of Jesus'
Baptism on the banks of the Jordan River on the Feast of the Epiphany,
Jan. 6. Joining the bishops were members of Good Shepherd Evangelical
Lutheran Church, Amman, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).
Epiphany is
a Christian commemoration of the visit by the three wise men or magi to
the infant Jesus.
His Majesty
King Abdullah II of Jordan gave land at the site to the ELCJHL, which
plans to build a chapel and retreat center, said the Rev. Munib A.
Younan, ELCJHL bishop.
The Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop and president of the Lutheran
World Federation, said the baptismal site "will be a site of renewal of
our Christian faith and our baptismal vocation to establish peace with
justice first here in the Holy Land." He said the site reminds
Christians to be peacemakers, especially while the conflict in Gaza
continues.
Worshipping
at the historic site on Epiphany is a reminder "of the gifts of
forgiveness and salvation we receive through our Baptisms," said the
Rev. Susan C. Johnson, ELCIC national bishop. "We thank our Lord and
Savior for the gift of peace that we are asked to share, especially
during time of conflict in Gaza. May this site and the remembrance of
our Lord's Baptism continue to help strengthen us to be peacemakers in
our world."
In remarks
to media before the service, Younan thanked the king for the gift. "We
are a church that wants to serve justice," Younan said. "We want all
violence in Gaza to end. We want the occupation to end. We want to live
in peace and justice in a two-state solution." Jerusalem should be a
shared city for all people, he said.
Hanson,
Johnson and Younan also shared a 20-minute private audience in Amman
with His Majesty King Abdullah II. They discussed the future of
Jerusalem as a shared city with universal access to Holy sites; the
king's commitment to the continued presence of Arab Christians in the
Middle East; improved relationships between Christians and Muslims; and
the urgent need to end the conflict in Gaza and respond to the
humanitarian crisis, Hanson said. The king suggested continuing the
conversation when he visits the United States in February to meet the
new U.S. president, Barack Obama, the ELCA presiding bishop added.
The North
American Lutheran bishops, spouses and staff left Jordan and traveled
into Israel to Jerusalem, where they joined several other bishops from
both churches. Forty-five bishops are in Israel Jan. 6-13 for their
annual academy, a time for theological study and reflection. The
bishops have planned a series of meetings with religious, political and
community leaders in Israel and the West Bank. Some ELCA bishops
canceled plans to join the academy because of the fighting in Gaza.
In opening
remarks Jan. 6, the Rev. Dean Nelson, bishop, ELCA Southwest California
Synod, Glendale, said the bishops' visit has three purposes: to support
and encourage the ELCJHL, to learn what living in the region is like
for Israelis and Palestinians, and to advocate for peace for all
people. Later the same evening, some bishops, spouses and staff
attended an Orthodox Christmas celebration in Bethlehem.
The North
American Lutheran bishops' visit has gained greater visibility because
of fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, compounded by rapidly
declining living conditions for local residents. Since the fighting
began right after Christmas, nearly 600 people have died, many of whom
are Palestinian civilians.
(Files
from ELCA News)
Further
information about the Bishops' trip is available online at: http://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm
--------------------------------------------------------
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran
denomination with 162,000 baptized members in 613 congregations. It is
a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of
Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for
reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they
may find useful.
For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca
TOP OF PAGE
Here
is the petition wording that is found at avaaz.org
-------------
Petition to the UN Security Council, the European Union,
the Arab League and the USA:
We
urge you to act immediately to ensure a comprehensive ceasefire in the
Gaza Strip, to protect civilians on all sides, and to address the
growing humanitarian crisis. Only through robust international action
and oversight can the bloodshed be stopped, the Gaza crossings safely
re-opened and real progress made toward a wider peace in 2009.
-----------------
Note from Pastor Steve
I've
just signed this emergency petition calling for an immediate ceasefire
in Gaza, you might want to do the same. Already over 600 people have
been killed and the death toll is climbing daily. To learn more and to
sign the petition visit avaaz.org
TOP OF PAGE
ELCIC INFORMATION
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CANADA
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
Phone 1.204.984.9150 Fax 1.204.984.9185
NEWS RELEASE
From the National Office of the ELCIC
ELCIC and CLWR Issue Appeal to
Support Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Winnipeg,
7 January 2009 -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's (ELCIC)
Global Hunger and Development Appeal (GHDA), Canadian Lutheran World
Relief (CLWR) and their partners in the region have taken action to
address the humanitarian needs of the many Palestinians who are unable
to escape the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip. A joint appeal has
been issued to support immediate relief efforts.
Through
CLWR, the ELCIC is cooperating with other members of Action by Churches
Together (ACT) International, including the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF), to respond to emergency needs as the situation develops.
Priority relief measures in the coming days and weeks include the
provision of food items like rice, flour and high protein biscuits;
cooking fuel; blankets; medical supplies; as well as psychosocial
counselling.
Aid workers report desperate
circumstances. Food is in extremely short supply. Fuel is running low.
Mobile medical clinics have been destroyed by Israeli air strikes.
Hospitals continue to receive a steady stream of patients; many of them
civilians who were struck by shrapnel or falling debris while sitting
in their homes.
“No one goes out on the streets except
if they really have to,” said Omar Almajdalawi from Jabalia in Gaza, an
aid worker with ACT International member DanChurchAid. He tells that
most people now live with open windows, despite the cold, so that the
glass does not break into a hundred pieces from the impact of missiles
exploding in the area.
At the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in
Gaza City, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, supported
by ACT International members, staff have been working around the clock
to cope with casualties and are exhausted. Director Dr. Suhaila Tarazi
reports “the hospital is in urgent need of medicine and supplies. There
is no electricity in all of Gaza and so we are currently running off of
generator power. We have very little supplies left -- enough to last
for another week. If this crisis continues, we will be in a very dire
situation.”
CLWR has a long history of humanitarian
work in the region through the LWF, of which the ELCIC is a member
church, including support for the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in
East Jerusalem. AVH offers specialized medical services like cancer
treatment and dialysis to Palestinians. The hospital does treat some
cancer patients from Gaza and will need additional funds to cover the
costs of housing, food, transportation, and other support for these
patients and accompanying family members who are unable to return to
Gaza.
To support relief efforts in Gaza, donations can be made to GHDA - Gaza
Appeal as follows:
- Via the ELCIC Website: www.elcic.ca (click on the Donate Now link)
-
By mail: GHDA, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 (please
indicate "GHDA - Gaza Appeal" in the memo portion of the cheque)
- Through all ELCIC Congregations
Further information about the work of ELCIC's Global Hunger and
Development Appeal can be viewed online at www.elcic.ca/ghda
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran
denomination with 162,000 baptized members in 613 congregations. It is
a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of
Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Material provided
through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and
redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.
For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca
TOP OF PAGE
KARIOS:
Urgent action: The violence in Gaza must stop
This
action can also be found at: www.kairoscanada.org
The war
and violence in Gaza must stop. More than 700 Palestinians have been
killed in Gaza and over 3,100 wounded since the Israeli military
offensive on Gaza began on December 27. Seven Israeli soldiers and
three civilians have been killed in the same period.
International
pressure from countries like Canada is critical in halting the Israeli
military attacks. Thus far, the Canadian government has been largely
silent and when it has spoken, it has been largely to justify and
defend Israel’s military actions.
We need
the Canadian government to provide a different perspective. In the
words of a statement by Israeli women’s organizations, “we
demand an end to the bombing and other tools of death, and call for the
immediate start of deliberations to talk peace and not make war. The
dance of death and destruction must come to an end. We demand that war
no longer be an option, nor violence a strategy, nor killing an
alternative. The society we want is one in which every individual can
lead a life of security – personal, economic, and social. We demand
that words and actions be conducted in another language.”
KAIROS
is issuing this appeal for Canadian officials to intervene by calling
for an immediate unconditional ceasefire, a ceasefire that would halt
all military attacks by both sides, and that would also end the
18-month long siege of Gaza. Please consider sending a letter to Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, with a copy to your local member of parliament
and to KAIROS.
Read
on for more information, links, and a sample letter.
Background
Last week,
each of Canada's major national political parties made a statement on
Israel's offensive into Gaza. None of the statements
recognized the 18-month long siege of Gaza or the ongoing Occupation of
the West Bank.
Palestinian
civilians are already suffering from acute shortages of even the most
basic foodstuffs, including milk, bread and water. Essential
medications are in increasingly short supply, if available at all.
Electricity blackouts are widespread and water is increasingly
unavailable. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas
on the planet, often likened to an open-air prison. For some time it
has been the scene of a humanitarian disaster.
The
Israeli offensive into Gaza is also occurring in the midst of an
absence of any significant moral or legal decisions on the part of the
international community with respect to the cessation of hostilities,
the enforcement of international humanitarian law, and the protection
of the civilian population.
Various
Canadian government statements give a carte blanche to Israel’s
devastating attacks in its self-styled “self-defence”, and only fault
Hamas for breaking the cease-fire agreement by launching rocket attacks
against Israeli civilians in southern Israel.
However,
many analysts point out that it was Israel who broke the cease-fire
agreement. The main requirement for the cease-fire agreement was that
Israel would lift the siege of the Gaza Strip and open border
crossings. This Israel did not do and it has continued its blockade on
land, on sea and in the air against a million and a half people.
It only partially lifted the siege and allowed a trickle of
vital commodities into Gaza, which kept the people at the level of mere
survival. During the so-called cease-fire, Israel’s raids
into the West Bank continued on a daily basis and scores of
Palestinians were arrested or assassinated.
What
you can do
KAIROS is
urging the Canadian government to:
·
Unequivocally denounce
the human rights violations in Gaza
·
Vigorously pressure
Israel to immediately halt military action and Hamas to end rocket fire
·
Support an immediate and
indefinite ceasefire resolution at the United Nations
·
Support the reopening of
the borders of Gaza so that humanitarian aid can reach the Palestinian
people and that Gaza’s economy can function again
·
Support peace
negotiations that will create a Palestinian state based on the 1967
borders and end all Palestinian attacks on Israeli territory
Please
send the following letter (augmented if possible with a personal
message of concern) to Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.
You can
also phone your MP’s constituency office; some MPs will still be in
their ridings until Parliament resumes. E-mails and addresses of MPs
can be found at:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/SenatorsMembers_house.asp?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=3&Sect=hoccur.
General
address for all MPs:
House of
Commons
Parliament
Buildings
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6
Party
Statements on Israel-Gaza
- Conservative
(government) statement
- Liberal
(Ignatieff) statement
- NDP
statement
- Bloc
Quebecois statement (available in French
only)
Letters
should be sent as soon as possible. Please send KAIROS a copy: hloubani@kairoscanada.org
Further information
Background
to the latest crisis can be found on our website at:
http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/rights-and-trade/focus-countries/palestine-israel/ including a copy of
KAIROS’ letter to the Prime Minister and a link to a statement from
Sabeel, one of our partners in the region.
Anglican
Church of Canada:
http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2009-01-05_a.fyi
Development
and Peace statement:
http://devp.org/devpme/eng/pressroom/2009/comm2009-01-06-eng.html
Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Canada:
http://www.elcic.ca/Documents/JAN09LETTERTOPM.pdf
Mennonite
Central Committee Canada:
http://mcc.org/news/news/article.html?id=430
United
Church statement:
http://united-church.ca/communications/news/releases/090105
World
Council of Churches statement:
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/general-secretary/statements/29-12-08-statement-on-the-gaza-crisis.html
Rabble.ca's
story on Jewish women's sit in at Toronto's Israeli Consulate:
http://rabble.ca/babble/activism/breaking-news-jewish-women-occupy-israeli-consulate-toronto
and
http://rabble.ca/news/occupation-well-stop-ours-if-you-stop-yours
Israeli
human rights organisations' shared website on Gaza:
http://gazaeng.blogspot.com/
Analysis
from Uri Avnery, the leader of the Israeli party Gush Shalom:
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/20163
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