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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2008, pages 64-65 Waging Peace Interfaith Service Prays for Gaza
ON THE TENTH day of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and days after Gazans breached the seven-mile-long barrier along the border with Egypt, vigils and protests calling for an end to the blockade were held in nearly a dozen U.S. and Canadian cities. More than 120 people joined together for a Jan. 27 interfaith service at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. Muslims, Christians, Jews, and those who share none of those religions gathered together to pray for the Holy Land, and refused to turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The event was organized by the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, Sharing Jerusalem, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Participants and organizers, including Jim Vitarello, Paul Verduin, children and an octogenarian activist read short excerpts from Internet appeals, letters, and news articles written by Middle East voices, people in Israel and the occupied territories who are calling for peace. Participants prayed for Israelis and Palestinians alike—for humanity, in essence. Reverend Susan Wilder, a Presbyterian minister with the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, and Rabbi David Shneyer led worshippers. One of the most moving moments was when Samira Hussein, a Muslim American from Gaithersburg, MD, wearing her traditional hijab, read a verse from the Qur’an. She wasn’t received with odd glances, but rather with looks of respect. She read the following verse: “O humankind! We have created you from a male and female, and then rendered you nations and tribes so that you might know one another. Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of God is he who is the most pious.” This verse reminded everyone in attendance that we come from the same place, and that compassion therefore is not a luxury, but a necessity. Following the service, people braved the cold to gather at the Israeli Embassy. Waving banners and posters, vigilers shared hope, sang for peace and demanded an end to American support of the Israeli occupation. At the rally, Philip Farah, a Palestinian-American, spoke about his family’s history in Gaza. They were one of the oldest and biggest Christian families in the area, he explained, yet now, after years of occupation and strife, only a handful, mostly elders, remain in Gaza. He also shared the story of a two-year-old boy who died after Israel refused to allow his family to leave Gaza to take him to a functioning hospital when he was sick. This reporter couldn’t even begin to imagine being a mother in such a situation—but could easily understand why people are punching through walls and crossing the border into Egypt to buy food and milk for their kids, gasoline, mattresses and other staples of life. Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies said that meeting, praying and demonstrating is a great step, but it’s barely the beginning—and surely not the end. A member of the advisory board of the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, Bennis urged Americans to visit their Web site, <www.endtheoccupation.org>, and not ignore the humanitarian crisis at hand. Bennis recommended Americans call their elected representatives and urge Congress to do something. For more information visit <www.wiamep.org>, <www.sharingjerusalem.org> and <www.adc.org>. —Jennifer Khoury |
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