21 may 2014
Pope Francis on Wednesday said his upcoming trip to the Middle East would be entirely devotional, aimed at praying for peace in the region and improving relations with other branches of Christianity.
"It will be a purely religious trip," the Argentine pope told some 50,000 pilgrims at a general audience in St Peter's Square ahead of three-day trip to Israel, Jordan and the occupied Palestinian Territories starting on Saturday.
Francis said the main reasons for the trip -- billed a "pilgrimage of prayer" by the Vatican -- were to meet with the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and "to pray for peace in that land, which has suffered so much".
The visit kicks off on Saturday when Francis flies to Amman and meets Syrian refugees. He will then travel on to Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, wrapping up the visit on Monday with a mass in the place where Christians believe Jesus had the last supper with his disciples.
Francis will meet with all the main Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders, but only briefly.
There has also been opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jews over perceived Vatican designs on holy sites in Jerusalem.
Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, an old friend of Francis who will be traveling with him, said the pontiff would try to avoid political pitfalls in the sensitive region by dividing his visits equally between Jewish Israeli sites and Muslim or Christian landmarks in Palestinian territory.
"He will try to be balanced," Skorka told journalists in Jerusalem.
"He's going to make meaningful contact and interaction with the Palestinian people. But when he comes to Israel, I'm not sure whether the previous Popes went to Mount Herzl (the site of Israel's Holocaust memorial) to lay flowers there."
Pope Francis is to pray at the Western Wall, the site of the first and second Jewish temples, and to visit Israel's national cemetery on Mount Herzl before going on to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
Skorka condemned opposition by ultra-Orthodox Jews to the Pope's visit.
"I'm totally against them (demonstrations against the visit). This is a visit by someone who is seeking a road to peace and dialogue and he should be received with open arms," Skorka said.
"We cannot remain and live in a vicious circle of hate."
Hundreds gathered last week near the reputed scene of Jesus's last supper in Jerusalem, demanding that Israel keep sovereignty over the site where Pope Francis will celebrate mass.
Jews revere the site as the tomb of King David, which is on the ground floor of the same building. The site is also important for Muslims.
It is currently the subject of negotiations between Israel and the Vatican, which hopes to recover the site, but no official agreement has been announced.
"It will be a purely religious trip," the Argentine pope told some 50,000 pilgrims at a general audience in St Peter's Square ahead of three-day trip to Israel, Jordan and the occupied Palestinian Territories starting on Saturday.
Francis said the main reasons for the trip -- billed a "pilgrimage of prayer" by the Vatican -- were to meet with the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and "to pray for peace in that land, which has suffered so much".
The visit kicks off on Saturday when Francis flies to Amman and meets Syrian refugees. He will then travel on to Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, wrapping up the visit on Monday with a mass in the place where Christians believe Jesus had the last supper with his disciples.
Francis will meet with all the main Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders, but only briefly.
There has also been opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jews over perceived Vatican designs on holy sites in Jerusalem.
Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, an old friend of Francis who will be traveling with him, said the pontiff would try to avoid political pitfalls in the sensitive region by dividing his visits equally between Jewish Israeli sites and Muslim or Christian landmarks in Palestinian territory.
"He will try to be balanced," Skorka told journalists in Jerusalem.
"He's going to make meaningful contact and interaction with the Palestinian people. But when he comes to Israel, I'm not sure whether the previous Popes went to Mount Herzl (the site of Israel's Holocaust memorial) to lay flowers there."
Pope Francis is to pray at the Western Wall, the site of the first and second Jewish temples, and to visit Israel's national cemetery on Mount Herzl before going on to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
Skorka condemned opposition by ultra-Orthodox Jews to the Pope's visit.
"I'm totally against them (demonstrations against the visit). This is a visit by someone who is seeking a road to peace and dialogue and he should be received with open arms," Skorka said.
"We cannot remain and live in a vicious circle of hate."
Hundreds gathered last week near the reputed scene of Jesus's last supper in Jerusalem, demanding that Israel keep sovereignty over the site where Pope Francis will celebrate mass.
Jews revere the site as the tomb of King David, which is on the ground floor of the same building. The site is also important for Muslims.
It is currently the subject of negotiations between Israel and the Vatican, which hopes to recover the site, but no official agreement has been announced.
On a lonely hill in northern Israel, a stone's throw from the Lebanese border, stands Iqrit church, one of the last vestiges of a village razed by Israeli troops in 1951.
This small, white church is a symbol of the enduring memory and resistance shown by the Christians of historic Palestine who are reaching out for help to Pope Francis, who begins a three-day visit to the Holy Land on Saturday.
In a letter to the pontiff, the people of Iqrit and those of the neighboring village of Kufr Birim, all of them Catholics, beg him to "intensify" efforts to pressure Israel to end the injustice inflicted upon their community.
"We hope that your upcoming visit to Palestine and Israel will serve towards that purpose," it said, describing themselves as internally displaced Palestinians within the State of Israel.
In 1948, six months after Israel was established, the army asked Iqrit's 450 inhabitants to leave their homes for two weeks as a temporary measure due to military operations in the area.
But they were never allowed to go back.
In July 1951, the Supreme Court ruled the villagers should be allowed to return, but the government ignored the ruling. Five months later, on Christmas Eve, the army demolished the entire village, except for the church and its cemetery.
'Second-class citizens'
The Palestinian Christians of Galilee, who hold Israeli nationality, admit some disappointment that unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis will not be visiting Christian landmarks in the north during his visit.
"There is big disappointment in Galilee, where Jesus and his disciples preached," admitted a Catholic official.
Iqrit's former residents, who number 1,200 and are scattered across northern Israel, are nonetheless hoping they will be able to personally deliver their letter to Francis when he arrives in Bethlehem on Sunday.
"The State of Israel treats us as second-class citizens because we are not Jews. That is the main reason why our right to return has been denied," the letter says.
"But with the strength that we take from our faith, we refuse to become a forgotten community."
Barred by the Israeli authorities from returning to their village for more than six decades, the villagers made their case to Pope John Paul II in 2000, and to Benedict XVI in 2009.
But nothing has changed.
In August 2012, dozens of young people whose families originated from the village set up a makeshift camp outside the church, as they had done every summer.
But this time, instead of camping out for just a week, they stayed and are still living there in prefabricated huts.
"They prevent us from rebuilding and planting trees. But we will stay here. In the years since 1948, we have not forgotten our land, our homes nor our church," said 54-year-old George Sbeit whose parents were expelled from the village.
"The young people are not going to leave. The third generation is stronger, better educated. Before, people were afraid. Today, the young people are not afraid," said Sbeit, a former karate instructor.
His nephew, Walaa, said: "I won't let anybody drive me out".
"I am here and I have the right to be here. We are the third generation, we are the ones who bring back life to this land," said the musician.
Message of hope
The letter also raises concerns about the dwindling number of Christians in the Holy Land, blaming Israel's policies for driving "thousands of our sisters and brothers into exile."
According to a survey carried out in April by Bernard Sabella, an expert on Palestinian Christians, 62 percent of those living in Jerusalem want to emigrate due to economic difficulties and the political stalemate.
But whether they are living in Israel, in annexed East Jerusalem or in the occupied West Bank, the Christian community is looking to Pope Francis for encouragement.
"Christian Palestinians are expecting a message of hope (from the pope)," said Father Jamal Khader, who heads the Latin Patriarchate seminary in the West Bank city of Beit Jala.
"There is no perspective of peace. So we need the pope to encourage us and to strengthen us," he said.
"He is a man of God, a good defender of all who are suffering, including the Christian Palestinians. We are hopeful he will see first hand what's going on here."
This small, white church is a symbol of the enduring memory and resistance shown by the Christians of historic Palestine who are reaching out for help to Pope Francis, who begins a three-day visit to the Holy Land on Saturday.
In a letter to the pontiff, the people of Iqrit and those of the neighboring village of Kufr Birim, all of them Catholics, beg him to "intensify" efforts to pressure Israel to end the injustice inflicted upon their community.
"We hope that your upcoming visit to Palestine and Israel will serve towards that purpose," it said, describing themselves as internally displaced Palestinians within the State of Israel.
In 1948, six months after Israel was established, the army asked Iqrit's 450 inhabitants to leave their homes for two weeks as a temporary measure due to military operations in the area.
But they were never allowed to go back.
In July 1951, the Supreme Court ruled the villagers should be allowed to return, but the government ignored the ruling. Five months later, on Christmas Eve, the army demolished the entire village, except for the church and its cemetery.
'Second-class citizens'
The Palestinian Christians of Galilee, who hold Israeli nationality, admit some disappointment that unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis will not be visiting Christian landmarks in the north during his visit.
"There is big disappointment in Galilee, where Jesus and his disciples preached," admitted a Catholic official.
Iqrit's former residents, who number 1,200 and are scattered across northern Israel, are nonetheless hoping they will be able to personally deliver their letter to Francis when he arrives in Bethlehem on Sunday.
"The State of Israel treats us as second-class citizens because we are not Jews. That is the main reason why our right to return has been denied," the letter says.
"But with the strength that we take from our faith, we refuse to become a forgotten community."
Barred by the Israeli authorities from returning to their village for more than six decades, the villagers made their case to Pope John Paul II in 2000, and to Benedict XVI in 2009.
But nothing has changed.
In August 2012, dozens of young people whose families originated from the village set up a makeshift camp outside the church, as they had done every summer.
But this time, instead of camping out for just a week, they stayed and are still living there in prefabricated huts.
"They prevent us from rebuilding and planting trees. But we will stay here. In the years since 1948, we have not forgotten our land, our homes nor our church," said 54-year-old George Sbeit whose parents were expelled from the village.
"The young people are not going to leave. The third generation is stronger, better educated. Before, people were afraid. Today, the young people are not afraid," said Sbeit, a former karate instructor.
His nephew, Walaa, said: "I won't let anybody drive me out".
"I am here and I have the right to be here. We are the third generation, we are the ones who bring back life to this land," said the musician.
Message of hope
The letter also raises concerns about the dwindling number of Christians in the Holy Land, blaming Israel's policies for driving "thousands of our sisters and brothers into exile."
According to a survey carried out in April by Bernard Sabella, an expert on Palestinian Christians, 62 percent of those living in Jerusalem want to emigrate due to economic difficulties and the political stalemate.
But whether they are living in Israel, in annexed East Jerusalem or in the occupied West Bank, the Christian community is looking to Pope Francis for encouragement.
"Christian Palestinians are expecting a message of hope (from the pope)," said Father Jamal Khader, who heads the Latin Patriarchate seminary in the West Bank city of Beit Jala.
"There is no perspective of peace. So we need the pope to encourage us and to strengthen us," he said.
"He is a man of God, a good defender of all who are suffering, including the Christian Palestinians. We are hopeful he will see first hand what's going on here."
19 may 2014
Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, says all Palestinians, regardless of religious diversities, are sailing on the same boat.
Abu Marzouk, making a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, on Monday, said that all Palestinians, including Muslims and Christians, are in the target square of the Israeli occupation, noting the unacceptabilty of exclusion to anyone based on religious belief, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency.
Bishop Alexius said, in turn, that all prophets and apostles, over time, emphasized the oneness of the message and respect for all religions, stressing that: “We as Palestinians are on this land to live in co-existence.”
Furthermore, Al Ray reports that Alexius has said the church will support the forthcoming Palestinian concensus government, in order to achieve unity and meet the interests of the people.
At the end of his visit, Bishop Alexius accompanied Abu Marzouk in a tour around the church, and spoke of its place in a rich history going back 2,000 years.
Abu Marzouk, making a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza, on Monday, said that all Palestinians, including Muslims and Christians, are in the target square of the Israeli occupation, noting the unacceptabilty of exclusion to anyone based on religious belief, according to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency.
Bishop Alexius said, in turn, that all prophets and apostles, over time, emphasized the oneness of the message and respect for all religions, stressing that: “We as Palestinians are on this land to live in co-existence.”
Furthermore, Al Ray reports that Alexius has said the church will support the forthcoming Palestinian concensus government, in order to achieve unity and meet the interests of the people.
At the end of his visit, Bishop Alexius accompanied Abu Marzouk in a tour around the church, and spoke of its place in a rich history going back 2,000 years.
A tourist has her photograph taken in front of a banner bearing the portrait of Pope Francis on May 18, 2014, inside the yard of Saint Catherine's Church in the Church of Nativity, in Bethlehem
When Pope Francis arrives in the Holy Land on his "pilgrimage of prayer," Israelis and Palestinians will both be looking to use the visit to score a few political points.
Although the Vatican has said the emphasis of the pope's visit is to heal a centuries-old rift between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds, every gesture he makes is likely to come under close scrutiny by both sides.
For Israel, it will be a chance to draw world attention for something other than its ongoing illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
"The very fact of the visit is a success," an Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, as the tourism ministry said it was hoping the papal pilgrimage would drive a 10 percent increase in Christian tourism.
In fact, the pope's "pilgrimage of prayer", which begins in Jordan on Saturday, will leave a relatively faint footprint in Israel.
His visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories will kick off on Sunday in Bethlehem.
"He is taking a helicopter directly from Jordan to Palestine -- to Bethlehem. It's a kind of sign of recognizing Palestine," Father Jamal Khader of the Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem told journalists.
In Bethlehem, the pope will meet President Mahmoud Abbas and then celebrate mass in front of the Church of the Nativity, traditional birthplace of Jesus, before visiting a nearby refugee camp.
"Knowing who he is, and his sensitivity for all those who suffer, I am sure that he will say something defending all those who are suffering, including the Palestinians who live under occupation," Khader said.
After a short flight to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport where he will be greeted by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he will hold a top-level meeting with Orthodox Church leaders, before spending the night in the residence of the papal nuncio in annexed East Jerusalem.
Israel seized East Jerusalem in 1967 and calls the entire city its "united, undivided capital", in a move never recognized by the international community.
It is there that he will spend much of May 26, apart from brief forays into Israel to pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and visit Peres and Israel's two chief rabbis.
He will meet Netanyahu at the Vatican-owned Notre Dame complex, which lies on the seam line between east and west Jerusalem, for talks which will touch on politics, an Israeli official said.
"We shall be able to explain to him, from our point of view, what's happening politically in the region," he said.
"We shall explain to him the Iranian threat."
During the visit, the pope is expected to call for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians.
"The purpose of his visit is to encourage us not to be afraid of each other and to talk to each other and live together peacefully," Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto told reporters on Sunday.
Any reference he makes to Israeli settlements, to the West Bank separation barrier, or to the question of Palestinian prisoners or refugees will be closely watched by both sides.
'Highly charged'
"Everything will be highly charged politically," said Hind Khoury, a former Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs.
Following the collapse of US-led peace talks last month, the PLO has resumed moves to seek recognition for their promised state in the international diplomatic arena and will be looking to the papal visit to provide fresh ammunition.
"This visit will help us in supporting our struggle to end the longest occupation in history," said Ziyyad Bandak, Abbas' adviser for Christian affairs.
"He will have a lunch with Palestinians, with families suffering from the occupation... then he will visit Duheisha refugee camp to witness the suffering of Palestinian refugees," he told Voice of Palestine radio.
For Israel, it was a political slight that "the pope will begin his visit in Palestine and not Israel", he claimed.
"I know that Israeli officials are not happy with this decision."
The very fact of the visit was tantamount to Vatican support for an end to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, Bandak said.
"We welcome this visit and consider it as support for the Palestinian people, and confirmation from the Vatican of the need to end the occupation."
Earlier this month, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land, warned that hate crimes targeting Muslim and Christian Palestinians was poisoning the atmosphere ahead of the pope's visit, with church officials "very concerned" about the lack of security.
When Pope Francis arrives in the Holy Land on his "pilgrimage of prayer," Israelis and Palestinians will both be looking to use the visit to score a few political points.
Although the Vatican has said the emphasis of the pope's visit is to heal a centuries-old rift between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds, every gesture he makes is likely to come under close scrutiny by both sides.
For Israel, it will be a chance to draw world attention for something other than its ongoing illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
"The very fact of the visit is a success," an Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, as the tourism ministry said it was hoping the papal pilgrimage would drive a 10 percent increase in Christian tourism.
In fact, the pope's "pilgrimage of prayer", which begins in Jordan on Saturday, will leave a relatively faint footprint in Israel.
His visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories will kick off on Sunday in Bethlehem.
"He is taking a helicopter directly from Jordan to Palestine -- to Bethlehem. It's a kind of sign of recognizing Palestine," Father Jamal Khader of the Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem told journalists.
In Bethlehem, the pope will meet President Mahmoud Abbas and then celebrate mass in front of the Church of the Nativity, traditional birthplace of Jesus, before visiting a nearby refugee camp.
"Knowing who he is, and his sensitivity for all those who suffer, I am sure that he will say something defending all those who are suffering, including the Palestinians who live under occupation," Khader said.
After a short flight to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport where he will be greeted by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he will hold a top-level meeting with Orthodox Church leaders, before spending the night in the residence of the papal nuncio in annexed East Jerusalem.
Israel seized East Jerusalem in 1967 and calls the entire city its "united, undivided capital", in a move never recognized by the international community.
It is there that he will spend much of May 26, apart from brief forays into Israel to pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and visit Peres and Israel's two chief rabbis.
He will meet Netanyahu at the Vatican-owned Notre Dame complex, which lies on the seam line between east and west Jerusalem, for talks which will touch on politics, an Israeli official said.
"We shall be able to explain to him, from our point of view, what's happening politically in the region," he said.
"We shall explain to him the Iranian threat."
During the visit, the pope is expected to call for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians.
"The purpose of his visit is to encourage us not to be afraid of each other and to talk to each other and live together peacefully," Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto told reporters on Sunday.
Any reference he makes to Israeli settlements, to the West Bank separation barrier, or to the question of Palestinian prisoners or refugees will be closely watched by both sides.
'Highly charged'
"Everything will be highly charged politically," said Hind Khoury, a former Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs.
Following the collapse of US-led peace talks last month, the PLO has resumed moves to seek recognition for their promised state in the international diplomatic arena and will be looking to the papal visit to provide fresh ammunition.
"This visit will help us in supporting our struggle to end the longest occupation in history," said Ziyyad Bandak, Abbas' adviser for Christian affairs.
"He will have a lunch with Palestinians, with families suffering from the occupation... then he will visit Duheisha refugee camp to witness the suffering of Palestinian refugees," he told Voice of Palestine radio.
For Israel, it was a political slight that "the pope will begin his visit in Palestine and not Israel", he claimed.
"I know that Israeli officials are not happy with this decision."
The very fact of the visit was tantamount to Vatican support for an end to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, Bandak said.
"We welcome this visit and consider it as support for the Palestinian people, and confirmation from the Vatican of the need to end the occupation."
Earlier this month, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land, warned that hate crimes targeting Muslim and Christian Palestinians was poisoning the atmosphere ahead of the pope's visit, with church officials "very concerned" about the lack of security.
18 may 2014
Israel's top police officer on Sunday vowed that Jewish extremists would not be allowed to spoil the upcoming visit of Pope Francis by vandalizing Christian holy places.
"You cannot exaggerate the importance of this visit on both a national and an international level," Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino told reporters in Jerusalem.
The two-day papal visit to Israel, which begins on May 25, was being treated by police with the same level of importance as that of US President Barack Obama, with an extra 8,000 officers to be deployed throughout Jerusalem, he said.
And he pledged that Jewish extremists responsible for a wave of racist anti-Arab attacks, which have also found expression against Christian and Muslim holy sites, would not be allowed to spoil the visit.
"All sorts of extreme elements ... are trying to create pressure and the impression of pressure. We are rejecting this pressure and we won't let them succeed," he said.
"We will do everything to ensure they won't harm Christian holy places ... and to ensure the trip goes successfully."
Earlier this month, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land, warned that hate crimes targeting Muslims and Christians was poisoning the atmosphere ahead of the pope's visit, with church officials "very concerned" about the lack of security.
Israel has been struggling to contain a spiraling number of so-called "price tag" hate crimes by Jewish extremists targeting Palestinian and Arab property, which has included an increasing number of vandalism attacks on mosques and churches.
Although police have made scores of arrests, there have been no successful prosecutions, and the government has come under mounting pressure to authorize the Shin Bet internal security agency to intervene.
"You cannot exaggerate the importance of this visit on both a national and an international level," Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino told reporters in Jerusalem.
The two-day papal visit to Israel, which begins on May 25, was being treated by police with the same level of importance as that of US President Barack Obama, with an extra 8,000 officers to be deployed throughout Jerusalem, he said.
And he pledged that Jewish extremists responsible for a wave of racist anti-Arab attacks, which have also found expression against Christian and Muslim holy sites, would not be allowed to spoil the visit.
"All sorts of extreme elements ... are trying to create pressure and the impression of pressure. We are rejecting this pressure and we won't let them succeed," he said.
"We will do everything to ensure they won't harm Christian holy places ... and to ensure the trip goes successfully."
Earlier this month, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land, warned that hate crimes targeting Muslims and Christians was poisoning the atmosphere ahead of the pope's visit, with church officials "very concerned" about the lack of security.
Israel has been struggling to contain a spiraling number of so-called "price tag" hate crimes by Jewish extremists targeting Palestinian and Arab property, which has included an increasing number of vandalism attacks on mosques and churches.
Although police have made scores of arrests, there have been no successful prosecutions, and the government has come under mounting pressure to authorize the Shin Bet internal security agency to intervene.
17 may 2014
A suspected Price Tag attack has targeted Thursday the Romanian Orthodox Church on Masrara street in occupied Jerusalem, in the latest of a series of hate crimes against Christians and Arabs. The Price Tag attackers stoned the church. A nun was slightly injured in the attack.
The attackers have also beaten the Deacon Elias Soryani while trying to prevent the attack, local sources revealed.
Price Tag groups have recently escalated their attacks against Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The attackers have also beaten the Deacon Elias Soryani while trying to prevent the attack, local sources revealed.
Price Tag groups have recently escalated their attacks against Islamic and Christian holy sites.
15 may 2014
By Khalid Amayreh
In two weeks' time, the Pope of the Vatican, Pope Francis, will arrive in Occupied Palestine in a visit that will last for a few days. He is slated to meet with religious and political leaders representing Muslims, Christians and Jews. He is expected to visit religious shrines belonging to the main monotheistic faiths in the Holy Land.
We Palestinians wish the Pope a successful and rewarding visit. We also hope and pray the visit will help enhance relations between the followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the followers of Islam.
Needless to say, the stabilization and possible reconciliation of relations between Muslims and Christians, especially Catholics, is a human and religious obligation incumbent on true believers of all confessions.
Muslims and Catholics live as neighbors and compatriots nearly everywhere in the world. Hence, it is paramount that the political and especially the spiritual leaders of both communities work together in a spirit of good will to create serenity and concordance amongst believers.
I know the task may not be easy. It is actually not easy. But we ought to the future generations of Muslims and Catholics to inculcate tolerance and mutual respect in our respective communities.
We must teach ourselves and our children to accept the other, without ifs and buts.
As humans and especially as Muslims, we know that the upcoming papal visit will not achieve miracles. However, we do believe that with his unique status and influence, Pope Francis can significantly, even radically, influence the cause of Christian-Muslim relations.
That is why we expect the pope to stand on the side of justice, not passively or through noncommittal rhetoric, but through effective, concrete and pro-active deeds.
We would like to see His Eminence condemn, preferably in the strongest terms, the despicable apartheid system practiced by the Israeli regime. Needless to say, Israel's protracted and uninterrupted repression of Palestinians-all Palestinians irrespective of their religious affiliation-constitutes a real desecration of the Almighty.
We must display honesty and rectitude on this matter. It is Israel's enduring repression of Palestinians that has forced thousands of native Palestinian Christians to leave the Holy Land. This is a sad fact for which Israel ought to be squarely blamed. Moreover, the Vatican must not allow itself to be misled or deceived by Israeli lies and false propaganda in relation to Christians’ flight from Palestine.
Similarly, we would like to see the Pope condemn Israel's lebensraum policy in the West Bank, the very policy that has effectively decapitated any remaining real chances for true peace in the Holy Land.
We all know the disastrous ramifications of the lebensraum policies in Europe some eight decades ago. Hence, it would be unforgivable if we allowed the same nightmare to repeat itself once again.
Yes, it is true, the Vatican is not a political or military superpower that can impose its will on evil players on this planet. But the Vatican is a moral authority for hundreds of millions of people around the world. And as such, it can make a difference.
Vatican-Jewish relations must not be at the expense of Muslims
We, as Muslims, do understand the Vatican's propensity to improve Catholic-Jewish relations. In fact, Muslims appreciate and value the ideal of universal harmony whereby peaceful and brotherly relations prevail amongst the followers of various religions. We also have no problem seeing good relations prevail between Jews and Catholics.
However, it is imperative that "good relations" between the Vatican and Israel be kept within the confines of equity and fairness and in no way prejudices the human rights and civil liberties of other peoples.
Hence, the Vatican is advised to exercise utmost caution with regard to Israel's unending efforts to exploit things like the Holocaust in order to silence the Holy See, especially in the face of Jewish oppression meted out to both Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land.
Your eminence: The holocaust, or whatever happened to European Jewry in the course of the Second World War, doesn't give Jews a license to commit another holocaust, even a low-combustion holocaust against our people.
I am not indulging in excessive exaggerations, for Israel has killed the prospects of peace in this part of the world by way of dotting the map of occupied Palestine with Jewish colonies.
This means that Zionism can only be maintained by either violent military occupation and apartheid or a combination of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Needless to say, the Vatican wouldn't be faithful to its moral ideals if it kept silent in the face of Israeli criminality and nefariousness. Indeed, meeting Israel's evil policies in Palestine with either silence or apathy is very much like similar reactions to Nazi policies and practices. In the final analysis, when Jews think, behave and act like the Nazis thought behaved and acted, they should be viewed as Nazis, pure and simple.
Troubles elsewhere
It is clear that the overall outlook of Christian-Muslim relations is far from being impressive. In the Central African Republic, a real genocide by Christians against Muslims has been going on for months. Thousands of innocent Muslims have been brutally massacred there despite the belated presence of French "peace keeping" troops.
In Nigeria, a heretic group, known as Boko Haram, has been committing savage acts of murder and kidnappings, causing an unprecedented deterioration in relations between Muslims and Christians in the most populous African country.
And, unfortunately, in Egypt and Syria, the Christian minorities have been embracing the criminal tyrannical regimes that deny the masses basic human rights and civil liberties. This in turn prompted many Muslims in both countries to view their Christian countrymen with suspicion.
I don't really know what the Pope can do to alleviate the situation. What is amply clear though is that the rectification of Muslim-Christian relations, in the Middle East and beyond, requires some extraordinary efforts by sincere people from both sides.
Let us pray for peace.
In two weeks' time, the Pope of the Vatican, Pope Francis, will arrive in Occupied Palestine in a visit that will last for a few days. He is slated to meet with religious and political leaders representing Muslims, Christians and Jews. He is expected to visit religious shrines belonging to the main monotheistic faiths in the Holy Land.
We Palestinians wish the Pope a successful and rewarding visit. We also hope and pray the visit will help enhance relations between the followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the followers of Islam.
Needless to say, the stabilization and possible reconciliation of relations between Muslims and Christians, especially Catholics, is a human and religious obligation incumbent on true believers of all confessions.
Muslims and Catholics live as neighbors and compatriots nearly everywhere in the world. Hence, it is paramount that the political and especially the spiritual leaders of both communities work together in a spirit of good will to create serenity and concordance amongst believers.
I know the task may not be easy. It is actually not easy. But we ought to the future generations of Muslims and Catholics to inculcate tolerance and mutual respect in our respective communities.
We must teach ourselves and our children to accept the other, without ifs and buts.
As humans and especially as Muslims, we know that the upcoming papal visit will not achieve miracles. However, we do believe that with his unique status and influence, Pope Francis can significantly, even radically, influence the cause of Christian-Muslim relations.
That is why we expect the pope to stand on the side of justice, not passively or through noncommittal rhetoric, but through effective, concrete and pro-active deeds.
We would like to see His Eminence condemn, preferably in the strongest terms, the despicable apartheid system practiced by the Israeli regime. Needless to say, Israel's protracted and uninterrupted repression of Palestinians-all Palestinians irrespective of their religious affiliation-constitutes a real desecration of the Almighty.
We must display honesty and rectitude on this matter. It is Israel's enduring repression of Palestinians that has forced thousands of native Palestinian Christians to leave the Holy Land. This is a sad fact for which Israel ought to be squarely blamed. Moreover, the Vatican must not allow itself to be misled or deceived by Israeli lies and false propaganda in relation to Christians’ flight from Palestine.
Similarly, we would like to see the Pope condemn Israel's lebensraum policy in the West Bank, the very policy that has effectively decapitated any remaining real chances for true peace in the Holy Land.
We all know the disastrous ramifications of the lebensraum policies in Europe some eight decades ago. Hence, it would be unforgivable if we allowed the same nightmare to repeat itself once again.
Yes, it is true, the Vatican is not a political or military superpower that can impose its will on evil players on this planet. But the Vatican is a moral authority for hundreds of millions of people around the world. And as such, it can make a difference.
Vatican-Jewish relations must not be at the expense of Muslims
We, as Muslims, do understand the Vatican's propensity to improve Catholic-Jewish relations. In fact, Muslims appreciate and value the ideal of universal harmony whereby peaceful and brotherly relations prevail amongst the followers of various religions. We also have no problem seeing good relations prevail between Jews and Catholics.
However, it is imperative that "good relations" between the Vatican and Israel be kept within the confines of equity and fairness and in no way prejudices the human rights and civil liberties of other peoples.
Hence, the Vatican is advised to exercise utmost caution with regard to Israel's unending efforts to exploit things like the Holocaust in order to silence the Holy See, especially in the face of Jewish oppression meted out to both Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land.
Your eminence: The holocaust, or whatever happened to European Jewry in the course of the Second World War, doesn't give Jews a license to commit another holocaust, even a low-combustion holocaust against our people.
I am not indulging in excessive exaggerations, for Israel has killed the prospects of peace in this part of the world by way of dotting the map of occupied Palestine with Jewish colonies.
This means that Zionism can only be maintained by either violent military occupation and apartheid or a combination of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Needless to say, the Vatican wouldn't be faithful to its moral ideals if it kept silent in the face of Israeli criminality and nefariousness. Indeed, meeting Israel's evil policies in Palestine with either silence or apathy is very much like similar reactions to Nazi policies and practices. In the final analysis, when Jews think, behave and act like the Nazis thought behaved and acted, they should be viewed as Nazis, pure and simple.
Troubles elsewhere
It is clear that the overall outlook of Christian-Muslim relations is far from being impressive. In the Central African Republic, a real genocide by Christians against Muslims has been going on for months. Thousands of innocent Muslims have been brutally massacred there despite the belated presence of French "peace keeping" troops.
In Nigeria, a heretic group, known as Boko Haram, has been committing savage acts of murder and kidnappings, causing an unprecedented deterioration in relations between Muslims and Christians in the most populous African country.
And, unfortunately, in Egypt and Syria, the Christian minorities have been embracing the criminal tyrannical regimes that deny the masses basic human rights and civil liberties. This in turn prompted many Muslims in both countries to view their Christian countrymen with suspicion.
I don't really know what the Pope can do to alleviate the situation. What is amply clear though is that the rectification of Muslim-Christian relations, in the Middle East and beyond, requires some extraordinary efforts by sincere people from both sides.
Let us pray for peace.
14 may 2014
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray during a protest against Pope Francis' upcoming visit on May 12, 2014, in the Old City of Jerusalem
Israel said it had "no intention" of giving the Vatican sovereignty over a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem, following protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews ahead of Pope Francis' visit this month.
"Contrary to rumors in Israel, there is no intention to transfer to the Vatican sovereignty or ownership on the Tomb of David or the Cenacle," Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Zion Evrony, said in a speech obtained on Wednesday.
The Cenacle is the reputed scene of Jesus' last supper, and the pope is planning to hold a mass on the site on Mount Zion near the walls of the Old City.
Jews revere the site as the tomb of Kind David, which is on the ground floor of the same building. It is also important for Muslims.
The site is currently part of long-running negotiations over Holy Land property between Israel and the Vatican, which hopes to be given the right to use the site.
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews on Monday held a protest near the site, demanding that Israel retain sovereignty. They are also planning another demonstration on May 22 -- just three days before Pope Francis arrives.
Francis is traveling to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories between May 24 and 26.
Israeli President Shimon Peres told an Italian newspaper during a visit to the Vatican last year that a compromise had been reached on the Cenacle, and that "99 percent" of the issues concerning the site had been addressed.
Israel said it had "no intention" of giving the Vatican sovereignty over a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem, following protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews ahead of Pope Francis' visit this month.
"Contrary to rumors in Israel, there is no intention to transfer to the Vatican sovereignty or ownership on the Tomb of David or the Cenacle," Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Zion Evrony, said in a speech obtained on Wednesday.
The Cenacle is the reputed scene of Jesus' last supper, and the pope is planning to hold a mass on the site on Mount Zion near the walls of the Old City.
Jews revere the site as the tomb of Kind David, which is on the ground floor of the same building. It is also important for Muslims.
The site is currently part of long-running negotiations over Holy Land property between Israel and the Vatican, which hopes to be given the right to use the site.
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews on Monday held a protest near the site, demanding that Israel retain sovereignty. They are also planning another demonstration on May 22 -- just three days before Pope Francis arrives.
Francis is traveling to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories between May 24 and 26.
Israeli President Shimon Peres told an Italian newspaper during a visit to the Vatican last year that a compromise had been reached on the Cenacle, and that "99 percent" of the issues concerning the site had been addressed.
The Israeli police have requested that a welcome poster for Pope Francis' eminent visit be removed from a building belonging to a church near Jaffa Gate, to avoid "inflaming Jewish passions".
According to the Middle East Monitor, the National Christian Assembly Secretary-General, Dimitri Delyani, described the Israeli request as a "rude act":
"This rude act will only strengthen the Christian and Muslim unity from all over the Holy Land to prove that Jerusalem is an Arab city with a Christian and Islamic civilisation, and no Judaisation programme or ethnic cleansing crimes will erase this well established fact in the hearts of each and every one of us... This is our city and we will build mosques and churches and we will receive or expel whoever we want, but when the occupation wants to control it and its people and regards them as temporary residents, this would cause a rift."
He further stated, "The National Christian Assembly is sending messages to all churches around the world to expose the Israeli practices, including the Jewish terrorism represented in this request."
Pope Francis is due to visit Bethlehem at the end of May.
According to the Middle East Monitor, the National Christian Assembly Secretary-General, Dimitri Delyani, described the Israeli request as a "rude act":
"This rude act will only strengthen the Christian and Muslim unity from all over the Holy Land to prove that Jerusalem is an Arab city with a Christian and Islamic civilisation, and no Judaisation programme or ethnic cleansing crimes will erase this well established fact in the hearts of each and every one of us... This is our city and we will build mosques and churches and we will receive or expel whoever we want, but when the occupation wants to control it and its people and regards them as temporary residents, this would cause a rift."
He further stated, "The National Christian Assembly is sending messages to all churches around the world to expose the Israeli practices, including the Jewish terrorism represented in this request."
Pope Francis is due to visit Bethlehem at the end of May.
