> Brethren: I met Bishop Riah Abu El Assal many years ago in Berkeley where he was at UC giving a talk on the Holy Land. What he said then is true today-only worse. We need to pray as though it counted all on the Almighty and work as though it counted all on us and try to derail this insanity proposed by Bush and his lapdog Tony Blair. Please pray for the Holy Land and the region at your Masses in October (there are good prayers in the BCP and in the old Forward Movement prayer book).Join me. Pray for peace with justice and for the virtue of patience, good counsel and justice. GDVW+. Also we need to take another census for Christmas week 2002 to get a current idea of our 'population' in APA. What are the statistics for REC? Does anyone know? I have been advised by a Director of FCC that there are now 56(!!!) 'Continuing Anglican' groups. Lord have mercy. He also told me that of the c. 150 registered at the FCC 25th anno of the St Louis Congress earlier this month; fifty (50) were bishops of something or other. Whats wrong with this picture? Almost everything! GDVW+ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Virtue" <DVirtue236@...> > To: <ORTHODOXANGLICAN@...> > Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 12:56 AM > Subject: [ORTHODOXANGLICAN] WAR WITH IRAQ COULD END CHRISTIAN PRESENCE > IN MIDDLE EAST > > >> WAR WITH IRAQ COULD END CHRISTIAN PRESENCE IN MIDDLE EAST >> An interview with Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal Anglican Bishop of the >> Middle > East >> >> SPECIAL REPORT >> >> By David W. Virtue >> >> HONG KONG-An Anglican Arab Bishop who resides in one of the world's >> most troubled hot spots believes peace is possible in the Middle East >> if the necessary compromises are made on all sides, but a war with >> Iraq could change the whole face of the Middle East and see the end of >> the Christian presence there. Bishop Riah lives in Jerusalem as head >> of the Anglican Communion in that region. His life is under close >> scrutiny by the Israeli authorities because of his close personal >> friendship with Yasir Arafat. He was recently humiliated crossing the >> border into Lebanon even though he carries a diplomatic passport and >> has a >> chauffeured driven car. I interviewed Bishop Riah while he attended >> the Anglican Consultative Council. In speaking with the bishop one is >> conscious of the fact that religion and politics are deeply entwined >> in the affairs of the Middle East. Religion lies at the heart of all >> questions and discussions. Jerusalem is more than just the spiritual >> center for three religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - it is >> also the emotional center for all three. Anything can trigger a >> violent reaction. Anything. A badly timed visit by the Israeli Prime >> Minister; a wall that might fall down that could cause an uprising; >> American fundamentalists thinking they can usher in the Second Coming, >> or extremist orthodox Jews wanting to lay the stones for the Second >> Temple. Violence can erupt like fireworks on the 4th of July. I asked >> Bishop Riah what hope he saw not only for peace in that volatile >> region but for Christianity itself as the Christian Arab population >> grows smaller by the day. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Bishop Riah what is the current situation in Israel today >> and what hope do you see for any kind of peace? >> >> RIAH: As far as the situation in Israel and Palestine is concerned it >> is becoming very tense. People are not sure what may develop and are >> quite anxious about the way the American administration and President >> Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair keep threatening to go to >> war against Iraq. God forbid if it should happen. It will certainly >> affect the whole region perhaps many parts in our global village. But >> a real concern as an Arab Palestinian Christian is that waging war >> against Iraq may bring the end of Christian presence in the birthplace >> of our faith. The church being a minority in the Middle East but >> having its links with the Church in western countries may find itself >> again caught in between and maybe challenged or encouraged to escape >> the situation. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Do you see any light at the end of the tunnel in the >> endless cycle of violence on both sides? >> >> RIAH: Yes certainly, provided Israel is made to comply with UN >> resolutions, the way Iraq is being made to comply with UN resolutions. >> The UN resolutions 2338 and 194 are the foundations and base for a >> peaceful settlement in the Middle East whereby Israel would withdraw >> from the occupied territories of 1967 and find a way with others to >> resolve the issue of the refugees by respecting their right of return >> even though I believe many will not return and enjoy security in >> secure borders. Israel would be recognized by their neighboring >> countries when the Palestinians have their independent state on >> Palestinian soil side by side with Israel. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: What about Jerusalem? >> >> RIAH: Jerusalem is an issue but there is a way to find a solution - an >> arrangement that will satisfy both parties. Jerusalem becomes the >> capital of two states - east Jerusalem for Palestine and west >> Jerusalem for Israel, with open borders and the three religious >> communities be given jurisdiction over the three holy sites with a >> municipal council equally represented to run the day to day affairs. >> There can be no peace until there is justice for the Palestinians and >> the guarantee of security for Israel. The only way forward is to end >> the Israeli >> occupation of 1967. Once this is accepted as a principle then all of >> us will see the light while continuing our walk through the tunnel. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: What is the future for Palestinian Christians who seem to >> be increasingly marginalized by both Israel and militant Islamists? >> >> RIAH: The Arab Palestinian Christian community has lived side by side >> with the rest of the Arab world for 1400 years and though there came a >> time under Ottoman rule when we had it as difficult as the rest of the >> Arabs had it, under Arab rule we flourished and our service have been >> and continues to be recognized and greatly appreciated. In pre-1914 we >> made up 23 - 24 % of the population of Palestine. Today as a result of >> the ongoing conflict and the war of 1948 when the majority of our >> people were expelled from their homeland, among them many of our >> church people. We have dwindled to 1.5 percent today throughout Israel >> and Palestine. >> >> To illustrate how serious this issue is in East Jerusalem we had >> 28,000 Christians until 1967. Today after 35 years under Israeli >> occupation we should have become 65, 000 to 70,000 people. The total >> number of Christians of different denominations is close to 8,000. If >> the church in the world keeps being indifferent or allowing the >> leaders of the world to play a double standard, or continue to >> misinterpret biblical "prophecy" in the manner of some evangelical >> fundamentalists are doing I fear that the Christian presence will >> cease to be in the very >> birthplace of our faith. >> >> Of interest to note is that out of the one million Arab Palestinian >> Christians in the world, only 165,000 continue to live in Palestine >> and Israel. >> >> I am told there are 250,000 Arab Palestinian Christians living in >> Chile alone. Arab Christians can be found in Australia, Canada, NZ and >> around the world. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Do you see that reversing of this trend at any time in the >> future? >> >> RIAH: Only if peace comes to the area. The moment we witness the >> signing of the Oslo Agreement of 1993 the number of families can >> return home, especially emigrants to Australia and the like who kept >> their Israeli passports and had the right of return. Believing that >> lasting peace is on the way, and that the opportunities for life in >> the Middle East beginning with the homeland could be as good as >> opportunities anywhere else in the world. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Is a Palestinian state likely given Ariel Sharon's less >> than lukewarm support for it and while the cycles of violence >> continues? >> >> RIAD: The Palestinian State is now a de facto state. They have a >> parliament, passports, and Palestinian stamps. They are responsible >> for education, medical services, and they have their own police. De >> facto it is there. There will be a bigger number of nations who will >> recognize Palestine than the number of nations recognizing Israel. >> >> The UN as early as 1947 resolved with resolution 181 that there would >> be two states within geographic Palestine - a Palestinian and an >> Israeli. The Palestinians have waited so long for the international >> community to see to it that a peaceful settlement on the basis of UN >> resolutions be brought about for the sake of both peoples, especially >> the two peoples who have been predestined to live side by side. Today >> there are 4.5 million Arab Palestinians living in Israel and Palestine >> over against 5.5 Jews. In no time the demography of the land may also >> have its impact. Why wait when the way is open now for peace and >> reconciliation not only between Palestinians and Israelis but between >> Israel and all the Arab countries. I was present at the Arab summit in >> Beirut last April when it was resolved unanimously that they were >> ready to normalize relations with Israelis provided Israel complies >> with the UN resolutions and end its occupation and sign the peace >> treaty with Palestine. However when I meet with Israelis I tell them >> often how impressed by their intelligence only I am saddened about how >> unwise they are. "You lack the wisdom of Solomon," I tell them. I >> explain this telling them that they cannot establish peace and >> demolish homes over dead bodies in camps and expect the Arab world to >> stand back while they continue to occupy Arab land be it in Palestine, >> Syria or Lebanon. And I tell them "you have lived among Arabs for >> close to 2,000 years since the time when you were expelled in 70 AD, >> and at the time no one had heard of Brooklyn or Auckland, NZ. You >> lived among our people. You lived with us, we welcome having equal >> rights like other minorities and all of sudden you started to talk of >> Arabs as the enemy. I challenge them to show me where they were >> persecuted by the Arabs. I don't mean to forget that there were tribal >> conflicts. But the Jews had it better with the Arabs than when they >> were living in western countries. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: What about Israeli fears of being pushed into the sea? >> >> RIAH: It is not a real fear and Arabs are not interested in pushing >> anybody. There are some voices, insignificant and individual voices >> but this fear is not justified. Israel can hope to survive in peace >> more than in war, irrespective of its military strength. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Do you think the average Israeli wants to live in peace >> with Arabs? >> >> RIAH: The majority on both sides want to put an end to this pain and >> suffering. They want to live at peace, they want to live at peace and >> they want to heal the wounds of the past and build up mutual trust and >> mutual respect, and recognition. In the words of Desmond Tutu when >> asked about the fact that both peoples live side by side, he said you >> remind me of scrambled eggs that no one can unscramble. We have one >> alternative to this ongoing conflict, peace with justice and ending >> the Israeli occupation and having the two-state solution as I >> describe. In years [it is possible] to allow for a joint team to >> examine the >> possibility and the potential in moving from a federation to a >> confederation while being encouraged or encouraging each other that we >> can become not only as good as the Swiss but even better. We have so >> much in common, and I don't see that another round of hostilities >> would resolve the issue. Wars never make peace. >> >> QUESTION: Is the Anglican Church growing? >> >> RIAH: The Anglican Church is stable. Less people are emigrating. We >> have our difficulties as a result of the present >> situation...difficulties in movement, in finding the means to >> subsidize our institutions, but thanks to many Christian people in the >> world in particular the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Presiding Bishop >> of the United States, the ACC and the like who rushed to help us in >> our time of need. >> >> As Anglicans in spite of the seriousness of the situation we continue >> to keep 34 Institutions of education, medical and the like in service. >> We provide close to 1500 employees with their means for daily living, >> and our services reach hundreds of thousands. So we are concerned that >> should there be war in the Middle East that the situation would become >> more difficult, perhaps to some unbearable but we continue to pray and >> hope that God in His grace and mercy will enlighten the minds of the >> rulers to come to terms with what would bring an end to enmity and >> hostility in the Middle East. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: What is the future of Christianity itself in Israel? >> >> RIAH: Today there are 16 million Arab Christians in the Middle East >> most of whom live in Egypt and the Sudan. The wars and conflicts may >> cause the greatest harm to the Christian presence in the Middle East. >> The fact that we are members of one church in the world, with a >> majority living in Western countries, many do not only think West but >> head west, while at the same time some from among our own people view >> the Christians as part of the west forget that Christianity was born >> in Palestine in a Middle Eastern city. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: What is the future of the Anglican Church in Israel? Are >> you growing by evangelism or simply by ethnic birth? >> >> RIAH: We have our outreach program through our institutions. We share >> our faith. We don't impose it. When peace comes to Jerusalem a just >> and lasting peace, peace will come to the whole world and in a >> peaceful world and a peaceful Middle East and in a peaceful land of >> the Holy One there is greater hope for the church to flourish. >> Certainly this requires that the church become more involved, better >> informed and more committed to the cause of peace and justice in our >> part of the world. >> >> VIRTUOSITY: Do you have real hope that change is possible and the >> church will be free to grow and proclaim the gospel in Israel >> unfettered by political concerns? >> >> RIAH: Only when peace comes in the land. Today people are anxious, >> worried and their minds are busy pondering what the future there might >> bring. That is why we pray that a peaceful settlement is reached there >> and that the children of Abraham learn how to live together and also >> that together we become a great possibility for peace in the world. >> There must be a transformation in the Middle East from a place of >> conflict into a peaceful paradise. >> >> END > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to > <faithandlife-unsubscribe@...> ----------------------------------------- This email was sent using FREE Catholic Online Webmail. Please tell your family, friends and children about COL Webmail! http://webmail.catholic.org/