IPEM
Usher the Peace!
By Abdul-Majeed Azad
CA
Dear Pope Francis and Reverend Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury:
Please accept our Salam (salutation of peace in Arabic) to you and your global congregations, on the auspicious occasion of Christmas!
Jesus has been mentioned about twenty-five times in Qur’an; chapter 17 is named Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus). Jesus’ foretelling the coming of Muhammad (peace be upon him) after him, is also stated in chapter 61 (As-Saff/The Rank) of Qur’an. Muslims recognize, revere and love Jesus as one of God’s chosen messengers and his mother as one of the most noble and chaste women who ever walked on this earth.
The affectionate relationship between Muslims and Christians has been clearly described: You will surely find the most gracious towards Muslims and closest in friendship to be those who say, “we are Christians.” (Qur’an 5:82). Thus, the authenticity of kinship between the followers of these two faiths has been well established. They are intertwined on many levels.
In the light of this scriptural testimony, if there cannot be peace in the Holy Land at this time of the year, when and where else could it be?
Christmas in Bethlehem is particularly special. It is a time when Palestinians, Christians, and Muslims, all celebrate the miraculous birth of Isa (Jesus) to Maryam (Virgin Mary). In normal times, Christians from all over the world converge to pray at the grotto - the site where Jesus is said to have been born. Not this year though. This year with a devastating war raging in Gaza, there will be none of that. This year, Christmas celebrations by Christians in Bethlehem have been cancelled in solidarity with Gaza.
Bethlehem is situated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The distance between Bethlehem and Gaza by air is just 37 miles (60 km) and about 49 miles (80 km) via road. Yet it is as if the world - the Christian world particularly - is no longer with the people in Gaza. Palestinians across the West Bank feel alone as the world watches Gaza’s unimaginable suffering in deafening silence.
This year’s Christmas in Bethlehem has many firsts. The Manger Square resembles a ghostly car park. The Church of the Nativity is virtually empty. The streets around it are deserted. Instead of rejoicing, Christianity’s holiest place is in painful mourning!
Dear Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby, combined, you both represent and lead the largest religious congregation on earth. Your flocks listen to you and follow you.
Please use this solemn occasion and your position to lead and usher peace in one of the most sacred lands on earth. Please energize and mobilize yourselves and your people to add their voices to the plea of Palestinians to end this cycle of genocide.
If you intervene, the world will listen and act towards ending the crippling siege and ferocious aerial bombardment of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, three-quarters of them women and children. Some 85 per cent of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and are living with dwindling access to food, water, electricity and medical supplies and water. There is no hope if they will ever be allowed to return.
Please use the morality and power of your religious conscience and become instrumental in stopping this ethnic cleansing in Gaza, West Bank, and adjoining enclaves.
In the spirit of the message of peace and love in the birth of Jesus, can the Christians worldwide - beyond Bethlehem - just once give up on the traditional Christmas celebrations and festivities?
Can the Christians worldwide join in solemn prayers for the safety of besieged Palestinians - both Muslims and Christians, and raise a unified voice for concrete actions to implement ceasefire, ushering some semblance of peace?
In few months, you will be marking Easter - departure of Jesus - just 32 years after his auspicious birth 2000+ years ago today. While his birth was the harbinger of peace, love, and forgiveness, his crucifixion exemplified deep-seated hatred, deception, intolerance, lies, occupation, ouster and killing.
That crucifix still exists. The crucifixion of the dignity, humanity, and right to live of several generations of Palestinians, in and around Bethlehem, has been going on every day for the past 100 years!
