wfn.org | Palestinians Grieve Over USA Tragedy

[JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com]

For further intormation:

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
General Director
Tel: ++972 2 276 4696
Fax: ++972 2 277 0048
Web: http://www.annadwa.org/

BETHLEHEM, West Bank, September 12, 2001---Following is the text of a message 
sent today from the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and 
its International Center, to friends in the United States:

With deep sorrow and profound grief we write this message to offer our
heartfelt condolences to the mothers, fathers, children, friends and
families of the thousands of innocent people who have been the victims
of the terrorist attacks yesterday morning on the USA. 

We would like to reach out to all of our American friends to assure them that 
we stand by them at this difficult and tragic time. Constantly, for the past 
eleven months, we have received many massages from our friends from America 
expressing their solidarity and sharing with us our grief. 

Never in our worst nightmares did we imagine that we would be witnessing such 
a horrendous event and human tragedy inflicted on our American friends. We 
care for every life and we pray for all those who are mourning the loss
of loved ones taken away by this indiscriminate act of organized terror.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

We are aware that the media has shown President Arafat's shocked
reaction to this act and his strong condemnation of it.  Unfortunately,
the media has also shown scenes of a few Palestinians celebrating this
tragedy.  We want you to know that these few do not speak for or
represent the entire Palestinian people.  What the media failed to
acknowledge was the majority of Palestinians who were shocked, saddened
and mournful.  

We believe that this media campaign is biased and aims at
dehumanizing the Palestinian people.  Such a campaign follows the same
logic of the terrorists, since it deliberately attempts to punish
innocent people indiscriminately. In our grief, we are asking ourselves
why did the people immediately associate us Palestinians with the
perpetrators rather than the victims. 

As Palestinians, we can very well understand the pain of our American
friends.  We know what it means when political leaders are targeted and
are not safe in their own offices.  We understand what it means when
planes attack security headquarters.  We know how it feels when the
backbone of the economy is assaulted.  We do not want to compare
suffering, since every suffering is unique and this particular tragedy
has such hideous dimensions.  Yet, never before have Americans and
Palestinians shared so much. 

We express our solidarity with the American people. We invite people all
over to:

    Hold vigil prayers for the victims and their families. 
    Raise awareness and sensitivity to the brutality that the media
perpetrates through the images projected. 
    Monitor the way that certain nations and peoples are stereotyped
(The Americans, The Palestinians, etc.), thus inciting hatred and
legitimizing aggression. 
    Develop alternative media that will set new ethical standards in
reporting. 
    Actively participate in the WCC's "Decade to Overcome Violence"
so that future generations will have compassion, do justice and value
life. 
    Commit to prophet Micah's vision that "they shall sit every
person under his vine and his fig tree and none shall make them afraid."
So that no American, Palestinians, Iraqi, Israeli, Japanese, etc. will
be afraid to be in his/her office, home, or airplane, no matter what
nationality they hold. 

May the peace of Christ be with us all. 

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, Pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church- Bethlehem
Dr. Nuha Khoury, The International Center of Bethlehem