wfn.org | CWS Delegation Reports Escalating Crisis in Middle East

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE DELEGATION TO MIDDLE EAST FINDS INCREASING CHALLENGES
FOR REGION9S CHRISTIANS

U.S. Heads of Missions Visit Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel

NEW YORK -Thurs Nov 4- A delegation of U.S. church leaders returning from a
tour of five Middle Eastern countries is reporting that stable Christian
communities and churches in the region are being severely challenged by
volatile and escalating humanitarian and political crises.

Led by global humanitarian agency Church World Service, the delegation of
U.S. mission agency heads visited government officials and Christian and
Muslim leaders in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel between October
23 - November 1.

Church World Service Executive Director and CEO Rev John L. McCullough noted
that "The region continues to be tense and volatile, with worsening
humanitarian situations and political crises, particularly in Iraq and in
Israel / Palestine.

"Church World Service and its partners are deeply troubled," McCullough
said, "by the political, economic and social factors that are provoking
Christian migration from the region and severely challenging the churches
and Christian communities that have long been stable."

In a week that also saw Israel9s Sharon9s movement on the West Bank and
Palestinian Arafat rushed to Paris for medical reasons, the region9s
instability was underscored.

With the Middle East engulfed in deepening conflicts and war, and amidst
militant religious overtones, representatives of the U.S. churches traveled
to show their solidarity with the Middle East9s Christian community and to
express support for ecumenical and interfaith efforts for peace, justice and
reconciliation. Churches in the United States and other agencies have been
longstanding partners with Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church
communities in the region.

Accompanying Rev. McCullough, the delegation included:
The Rev. R. Randy Day, General secretary of the Board of Global Ministries
of The United Methodist Church
The Rev. Dr. Marian McClure, Director of the Worldwide Ministries Division
of the Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly Council
Rev. William C. Sibert, Executive Director of the Board of World Mission,
Moravian Church
David Weaver, Director of Mission Relationships and Witness, Church World
Service

Delegates say the visits underscored the view that, for many people, the
Middle East remains an unknown region, reduced to images of violence and
sound bites of discordant voices, without representation of people who have
been living out ecumenical and cross-cultural relationships for generations.

Church leaders visited by the delegation encouraged U.S. churches to promote
"citizen diplomacy" to reach across deep divides and establish human contact
and relationships.

"Many ecumenical efforts are pioneering in nature and have had a large
impact for the good on government programs. Dedicated volunteers in the
region are pouring themselves out in service to fellow Christians and to all
fellow citizens in need," reports United Methodist Church9s Day.

The delegation reports that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
recently elected new leadership: a new General Secretary and two members of
the four-person presidium. The delegation sought to confer with this new
leadership and other church leaders on the best strategies for ecumenical
diakonia and humanitarian cooperation, as well as to represent a U.S. stance
different from the administration9s.

The MECC leaders also called into question the priorities of governments and
philanthropies that could be doing more to address social and economic
problems.

McCullough said the delegation was dismayed to find high rates of illiteracy
in an internationally distinguished country such as Egypt. "The prominence
of geo-political issues in the Middle East," he said,  "should not distract
us from the urgent needs of people who are poor and disadvantaged."

  Region9s Muslim and Christian leaders object to Bush reference of U.S.
Crusade9

Both Muslim and Christian religious and political leaders objected to the
use of the word "crusade" by President Bush to describe the U.S.
intervention in the region, the CWS delegation reports.

To the people of the region, the Crusaders came as conquerors, and brought
death and destruction.	Although the Bush administration has attempted to
repair the damage caused by the decision to use this language, the continued
association of the Bush administration with prominent leaders of the U.S.
Christian right who have spoken against Islam has only served to reinforce
this impression, the CWS delegates found.

McCullough said the Middle East ecumenical leaders lamented that the Bush
administration has been "uninterested in dialogue, even with staunch friends
and allies, dismissing the knowledge of the people of the Middle East in
matters that affect them directly."

McCullough continued, "Many Muslim leaders are moderate and cooperate with
Christians in building good, civil relationships. Some are aware of the
greater sense of vulnerability that the minority Christian community feels
and we heard specific examples of government responsiveness to that
community.

"Creative programs of dialog, hospitality and collaboration are flourishing
between Christian and Muslim neighbors," he said,  "and we in the West can
learn a great deal from these forms of coexistence."

Rev. Dr. Marian McClure, Director, Worldwide Ministries Division,
Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly Council, was a member of last
week9s delegation. Noted McClure, "We found that Christians face deep
uncertainty about the future and their future place in many Middle Eastern
societies.

"Too often extremism rears its head and intimidates everyone," she said.
"For this reason and also because of the persistence of poverty, very large
numbers of Christian youths seize every opportunity to emigrate."

Popular Middle Eastern view of U.S. stance on Israel, Palestine endangers
Christians in the region

Leaders and officials in the Middle East understand and distinguish among
the different opinions that Christians have about situations in Israel and
Palestine and about the U.S. role in Iraq.  The delegation observed,
however, that Middle Eastern leaders made references to U.S. Christians who
are close to the U.S. government and press for giving unqualified support
for Israel regardless of the situation of innocent Palestinian people.

At the popular level, however, noted CWS9 McCullough, the U.S. government's
refusal to criticize and influence Israel on key points affecting
Palestinians' rights and welfare and related public statements by U.S.
officials have endangered Christians in the Middle East.

Many Muslims, the delegation found, assume that all Christians support U.S.
policies, including their Christian neighbors in the Middle East, and
especially including the Protestants among them.

Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox,
and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development,
disaster relief, and refugee assistance internationally. These forms of
Christian witness have been a hallmark of the ecumenical movement in the
Middle East for decades.

McCullough says that "Ecumenically, the churches have sought to bear witness
through an active presence that seeks the welfare of all in society, without
regard to religious belief and identity.  Ecumenical partners from around
the world have supported the churches in the region in
witness-through-presence.9"

The delegation, noting the harmful effects of the politics of fear, said
Christians embrace love, not fear, and will continue to work with partners
in the Middle East.

For a statement from the delegation, and for the delegation9s itinerary,
please use the contacts below.

		     ###

Contacts:Ann Walle, Church World Service, (212) 870-2654,
awalle@churchworldservice.org
Linda Bloom, United Methodist Church, 212 870-3803, lbloom@umcom.org
Jan Dragin, (secular press, 24/7), New York/Boston