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["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

Palestinian Lutheran Bishop Says Military Power and Intervention
Do Not Heal the World

LWF Council Meeting, Wittenberg, Germany, 10-17 September 2002

Press Release No. 11

WITTENBERG, Germany/GENEVA, 14 September 2002 (LWI) * In spite of
the difficult situation in Israel/Palestine, Bishop Dr. Munib A.
Younan remains optimistic about a just and peaceful solution to
the conflict in his region. "No one situation is beyond healing. I
strongly believe the Middle East will be healed," says the head of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ).

"After September 11 [terrorist attacks on New York and Washington
D. C. last year] 'for the healing of the world' has shifted from
being seen as referring mainly to the South, but also to the
North," he says, referring to the 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly theme,
"For the Healing of the World." He points out that military power
and intervention do not heal the world. If we want to heal the
world we cannot accept the humanity of one people against that of
another people. We are created in the image of God, and for
healing to occur, we must see the image of God in the other."

Younan said the LWF assembly theme is very relevant in the current
global situation. He pointed out that although today's
technological information highway keeps people interconnected
worldwide, it "does not interconnect human beings. We live in a
broken world. The gap between rich and poor countries, between
rich and poor churches, is ever widening," he said.

He s proud of the peace education being taught in the five
ELCJ-operated schools. But for the first time, he was worried
about the start of a new school year as schools re-opened early
September. The 3,000-member ELCJ has congregations in Jerusalem,
Jordan and Palestine.

"Will the children come to school under these curfews?" he asked,
referring to Israeli-imposed restrictions on the movement of
Palestinians from their homes. "Can the parents pay the tuition?"
he asked, because of a 70 percent unemployment rate in the West
Bank. Around 3,000 children - 60 percent, Christian and 40 percent
Muslim * attend ELCJ schools.

Younan made these remarks September 12, when he addressed
reporters at this year's meeting of the Council of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) taking place in [Reformer Martin] Luther's
city of Wittenberg. There are about 240 participants in the
September 10-17 meeting, including 103 representatives from LWF
member churches, and an additional 140, who include LWF staff,
interpreters, stewards, press and invited guests. Younan sits on
the LWF-Council, the Federation's annual governing body,
comprising 49 church representatives.

The Middle East is engulfed in a political conflict that requires
a political solution, said Younan, espousing a two-state solution
- the state of Palestine living side by side with the state of
Israel. "We want security for Israel, but the security of Israel
is dependent on the freedom of the Palestinians."

"The issue of refugees must be solved. Jerusalem must be shared;
east Jerusalem can be the capital for the Palestinians and west
Jerusalem can be the capital for Israelis, with open borders. A
solution must be found for the settlements, and water must be
shared equally," he said.

"Although this conflict is not religious," said Younan, "it is the
duty of the church, mosque and synagogue to teach peace with one
voice." He said, "It is very essential that the church is a
catalyst of just peace, that the church is a minister of
reconciliation and that the hurch is a defender of human rights.
We are trying to be apostles of love in our area." The ELCJ works
with other Christian churches in and around Jerusalem to promote
conversations among Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Younan told reporters there are Israeli and Palestinian peace
movements. "It is your duty," he said, "to make the voice of those
who are working for peace much stronger. Usually the mass media
are interested when two are fighting or when there is bloodshed,
but not interested when people are building peace. You must hear
our voice when we are building peace in these situations."

Staff of the LWF Office for Communication Services at the Council
meeting can be contacted at German mobile telephone No., +49-(0)
170-8345 177.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 133 member churches in 73 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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