PLO Mission
Washington, DC
May 2, 2008
Subject: Measures taken by Israel during the Easter celebrations
From: Issa Kasseissieh
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 5:14 PM
To:
Subject: Measures taken by Israel during the Easter celebrations
Importance: High
Dear all,
Please find attached statements issued by different local Christian organizations, including a statement by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, on the measures taken by Israel during the Orthodox Easter celebrations in the Old City of Jerusalem, where Christians were harassed, singled out and prevented from worshiping freely in violation of the Status Quo law that has existed for hundreds of years. These Israeli measures are also a violation of the basic human rights for freedom of worship.
We at the Presidential Committee for Christian Affairs calls upon you to use your good offices to intervene immediately and convey a message to the Israeli authorities that such measures are unacceptable, and freedom of worship must be guaranteed to all and that the Status Quo must be respected.
Please note that earlier the Presidential Committee for Christian Affairs issued a statement cautioning of the impeding harassment of Christians by the Israeli authorities- this statement was issued on April 24th and published in the local media
Best regards,
Issa Kassissieh
Rapporteur of the Presidential Committee for Christian Affairs
Office of the President
And the release:-
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Arab Orthodox Institutes in East Jerusalem
April 27th, 2008
Arab Orthodox Institutes in East Jerusalem Denounce & Condemn Israeli Measures on Holy Saturday
Arab Orthodox institutes in East Jerusalem denounced and condemned the Israeli measures on Holy Saturday, one of the holiest days for Christians.
The institutes wrote in a special communiqué issued yesterday, "The Israeli police forces denied believers from the Arab Orthodox congregation access to the Church of Holy Sepulcher to perform their religious duties. This violates basic human rights of religious freedom and rights."
The communiqué added, "The Israeli police used stringent force and physically assaulted civilian worshippers with clubs and fists. In addition, the Israeli forces arrested a number of Christian civilians and prevented them from reaching holy places."
The Arab Orthodox institutes called on heads of local Churches in Jerusalem, particularly his Eminence the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in the holy city, to take urgent steps to protect the right of Jerusalemite Christians in performing religious duties in peace and security, far from military checkpoints that deny them access to holy places in Jerusalem.
In addition, the institutes called on the diplomatic missions, Christian organizations and human rights institutions to intervene and put an end to the Israeli human rights violations in the Holy Land.
-End
Contact:
Adv. Nabil Mushahwar
Head of the Orthodox Club in Jerusalem
Mobile: +972 (0)505 365071
Mr. Hanna Karkar
St. Jacobs Orthodox Cathedral in Jerusalem
Mobile: +972 (0)544 546349
Does anyone think I'd be aided in my problem of religious freedom vis a vis the Temple Mount?
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1 comment:
And while I was also not happy at the huge number of police & border police in the Old City on the day of the Ceremony of the Holy Fire (the last Shabbat of Pesach as well), IF there had been no or too few police and security personnel around and someone had been beaten to death in a fight between different Christian groups or been trampled to death in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre because too many people tried to get in, Israel would have been criticized for NOT providing enough security...
We are, of course, damed if we do and damed if we don't. As long as we're going to be damned by the world anyway, why don't we just ignore all this and get on with life.
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