faithactionreconciliation

It's a manchild.
Congratulations to Jonny & Jenn on the arrival of J.J.

Hmmmm, hope I'm not breaking copyright laws by posting this letter by Jim Rice, an editor with Soujourners. Click on the title to go to their wonderful site, and sign up for weekly insights into faith & politics.



The new war in the Middle East
by Jim Rice

What is the proper, appropriate response of a nation to violent attacks by terrorists or other radical extremists? We have seen one model illustrated in the response of the British government to last year's attacks on London's public transportation system, in which 52 people were killed and 700 injured. The British rightly understood the attacks as terrorist acts, but responded in a measured manner, dealing both with the investigation of the terrible crime and the need for enhanced security in its wake. Pointedly, the British did not opt for a military response to these acts of terror.

We have also, of course, seen an altogether different model of response, perhaps most clearly exemplified by the U.S. invasion of two countries - one of which was an actual source of the terror - following the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001.

Unfortunately, it seems to be in the latter spirit that Israel responded to terror attacks in the past fortnight. Provoked by the Hamas kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Israel not only invaded the northern Gaza Strip but also destroyed a significant portion of Gaza's infrastructure, including airstrikes against Gaza's power grid.

Likewise, days later, when the Syrian-backed terror group Hezbollah seized the opportunity to raid northern Israel and capture two Israeli soldiers, Israel responded with a massive attack on Lebanon's civilian structures, from the Beirut airport to a dairy factory, civilian buses, bridges, power stations, and medical facilities, according to reports. Hezbollah responded by firing hundreds of rockets a day - more-modern, longer-range rockets than in the past - aimed intentionally at neighborhoods in Haifa and other Israeli cities. The result, not surprisingly, has been the death of many civilians on all sides.

The situation is clearly complicated by the role of Hezbollah as a part of the coalition government of Lebanon, which seems unable or unwilling (probably both) to disarm Hezbollah, which effectively controls the southern part of the country. The new warfare in the Middle East is also made worse by the sinister political manipulations of both Syria and Iran, who seek to increase their own power in the region no matter the human cost.

But Israel's use of military attacks in response to acts of terror raises many questions. The most important, perhaps, revolves around the issue of legitimate self defense vs. collective punishment. Israel is indeed surrounded by sworn enemies, including many who are demonstrably willing to violently destroy Israel. But does the real need for security justify the massively disproportionate response to an act of terror? Is the collective punishment of an entire population ever morally and ethically justified? As Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State, put it in statement July 14, "The Holy See condemns both the terrorist attacks on the one side and the military reprisals on the other," stating that Israel's right to self-defense "does not exempt it from respecting the norms of international law, especially as regards the protection of civilian populations." The statement said further, "In particular, the Holy See deplores the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation."

Even apart from the ethical questions raised by Israel's massive retaliation, there are significant issues of efficacy: Does it work? Is Israel made more secure by a militarized approach? Israel has destroyed 42 bridges in Lebanon this week, along with 38 roads, communications equipment, factories, runways and fuel depots at the Beirut airport, and the main ports of Beirut and Tripoli. And along with the material devastation, the attacks constitute a terrible, possibly even fatal, threat to Lebanon's fragile and fledgling democracy.

Does the destruction of much of Lebanon's civilian infrastructure, so painstakingly rebuilt after years of civil war and occupation by both Israeli and Syrian forces, bode well for future peace between the neighboring states? In sum, will the Israeli attacks bring long-term security for Israel, or will they further ensure that the next generation of Lebanese and Palestinians - across the theological and political spectrum - grow up with an undying hatred in their hearts?

The violence of Hezbollah and Hamas should be unequivocally condemned and opposed. It cannot be ignored or underestimated that the two terrorist organizations have as their goal the eradication of Israel. However, much U.S. media coverage of this new Middle East war paints a misleading picture of a tit-for-tat equivalency between the two sides: Hezbollah explodes a bomb in Israel, Israel responds in kind. While their intentions are indeed malevolent, the two terrorist groups have nowhere near the military capability of Israel, which wields one of the most powerful military forces in the world (with the aid, of course, of more than $3 billion per year from the United States). The death toll in Lebanon in the first six days of the war has been tenfold that in Israel - according to The New York Times, 310 people, most of them civilians, have died in Lebanon while Israel has suffered 27 casualties, 15 of them civilians, since Israel began its attacks. (Similarly, 4,064 Palestinians and 1,084 Israelis have been killed since Sept. 29, 2000, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the Israel Defense Forces, respectively.

One of the most difficult aspects of trying to be a peacemaker in the Middle East context is the "separation wall" of understanding between the two peoples. The very definition of what is happening is understood in vastly different ways by the two sides. Supporters of Israel see the country attacked by its sworn enemies, and see in its response a necessary and justified act of national self-defense. Others see the region's most powerful military force (supported by the world's most powerful military force) illegally occupying Palestinian land and engaging in massive, disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians.

As Christians committed to the cause of peace, our role is not to "take sides" in the struggle, in the traditional sense, but rather to constantly stand for the "side" of a just and secure peace. We can ignore neither the horror of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians (including direct attacks on school children) nor the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories (with all its "collateral damage" to Palestinian children). We must have the vision and courage to stand against the acts of violence by terrorist organizations, as well as the massive state violence by the region's military superpower, while avoiding the trap of positing a false "equivalency" between actions that are not equal.

We cannot allow ourselves to be paralyzed by the political, strategic, and moral complexity of the situation to stand back and do nothing. A first step toward a more comprehensive resolution is an immediate operational cease-fire. But that must be followed by a new way of thinking because, as a U.N. official put it yesterday, "The Middle East is littered with the results of people believing there are military solutions to political problems in the region."

Jim Rice is editor of Sojourners magazine.

A few things that can be done:

Be consistent in denouncing the violence of both sides - especially when it is deliberately aimed at civilians (or targets where great civilian "collateral damage" will be the result).

Pray for the emergence of new political leadership on both sides - both of which seem bereft of creative, courageous, moral, or even pragmatic leadership.

Challenge any religious voices that seem utterly one-sided, completely neglecting the suffering and legitimate grievances of both sides.

Pray for new ways for Christians and our churches to join our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters in finding real and practical solutions for a just peace in the Middle East where two states can live with security and democracy.

And pray for better solutions than endless war to solve the real threats of terrorism in our world, because if we fail, all of our children will be at risk.

So the empty peaceful lot across the street is growing into a big tourist attraction. The bonfire is reaching nearly the clouds as the "black cab" tours pull up in front of it and the surrounding murals and their sort-of-nervous tourists inside listen to their taxi driver tell of the old tales. Maybe some not so old. I can't say I understand my own feelings at the sight of the tourists. Is it a little like paying to see a traffic accident? Similar to finding fascination (there is a natural draw) to something that is so damaging and destructing? Am I feeling a sort of defensiveness toward this neighborhood now? Like the double decker sight-seeing buses are actually invading my personal space, as well as that of those who have raised their families on this road? I am asking God, what is my connection to this place, and is it possible to feel a belonging here?

O, Bless the tourists.

Because in a sense, I am one too. I'm just one with "missionary" stamped on my passport, and perhaps on my heart. The process God has me on at the moment has me thinking, in general, about value. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"-sort of thinking. I've also heard or read somewhere along the line that you show how you value you something by how much time you give it/him/her/them (is that from Purpose Driven Life?).
What do I value? What hurts my feelings? What part of my heart is close to God's heart? (Do we agree that the pain that takes place here is too much and unfair?)

For instance, yesterday I was walking over to a staff member's flat to watch a movie (instead of the World Cup...I'm such a girl...) and I ran into 2 young boys that I have known for nearly four years now, and they were around during this past week when StreetReach was on. Some neighborhood moms might be tempted to call these 2 boys naughty. I certainly have on occassion. Last night, though, they seemed cordial and willing to chat. I should make note here that I was carrying my purse, a bag of crocheting materials, and a bag of movies. I should also note that the two boys were each holding a full bottle of 2 liter soda. Really...what was I thinking?

We did actually have a lovely chat, about StreetReach, and the StreetReacher girl volunteers that they had little crushes on. Out of the blue, one of them started to shake their bottle. My head told me to run, but my heart told me to just wait, that surely after our nice talk (and 4 years of invested love) he wouldn't think of...

...he opened the lid and fizz like lava poured out of the bottle. Where was my reasoning at this point? He shook the bottle in my direction with a grin--instead of sprinting, with all the grace I could muster, I sort of fell off the curb. Rising to the sinister little laughs of my 2nd grace bullies, I left them with a weak interpretation of discipline..."That's enough guys, that's enough..." And I hobbled off with a skinned knee and a very bruised missionary ego.

But I value them, don't I?, because they were able to hurt me. And there's the lesson for us--to allow ourselves to be hurt by those we value. The experience is valuable if I can then show at least a pinch of God's grace to them. (Let me insert here, before I become a complete victim, that I have been on the giving end of hurt, recently, and have learned that it's those whom I value the most, receive the brunt of my hurting words and attitudes. Where is the sense in this, I know not. The shame, however, is enormous when I realize the ability I have to hurt.)
Have you ever been somewhere, like a summer little league game or a camping trip, where one moment the sun is shining and you're stripping down layers because of the heat, and the next moment your sweat turns to chills and clouds have appeared from nowhere? And the atmosphere is changing everything--how you dress, how you relate, what equipment you use, how you communicate, what you communicate.

The atmosphere on the Shankill Road (and I can assume other high-tension areas of Belfast) coming up to July 12th is thick with despair and hurt. It's like a change in the physical weather, it changes everything, and can't go unnoticed. Call it what you like, it's creepy. We were driving home the other day and turned onto the Shankill and I noticed the slight turn in my gut. Red white and blue flags are strung zig-zagged up the street, along with flapping Union Jacks and painted curbs. While it could seem to be a holiday that encourages community togetherness, I see it as a holiday that drives people to huddle around a flag pole. But they're nothing like confident. Their knees are knocking because they're so scared, wondering what would happen if someone took their flag.

Was walking up the road to do a bit of grocery shopping the other day with a neighbor/friend who is pregnant. We ran into another woman, holding her newborn, and my friend commented that her baby must have come early. The new mom said that yes, the baby came 2 weeks early, "Thank f***." Sorry for the nasty expletive...just thought that comment, about brand new life, says something for what is valued (or not) here. I pray for that baby who is born into a world of bonfires and parents thankful to an four-letter word for her arrival. May there one day be much more to offer her.

Here's a blog I wrote about July 11th of this year. Interesting day.....

--mikey

July 11th 2006

As I sit here at the computer, I'm go over my day in my mind. It's 1:02 a.m. ....... how i can get to sleep after today. Waking up this morning I wasn't sure what the day would bring. I felt tired, and sort of a weight on my chest, the same feeling I had when I was in India. Not that I was sick or anything, just the feeling that something wasn't right......... The day started off with some coffee, shower and cleaning the room. I'm currently living on the third floor of an extension to an old Presbyterian Church that's right across a youth drop-in centre for Protestants. The Peace Wall Starts with the Church, followed by a small factory and continuing on as an actually 40 ft. high wall.
I was in my room when I heard the yelling......a few neighbourhood girls where waiting to get into the centre when some 'Tags' started throwing the rocks. (A 'Tag' here, for lack of a better word, is what the Protestants call all of the Catholics. Wandering around the streets of the British side here you might see some graffiti saying, 'KAT' or 'Kill All Tags' or the 'FPSNI' meaning 'F*$% the Police Service of Northern Ireland') So I looked out my window and some kids, ages around 15 or so, climbed over the factory from the Catholic side and were standing on top of the roof, pelting any non-catholic they could see. A fist-size rock was thrown at the girls and missed. The next one smashed the glass door to the centre. The next one.......the girl was in the hospital this afternoon having to get staples put into the right side of her forehead just above the eye..........I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Could this really be happening? I mean.....these were just......kids.... The girls ran inside the centre, and the other kids ran off. For the rest of the day I had to walk close to the Factory wall just in case any 'Tags' were there. What an awful way to discriminate.
I knew what was going to happen later on this night, I just wasn't really....prepared. The pile of wood was built even higher then it was yesterday, reaching approx. 40 feet now. Just high enough so the 'other side' could see the flames. On top, rested the Irish flag blowing in the wind. Around 10 p.m. the crowd started gathering and the marching bands came in......the alcohol was poured and the 'party' commenced. Crowds came in masses, waving their flags, singing their songs as they all waited for the clock to strike 12. I felt like I was waiting out the New Year.....in the Bronx.
At 12 the fire was lit and the people cheered. The wood burned and they were happy. By the time the flames reached the top, the heat coming from the fire was to unbearable to be on the same block as it, so the people had to cross the street and stand back. You could hear the crowd yelling and singing but as soon as the Irish Flag caught to flames, the whole area shouted as loud as they could. The bottles were thrown, the Irish were cursed, the people were happy.
Even as I write this I know that the street is stilled filled with the Shankill residences, singing their hearts out as their own personal revolutions are taking place...one wooden crate at a time.
Tomorrow is the 12th. The day of Celebration and as many Parades as you can count. I'm happy to stay in doors and continue as usual. Write a few e-mails, do some computer work, plan our up coming dates...... But does any of it do any good? Does our weekly class about Forgiveness and Reconciliation, taught to the school kids, really do any good when there are massive fires to remember times of segregation and war? Would it help if we had a march, a fire, a cheer? I'm sure in my life I've built my own bon-fires, my own walls, my own standards of what makes a person 'worthy' to be part of my life and what deems them...not. I wonder if I had a fire, which flag would I put on top? Which would I want to burn?
Christ calls us to love our enemy. To pray for those who persecute us. I'm not saying that I favour either side in this on going generational battle. All I'm saying is that we don't have it right. Stop, stop for one moment and listen to what your heart is saying. Do you feel it too? Do you feel that weight that just screams, "Something's Not Right!" "Injustice Is Being Caused" "People Are Hurting!"
As I walked home tonight all I could think of is a simple prayer....
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
--St. Francis