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MIDEAST CHURCH LEADERS URGE IMMEDIATE INT'L SUPPORT FOR IRAQ
Jordan Times , Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
June 22, 2014 Sunday
June 22--AMMAN -- Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC) have warned of the "deteriorating situation" in Iraq, calling
for immediate international measures to support the Iraqi people.
"The people of Iraq are at risk of being dominated by political and
religious extremism, a fact that calls upon us and the whole world to
raise awareness and take immediate measures," the presidents said in
a statement released after an emergency meeting in Amman last Thursday.
The leaders of the MECC condemned all forms of violence against
churches, mosques and other religious institutions, encouraging "all
Christians and people of goodwill to stand strong and not be afraid
and to remember that they, together with their Muslim brothers and
sisters, are the children of the same land and all share a common
human nature and destiny".
"Therefore, we must respect and support one another as brothers and
sisters," they said.
The statement was released after a meeting called for by MECC Secretary
General Michel Jalakh and hosted by Theophilos III, patriarch of
Jerusalem and president of the Eastern Orthodox family.
The meeting gathered MECC co-presidents Ignatius Youssef III Younan,
patriarch of Antioch for the Syriac Catholic Church and president of
the Catholic family; Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and president of the Evangelical
family; and Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the
Armenian Apostolic Church and president of the Oriental Orthodox
family.
Pastor Habib Badr, president of the National Evangelical Church of
Beirut and honorary treasurer of MECC, also attended the meeting.
The presidents, who voiced appreciation for His Majesty King Abdullah's
support and advocacy for the Christian presence in the Kingdom,
expressed their solidarity with refugees.
"The presidents stand in compassion and prayer for all those in exile,
displaced in Syria and in neighbouring countries. We call upon all
concerned parties to seek reconciliation without racial or religious
discrimination," they said in the statement.
"We call to release the two kidnapped archbishops, Boulos Yaziji and
Yuhanna Ibrahim, in addition to all kidnapped priests and innocent
people," they added.
"Furthermore, the presidents of MECC... call upon peacemakers in the
entire international community, to defend the dignity and rights of
all humans as well as freedom of religious expression, to quickly
and effectively interfere in order to help our people be liberated
from the dreadful spiral of hatred and violence," the statement said.
"We strongly condemn all forms of violence, regardless of who is
the perpetrator, while simultaneously praying for peace, justice
and reconciliation. We extend these prayers all over the world,
but especially for all people of the Holy Land, to pursue peace,
so that Jerusalem may be a beacon of peace throughout the world."
Jordan Times , Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
June 22, 2014 Sunday
June 22--AMMAN -- Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC) have warned of the "deteriorating situation" in Iraq, calling
for immediate international measures to support the Iraqi people.
"The people of Iraq are at risk of being dominated by political and
religious extremism, a fact that calls upon us and the whole world to
raise awareness and take immediate measures," the presidents said in
a statement released after an emergency meeting in Amman last Thursday.
The leaders of the MECC condemned all forms of violence against
churches, mosques and other religious institutions, encouraging "all
Christians and people of goodwill to stand strong and not be afraid
and to remember that they, together with their Muslim brothers and
sisters, are the children of the same land and all share a common
human nature and destiny".
"Therefore, we must respect and support one another as brothers and
sisters," they said.
The statement was released after a meeting called for by MECC Secretary
General Michel Jalakh and hosted by Theophilos III, patriarch of
Jerusalem and president of the Eastern Orthodox family.
The meeting gathered MECC co-presidents Ignatius Youssef III Younan,
patriarch of Antioch for the Syriac Catholic Church and president of
the Catholic family; Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and president of the Evangelical
family; and Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the
Armenian Apostolic Church and president of the Oriental Orthodox
family.
Pastor Habib Badr, president of the National Evangelical Church of
Beirut and honorary treasurer of MECC, also attended the meeting.
The presidents, who voiced appreciation for His Majesty King Abdullah's
support and advocacy for the Christian presence in the Kingdom,
expressed their solidarity with refugees.
"The presidents stand in compassion and prayer for all those in exile,
displaced in Syria and in neighbouring countries. We call upon all
concerned parties to seek reconciliation without racial or religious
discrimination," they said in the statement.
"We call to release the two kidnapped archbishops, Boulos Yaziji and
Yuhanna Ibrahim, in addition to all kidnapped priests and innocent
people," they added.
"Furthermore, the presidents of MECC... call upon peacemakers in the
entire international community, to defend the dignity and rights of
all humans as well as freedom of religious expression, to quickly
and effectively interfere in order to help our people be liberated
from the dreadful spiral of hatred and violence," the statement said.
"We strongly condemn all forms of violence, regardless of who is
the perpetrator, while simultaneously praying for peace, justice
and reconciliation. We extend these prayers all over the world,
but especially for all people of the Holy Land, to pursue peace,
so that Jerusalem may be a beacon of peace throughout the world."