Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Despite closures throughout Palestine, we are trying hard to continue our work and we are using social media platforms to ensure that our important meetings are not interrupted.
On March 1st, I spoke with clergy from the Islamic, Christian and Samaritan religions in Palestine, about our duty to continue meetings under these circumstances.
They were very enthusiastic and told me, “Let us do it tomorrow, Mohammed!”
I did not want to minimize their resolve or enthusiasm by postponing. So, after speaking to brother Ihab Youssef Al-Sameri from the Samaritan community in Jabal Al-Tur, Father Firas Diab, and Sheikh Ghaleb Awatleh, I started calling friends and peacemakers from various Palestinian cities to invite them to a meeting.
Everyone was so enthusiastic. They wanted the meeting to start now!
I stayed up until dawn inviting 27 people to the meeting then I went to sleep for a few hours.
Many people in Palestine do not have access to internet or computers, and they must rely on cell phones to communicate, and most people do not know how to use social networking programs like Zoom, so, this meeting for the Abrahamic Reunion was their first opportunity to use this technology.
At five o’clock on March 2nd I picked up Sheikh Ghalib Awlahleh and brought him to my house so he could use Zoom.
An hour later these participants began joining the meeting:
1- Ihab Youssef Al-Sameri: from the Samaritan community
2- Sheikh Ghalib Awatl the Imam of Jericho
3- Father Firas Diab: The Greek Orthodox Catholic Priest from of Zababdeh
Fifteen additional people were also able to join, and the rest were unable to join due to technical difficulties. Since this first Zoom meeting was technically complicated for many participants, everyone decided to have another meeting next week, and we are sure that meeting will be a huge and successful meeting!
We started by welcoming everyone and introducing ourselves. Then I invited Ihab Al-Samri to give a speech.
He said:
We hoped that this meeting would be on the ground, but due to the circumstances we are going through with this deadly disease, which came upon us as an unwanted guest at the beginning of the year, I want to thank you all for coming, and I want to thank Mohamed Jamous for this initiative, so we can talk about this very important topic, which is the coexistence between all religions.
Palestine has always been a model for peaceful coexistence, which is the only way to communicate. These circumstances have demonstrated that all religions in Palestine are equal.
Through our meetings and speeches, we have always emphasized the importance of love, unity and brotherhood between the Samaritan, Druze, Muslim, and Christian communities. The Torah mentions love and brotherhood in many of its verses.
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
Other verses also urge cooperation and respect for others “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land, the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward them.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
All of the verses mentioned in the Torah that urge love, brotherhood and peace, and the preservation of rights for the brother, the neighbor, and the poor who live on this land, do not specify whether it was a Samaritan, a Christian, or a Muslim.
Which means if you live on this land, you have to respect everyone who lives on it. Just as you have the right to live on this land, the other also has the right to live on it.
And if I want to talk about the relationship of the Samaritans with the people of the other divine religions, I will not speak from the religious side, but I will speak from the human side; What I do know about the Christian or the Muslim is that he is a compassionate, person.
God created him, as he created me, and therefore I do not see the Christian, or the Muslim with an eye of enmity or hatred, whose beliefs I disagree with, but rather with the eye of love, brotherhood, mercy and respect.
There are many passages in the Bible that speak of love and forgiveness for the other, and there is a verse from the Christian tradition, which says, “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely, if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.”
And if we also move to Islam, we will also find that the Qur’an urges coexistence, contiguity and respect for the other. In the Noble Qur’an, God Almighty says, “
O people! We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. [16] Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware. – 49:13 (Asad)
In this verse there is an invitation to know one another, which requires coexistence with the other, and according to this noble verse, God does not prefer anyone over another.
And we must always live in love and recognize our differences, because the Lord of all the worlds made us as different. We must respect each other and face every challenge that comes to us. And in the end, I would like to say that I always make sure that I am involved in these meetings so I can convey the point of view of the Samaritans.
So, I thank you very much for this meeting, and I am very proud of Mohamad Jamous for arranging these online meetings and I am more than happy to have you all with us today through this screen, and I hope that we will all meet again after this crisis!
After Ihab finished delivering his wonderful and important speech, I invited Sheikh Ghalib Awatleh to deliver his speech, and he said:
Welcome all of you, it is a happy opportunity to meet you today through this screen, given the difficult circumstances, and the inability to meet together face to face.
I want to start my speech by saying that the effort to share ideas and opinions together is an order that is required at all times.
And this modern means of communication through the internet, which enables this beautiful online meeting today will enable us to have constructive communication between the followers of the different religions.
Faith in God is the common denominator between the three monotheistic religions and the media must play a primary role in eliminating the fears that lead to violence and intolerance. Social communication between human beings, and societies is an imperative for the permanence of human life,
Social communication is supported by heavenly laws, and international laws, and charters that are issued to protect global and local human rights.
Social communication preserves the architecture of the earth under the banner of security and peace.
Islam is a doctrine, and it is the mission and moral belief of Muslims to achieve this communication.
Today, during these difficult circumstances that prevent us from meeting each other on the ground, I hope that these meetings through the Internet succeed, because now they are the only outlet, and it is important that these meetings not be interrupted at a time when there is incitement against the other, we must take advantage of this outlet to secure a safe future for future generations.
So, I thank you all for inviting me today and I thank Mohamed Jamous, for his continuous effort to keep love and cooperation alive between all people.
After the sheikh spoke, I invited the priest, Firas Diab, to deliver his speech and he said:
In the beginning, I would like to introduce myself as a Palestinian serving all human beings in these countries. If a human is a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, or a Samaritan, then he is, in my view, a human created in the image of God.
I understand my identity, I am Palestinian first, and an Arab second, and a Christian third.
I am very happy that the Holy Bible and the messages of Paul express love for others, so through the worship of God we enter the same level of respect for every human being.
The Holy Bible says that if you can love God who you do not see, how can you not love the people that you can see.
Our message is a message of love and forgiveness.
Today the citizens of our country live in special conditions created by a dangerous disease that has spread to all countries, and we ask ourselves what is the cause of this disease?
Is it a human-made evil all over the world?
But our tongue is saying: O Lord, have mercy, evil exists everywhere, and the eradication of this evil lies in our union, cooperation, and the love that lies between us as Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Druze!
Our holy land is beautiful, but by joining us all, it will be more beautiful, God willing.
I stress the continuation of our meetings via the Internet during this period, and I hope that we will hold many meetings and invite as many people as possible so that we can think together how to enhance trust, love and cooperation between us.
We will continue our work, and our meetings because our sacred lands deserve to live in peace, freedom and justice. Thank you all!
After the speech of Father Diab, some of the participants, including “Abdel-Maghribi”, a university student from the city of Jericho, who is now studying in northern Italy, prayed for the end of this epidemic and the achievement of peace on earth.
Then Jeries Awwad, the patron of the Latin Church in Bethlehem, read a small prayer to end the current crisis.
Finally, I invited Lina Giraldoa from the State of Colombia to speak. I met Lina when I was working in the Dead Sea region a year ago. And I had I told her about my work as a peace maker and about the meetings that I do monthly for the Abrahamic Reunion.
She liked our work very much, and I promised her at that time that I would invite her to share her voice with us one day.
And today, Lina got her beautiful opportunity, and she read a short prayer for us to achieve peace on Earth.
After nearly an hour and a half, everyone finished sharing, and I thanked everyone for their time, and invited them to our meeting next week. God willing!!
photos and short Video : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-voRPnZFJMg0CHsFkQKxHJCbNLK6xOuq
