Sabeel Wave of Prayer
June 2nd 2022
The Global Day of Parents was observed by the
UN on Wednesday, the 1st of June. On this day many Palestinian parents will be
thinking of their children caught up in the Israeli military court system or
grieving for those shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. Sabeel will be hosting
the Parents’ Circle, an organization which draws together Palestinian and
Israeli bereaved families and which recently addressed the UN Security Council,
(26.5.22)
Next week Kumi Now will be focusing on the
devastation wreaked on Palestinian land by the Israeli occupation, as we mark
‘World Environment Day’ on Sunday, the 5th of June.
•
Our God, our Creator, we cry out to you as we
see the damage done to the Palestinian land and her people under the Israeli
occupation. We pray for justice and peace for all people living in the Holy
Land and for the restoration of the polluted environment there. Lord, in your
mercy..
The death of Rosemary Radford Ruether was
announced on the 21st of May. She was an outspoken theologian whose writings
focused on feminist theology, as well as liberation theology, particularly in
Latin America and Palestine.
•
Lord, we give thanks for the life and work of
Rosemary and pray for her family as they grieve her loss. We are especially
thankful for her many years of support for Sabeel and for her advocacy for
justice for the Palestinian people. Lord, in your mercy..
Global Kairos for Asia Pacific Palestinian
Solidarity has just published its closing statement summarizing contributions
from their recent four day conference, (April 27-30th), based in Taiwan. The
group has supporters in more than 21 countries in the Asia/Pacific area and
they came together to consider the struggles of different groups of
marginalized people and how they could be inspired by the non-violent
resistance of the Palestinians living under occupation.
•
‘Lord, you work righteousness and justice for
all who are oppressed,’,(Psalm 103:6). Strengthen us, Lord, and continue to
give hope to those facing seemingly hopeless situations, living under regimes
intent on depriving them of the right to life, land and livelihood. Lord, in
your mercy…
The US State Department has just removed the
ultra-nationalist Israeli group known as ‘Kahane Chai’ or ‘Kach’ from its list
of foreign terrorist organizations. The founder of the group, Meir Kahane used
to advocate openly for Palestinians to be expelled from their homeland. His
followers continue to carry out violent attacks.
•
Lord, we pray that civil authorities in the US
and around the world will continue to monitor and proscribe groups focused on
the unleashing of hatred and racism. Lord, in your mercy..
A CNN investigation published on Tuesday, the
24th of May, suggested that Palestinian American journalist Shereen Abu Aqleh
was killed by targeted Israeli fire. The investigation was based on eleven
videos of the incident and eight eye-witness testimonies. The witnesses have
discounted the Israeli military claim that there was ‘widespread and
uncontrolled gunfire‘ in the area at the time the reporter was shot.
•
Lord, we pray that the international community
will carry out a full investigation into Shereen’s killing, that the full
circumstances will be established and that any perpetrators of violence will be
held to account. Lord, in your mercy…
On Saturday, the 21st of May, Nooran Alhamdan,
a Palestinian-American student at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
refused to shake hands with the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, at her
graduation ceremony. She explained that this was in protest against the US
support of Israel. Nooran and her classmates carried posters which commemorated
Shereen Abu Aqleh, as they went to collect their certificates.
•
Lord, we give thanks for the courage of young
Palestinians living in the diaspora who continue to raise their voices in
non-violent protest against the violence perpetrated against Palestinians
living under Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy…
The Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions,
(ICHAD), continues to monitor and record the number of Palestinian homes, as
well as essential structures needed for maintaining livelihood such as barns,
cisterns, fencing, which are demolished by the Israeli authorities. There has
been an increase in the number of demolitions carried out recently in urban
areas, such as in East Jerusalem as well as in more rural areas such as
the Jordan Valley and in the Salfit area in Palestine.
•
Lord, we pray that international governments
and organizations will challenge the land clearance and the demolition of
Palestinian homes and property being carried out with such rapacity by the
Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy…
•
We join with the World Council of Churches in
their prayers for the countries of Angola and Mozambique. Lord, in your mercy…
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