English 13th of April, 2023

 

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

 13^th of April, 2023

 

This week Kumi Now will focus on the topic of administrative detention as it marks Palestinian Prisoner Day (17th April). The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem states: ‘Israel routinely uses administrative detention and has, over the years, placed thousands of Palestinians behind bars for periods ranging from several months to years, without charging them, without telling them what they are accused of or without disclosing the alleged evidence to them or to their lawyers.’

 

•   Lord, we pray for an end to the extreme and unjust Israeli policy of keeping  Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in military prisons, without charge or time limit. Lord, in your mercy..

 

Easter is the most important religious festival for Christians around the world.Palestinian Christians are commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in the Holy Land during this time. The Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations celebrated Easter on the 9th of April, following the Gregorian calendar. Many Eastern churches, including the Greek Orthodox Church, will celebrate Easter on the 16th of April, after the Julian Calendar. At this time Jewish worshippers celebrated Passover and Palestinian Muslims will be continuing to observe their holy month of Ramadan.

 

•   We echo the words of the Rev Sally Azer, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor from Jerusalem in the recent Kairos Alert, ‘We ask you, Lord, to look at every sufferer with mercy and love. On this day, we especially pray for our Palestinian people, Christians and Muslims. We are still searching for stability and peace, for justice and freedom. Grant us, O Lord, to look into the future with hope.’ Lord, in your mercy..

 

Israeli police clashed with Palestinians for the second time at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the 5th of April. These clashes broke out hours after the arrest and removal of 350 Palestinian Muslims by Israeli police. These confrontations at this highly sensitive time during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Jewish Passover triggered rocket attacks from Lebanon and Gaza. The Israeli military then carried out retaliatory airstrikes in both areas.

 

•   Lord, we pray for calm and restraint from the Israeli authorities and especially that the freedom of worship at all religious sites in Jerusalem would be respected and upheld. Lord, in your mercy ..

 

Palestinians were attacked by illegal Israeli settlers in the Nablus and Bethlehem governates on Friday, the 7th of April. Settlers attacked Palestinian-licensed cars in the Huwwara and the Furush Beit Dajan area, as well as setting fire to greenhouses owned by local Palestinians. Settlers sealed off the southern entrance to al-Khader town near Bethlehem so they could attack Palestinian cars.

 

•   Lord, we cry out to you we hear of more and more settler attacks on Palestinians and their property. These lawless acts of aggression appear to be carried out with impunity. We see violence and oppression in Israel and pray for the restoration of justice and righteousness. Lord, in your mercy..

 

 

This week more than thirty UN independent experts asked Mr Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, to send out an urgent mission to investigate possible Israeli war crimes in Palestine. They expressed their concern for ‘the pervasive impunity and ever-deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory owing to acts that may amount to widespread and systematic violations of international law.’

 

•   Lord, we pray that the United Nations will hold the Israeli government to account for breaches of international law and help them to establish a human rights based order to enable all residents of the Holy Land to live in justice and peace. Lord, in your mercy..

 

 

•   We join together with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Lord, in your mercy…