Speech of His Excellency Bishop Atallah Hanna: During his participation in a Zoom symposium attended by representatives of American churches.
Prepared and followed up by: Ruba Youssef Shaheen
(We call on the Christian churches in America to raise their voices loudly calling for an end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon)
His Bishop Atallah Hanna (Archbishop of Sebastia) Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Occupied Alquds. spoke:
I address the Christian churches in America on the necessity of working and raising their voices loudly in demanding an end to the war of extermination that our people are being subjected to in Gaza
As well as the aggression that Lebanon is being subjected to.
His Excellency Bishop Atallah Hanna said:
As I address you from the city of Jerusalem, the cradle of the most important Christian sanctities, especially the Church of the Resurrection and the Holy Sepulcher, where the light of life dawned.
I hope you pay attention to Palestine, which is bleeding, and to the targeted and violated city of Alquds, this holy city in the three monotheistic religions, which is supposed to be a city of peace, but its reality today does not indicate that due to the occupation’s measures and unjust practices against our people.
As for today, and in these difficult times that our Palestinian people are living, our basic demand is for the war to stop.
The people of Gaza deserve life and do not deserve to be treated with such cruelty as if they are sentenced to death by bombing or starvation, not to mention the comprehensive destruction that has befallen the sector, which has already been under siege for decades.
What is the fault of civilians, especially children, that they should pay the price of this war?
We remind you that the Holy Bible urges us to live in joy with the joyful and to live in pain with the pained.
Since there are brothers of ours who are suffering in Gaza and Lebanon, it is our duty to be by their side, to pray and call for their safety, and to raise our voices loudly demanding an end to this war.
Do not be afraid to say the truth even if it angers the tyrants of this world and we ask you to appeal to the newly elected American president to work to stop this bleeding.
This catastrophe must not continue and continue as an entire people is paying a heavy price for a dirty war and all wars are dirty and are absolutely evil and we reject wars and we reject targeting civilians as these are our principles and these are our values.
We ask the Christian churches in America to unite in calling for justice and stopping the war and ending the suffering of our people.
Raise your voice loudly in defense of the oppressed, the suffering, the hungry and the sick in Gaza as well as in Lebanon.
This Levant has been exposed to many wars and the peoples of this Levant have suffered from these wars and therefore it is time for this Levant to enjoy peace and resolving the Palestinian issue is the key to peace.
Therefore, when you talk about peace, emphasize the concept of justice and redress for the oppressed and our Palestinian people have been exposed to historical injustice and they deserve life, freedom, dignity and liberation from occupation.
His Excellency Bishop Atallah Hanna also spoke about: :
The city of Alquds and the targeted attempts to marginalize the Palestinian Christian and Islamic presence. His Excellency also answered a number of questions and inquiries.
His Excellency’s speech came during his participation in a Zoom symposium attended by representatives of American churches, where he addressed the participants directly from Alquds.
