Posted on 12/05/2005 4:09:18 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
In a letter to presbyteries and synods, Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick contends that a Presbyterian delegation that met recently with Hezbollah, a terrorist group, was not sanctioned by the Presbyterian Church (USA).
"We have been in contact with the leaders of the trip and have learned that it was not a delegation representing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but rather a study trip for individuals, under the auspices of the Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery," Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick did not mention that Nuhad Tomeh, the regional liaison of the PCUSA for Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and the Gulf, helped arrange the meeting. Tomeh is the associate general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. The Jewish Russian Telegraph describes Tomeh as the "Presbyterian Church (USA) ambassador to Hezbollah."
Meanwhile, Jewish groups intensified their criticism of the continuing meetings between Hezbollah and Presbyterian groups.
"It is unconscionable that Presbyterian leaders would meet with Hezbollah, which our government designates as a foreign terrorist organization," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement posted today on its Web site.
"Hezbollah (Party of God) has a track record of terror that is unambiguous," the ADL statement said. "It pioneered the use of suicide bombing in the Middle East. It is committed to the destruction of Israel, opposition to the West and the establishment of an Iranian-style militant Islamic fundamentalist state. Prior to Sept. 11, Hezbollah had murdered more Americans than any other terrorist organization."
The statement cited Hezbollah's "long record of terror," including the 1983 suicide bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed 241 U.S. Marines.
"Hezbollah's reign of terror continues today," the ADL said. "Just last week, Hezbollah attacked northern Israel in an attempt to capture Israelis. Hezbollah's satellite TV station, al-Manar ('The Beacon'), continues to broadcast messages of hate and violence, including raw anti-Semitic charges like the blood libel - the charge that Jews murder non-Jews to use their blood in religious ceremonies. Hezbollah is interested in murder, not co-existence. It is an obstacle to peace that must be opposed at every opportunity. As America wages a war on terror, we cannot understand why Presbyterian leaders would meet with terrorists who have the blood of innocent people on their hands."
Kirkpatrick enclosed with his letter to presbyteries and synods a statement by Jay Rock, the PCUSA's coordinator for interfaith relations, "so that you will have accurate information from those who may have questions about the situation."
Rock's letter to "leaders of the American Jewish community, said PCUSA officials "are very aware of the concerns among you regarding the October visit of a group of Presbyterians and others to the Middle East, which included a stop at a former Israeli detention center in Southern Lebanon and conversation with representatives of Hizbollah there."
He continued: "Let there be no doubt about Presbyterian rejection of the tactics of terror and violence; these tactics are morally indefensible. As peacemakers, we condemn all groups who use tactics of terror, and who call for a violent rejection of Israel, including Hizbollah. We lament that Hizbollah launched a rocket attack on Israel in October, only a day after the visit about which you and others, including some Presbyterians, have expressed concerns. "Many Presbyterians believe that peacemaking requires meeting even with those groups that are violent in their approach to a problem (as, in former times, with the PLO). This is felt even more strongly in the case of a group such as Hizbollah, which has de facto control of territory in which fellow Christians live. "We want you to know that we have begun a process to develop guidelines for Presbyterians who travel in troubled regions of the world. Our hope is that these will be a contribution that can help all of us understand what really makes for peace. "Individuals who meet with organizations that oppose General Assembly policy should draw attention to the position of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the matters of disagreement. With this case in particular, we wish that the group had made clear the policies of their church, against terrorism in any form, and for the security and vitality of Israel, when interacting with that organization. In the future, our guidelines will better prepare travelers for encounters with groups that are opposed to General Assembly policy. "Finally, we hope that all of us can maintain our focus on what we can do together as Christians and Jews to support a just and lasting peace with security for all Israelis and Palestinians."
Why do mainstream Protestant demoninations reject fundamentalism within their own churches but fawn over it when it comes to Islam?
One wonders what they "studied." Did they learn about blowing up Pizza parlors? Did they get a glimpse into how to get around the security that keeps Islamic Jihadists out of Israeli malls? Or did they learn about intentionally murdering children in their own beds?
Presbyterians who do not denouce this cr@p are in the same class as those supposedly "good Muslims" who can't seem to say anything bad about Mohammed Atta.
ML/NJ
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