Churches In Heartfelt Solidarity with Palestine

By Own Correspondent

A number of local clerics  converged at a Pastors’ Conference held in the capital in solidarity with the Palestinians in commemorating the Nakba day.

Addressing delegates at the event on Thursday, Apostolic Bishops Network chairman Apostle  Brian Mgabazi dispelled the misinformation on the Palestinian crisis and bemoaned the attacks on churches by Israeli security forces.

“The Nakba day we are commemorating is when over 750 000 Palestinians were displaced from their Holy Land paving way for the  establishment of  Israel hence their fight for their birthright .

” There has been so much misinformation by the Western media with regards to the Palestinian crisis,” Apostle Mgabazi said.

“What worry us as churches is the systemic destruction of churches in Palestine by Israeli forces. In particular the recent attack on  worshippers during Ramadan.This cause for us to stand in solidarity,” he added.

The Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Tamer Almassri chronicle the struggle of the Palestinian people.

” We have been under the Israeli apartheid regime since 1948 just like South Africa.

“While in Palestine we are religious tolerant,it is not the case in Israel where there are extremists groups. Racism reigns supreme in Israel, Black Jews are suffering under this regime,” the Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe narrated.

He hailed the historical ties his country has with Zimbabwe and the solidarity it gets from the latter.

” We have one thing in common that we all have a bone to chew with the West. In the nationalist struggle we supported you and I am glad with the solidarity you are giving us,”Ambassador Tamer Almassri said.

In his solidarity speech, Bishop Dr Albert Chikuni President of the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development Zimbabwe(IAPDZ)   rallied churches to unite against the atrocities in Palestine.

” Christianity and Islamic are the biggest religions in the world. About 80 percent of the people on the globe are religious. It is religion that supercedes politics hence we need to unite and stand with the Palestinian people,” Bishop Dr Albert Chikuni challenged.