When Sumud is just Surviving

This is the last piece of our Christmas appeal. We hope you have enjoyed the different voices we have brought to you. Canadian Friends of Sabeel relies entirely on your support.

With our best wishes for health and peace.

Christmas wishes

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Palestinian Reflections on Sumud: Hanan Ashrawi and Omar Haramy

Dear friend of Sabeel,

For this week of Advent we wanted to share with you what Sumud means to Palestinian Christians who believe in a non violent way to reach peace with justice. Below are their reflections.

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Omar Haramy, Director of  Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

In Palestine, we live Sumud, a steadfastness that embodies resilience, patience, and an unwavering commitment to justice and dignity. For us, Sumud is not just resistance; it is the courage to live in the light of Christ’s example, even when the weight of oppression feels unbearable. 

In the face of barriers and hardships, Palestinians have transformed existence into an act of Sumud. We hold on to our land, our homes, and our heritage, refusing to be uprooted, even when forces try to drive us away. The poet Mahmoud Darwish, in his reflection on Palestinian steadfastness, writes, "We have on this earth what makes life worth living." These words resonate as we stand for hours at checkpoints, applying for permits simply to worship, striving to build our homes again and again, even when they are unjustly destroyed. 

Jesus taught us to stand with dignity in the face of adversity. When He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9), He called us to pursue peace, not through passivity, but through a courageous commitment to justice and love. Sumud teaches us that we are called to seek not only a physical presence on the land but also to embody steadfastness in our values. Our path is nonviolent, rooted in inclusivity, and a deep love for humanity, even when faced with the temptation to respond in anger. 

In our steadfastness, we answer the call of Christ—to live in faith, to resist injustice, and to stand firm in hope and love, carrying forth the good news even in challenging times. 

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Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Christian, politician, activist and scholar

“The Palestinian people have lived Sumud for a century, rejecting their dehumanization and erasure, protecting their identity and narrative, and struggling for freedom from Israel’s colonial enterprise while thriving and contributing to humanity in all fields. Sumud includes sustaining a vibrant, active, diverse, principled civil society that elevates the voices of citizens, leaves no one behind, and ensures that women’s rights are not suppressed or sidelined.” 

Source: This Week in Palestine, June 2021

Advent Sumud Reflections: Voices for Peace

Last month over a dozen friends of CFOS joined the Sabeel Solidarity Pilgrimage. Below are some of their reflections on how they encountered Sumud while they were there. Read more here.

Five members of the group were from the Mennonite Church of Canada PIN (Palestine Israel Network). They are pictured here on a visit with Rev. Jack Sara of the Mennonite Church of  Canada’s partner Bethlehem Bible College. Left to right:  Byron Rempel-Burkholder, Dan Epp-Tiessen, Kathy Bergen, Chloe Bergen, Jack Sara and Jo Hiebert Bergen.

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David Knoppert:

Meeting Dalia Qumsieh, a human rights lawyer, and a landowner in Bethlehem, I felt that she demonstrates Sumud, She and her neighbour have lost direct access to their olive trees which are now behind the wall that Israel has built. Much of the surrounding land has been made into a wasteland as a result of the wall and highway that stands behind. Dalia has spent many years going through the Israeli Judicial system, which continues to throw curve after curve and draws the process out.

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Jo Hiebert Bergen:

Herod, occupier of the Roman Empire, lived with enough fear that even children posed a threat. As part of our solidarity pilgrimage we stood on a hill in Sderot, Israel, at a USA-funded  ‘look out’ with a view to the northern Gaza border (see photos). Smoke was visible. It rose and drifted. 

Within besieged Gaza, as terror rains down and necessities of life are denied, I know one family who cannot even find shoes to fit the growing feet of a 3-year-old and a 5–year-old. Little food or water, the cold of December--and no shoes for the children of Gaza as the cold and rain of winter sets in.

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Chloe Bergen:

When I was in the West Bank, I reconnected with Caritas Baby hospital where I did a practicum placement in the spring of 2023. As the only hospital in the West Bank with the sole focus on pediatrics, families travel from all over the West Bank to receive care for their children. Today, my former colleagues informed me that less than half the number of out-patients can come for treatment. Either restricted in their movement across Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank or restricted by their financial situation made worse by the apartheid system. I am deeply touched by the Sumud of my colleagues as they return to work day after day to provide essential services for any child who manages to pass through the increasing number of checkpoints and the fear and uncertainty in the increasingly dire situation in the West Bank.

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Dan Epp-Tiessen:

A personal highlight of mine was a tour of the Al Aqsa Mosque complex which includes the famous golden Dome of the Rock and its colourful mosaics, and the less decorative yet impressive Al Aqsa mosque. Our Muslim guide warmly welcomed our Christian group, highlighting important biblical figures who are also venerated in Islam. In contrast, we saw a badly damaged side door leading into the mosque, which the Israeli military had battered down two years ago when raiding the mosque. The door remains in shambles because Israel refuses permission to repair it. Our guide also told us that for six years he has been trying unsuccessfully to obtain an Israeli permit to repaint his office.

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Byron Rempel-Burkholder:

On our pilgrimage, some of us visited Issa Amro, a champion of nonviolent Palestinian resistance. His house and yard in Hebron are wedged between his olive grove and an illegal Israeli settlement abutting his house. Days before our visit, settlers had come in the middle of the night and picked his olives. In the past they have damaged or uprooted trees while the Israeli security forces turned a blind eye. ”These trees are our family” Issa told us. These actions must be deeply hurtful, yet Issa continues to care for his trees. He is pictured here with our group under a mature olive tree in his yard. 

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Kathy Bergen:

Through my past work and as a regular Pilgrimage leader, I have lived in Palestine and visited many times. My last visit was in late 2019. The changes in the five years since have been huge.  The settlements have grown and many new ones have been established. The suffering of Palestinians has increased.  More homes are being destroyed and Israeli prisons are fuller than ever with Palestinians, including administrative detainees. The decimated economy of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is affecting every Palestinian. Especially in Gaza, but throughout the West Bank, every Palestinian is facing uncertainly, which was difficult and very scary for me to hear.  The overall picture for Palestinians is unpredictable and frightening, yet Sumud persists.  For me, I left with anger for what is happening and resolve to do what I can back in Canada to promote a different path forward.

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Debbie Hubbard:

During my time in Palestine with the Sabeel Solidarity Pilgrimage in Jerusalem and the West Bank, we met Budour Hassan from the Amnesty International Office in Jerusalem. She opened our Pilgrimage by acknowledging that ‘continuing to hope was an act of resistance’. Throughout my time in Palestine, I witnessed ‘hope’ in action over and over again: Representatives from five of the six civil society organizations labeled as terrorists by Israel continuing to do their work knowing that they have ‘targets on their back’, the congregation of the Christmas Church in Bethlehem celebrating the opening of a chapel in Beit Jala, the people of Um Al Kheir, an agricultural community in the South Hebron Hills, continuing to remain in spite of increased settler violence and home demolitions, and Alice Kisiya and her family continuing to work to regain their land that was taken over by Settlers living illegally in the West Bank. I came away from the Pilgrimage with a much stronger commitment to live into the ‘hope’ of the Palestinian people not only through prayer but also through action and advocacy.

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Some Memorable Quotes/Paraphrases From Dan Epp-Tiessen

Christ did not die in order for us to be quiet.

With the current government in Israel, anything is possible.

We must be a resisting church, which resists non-violently.

As long as I know that there is a living God of hope, that is my hope.

By retired Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan

We will not sell our heritage.

We will act in positive ways under the slogan “We refuse to be enemies.”

Following in the footsteps of Christ, we will not respond to evil with evil but with good.

We try to transform the enemy into a friend.

Hope builds bridges; fear builds walls.

By Amal Nassar, from Tent of Nations

                    The Nassar family has worked for years to hang onto their land despite decades of harassment by the Israeli government and Jewish settlers.

Advent Sumud Reflections: Palestinian Voices

On Giving Tuesday, Give the Gift of Solidarity

Our friends and partners from the Palestinian Christian community call on us to give deeply in the spirit of Sumud.

Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, Founder and former Director of Sabeel Palestinian Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center:

These challenging times require of us greater watchfulness and deeper analysis that must be anchored in our love and faith of God and in a deeper commitment for truth, justice, and liberation for our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Indeed, our Sumud must be exhibited through our nonviolent action and in our writings, witness, and advocacy on behalf of all oppressed people and especially our brothers and sisters in Palestine-Israel.

In light of the results of the United States elections and the probable new challenges that could adversely affect and impact our Palestinian people, I implore our Canadian friends to continue and enhance their support of Canadian Friends of Sabeel. Together we live Sumud.   

From Mira Rizek and the World YWCA – YWCA Palestine: Statement on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, October 29, 2023

Mira Rizek, President of the World YWCA:

We are committed to engaging young people, particularly young women, in pursuing positive transformation by educating them about their human rights as outlined in international resolutions such as UNSCR 2250, UNSCR 1325, and other global accords. Above all, we are devoted to instilling hope in their hearts and cultivating in them the core values essential to achieving freedom, justice, and peace for themselves, their communities, and the world at large.

It is time for the younger generations in Palestine to live in freedom, security, and peace.

We implore the United Nations to enforce its own resolutions on Palestine, and we call on all of you to summon the courage to stand up for the Palestinian rights of equality, freedom, dignity, and security. This is what solidarity looks like.

We live in hope

Dear friends of Sabeel,

Inspired by the Sumud of our Palestinian siblings, we are encouraged by significant breakthroughs in solidarity and advocacy this past year.Even though the violence has not ended, we live in hope that what can happen on this scale can grow and eventually bring us to a ceasefire and a just  peace. We want to share with you our list of what we call “The Transformation Revolution”.

• Despite the dangers in the region, Sabeel and other Palestinian Christian organizations have been receiving solidarity delegations from around the world throughout the year, beginning with the international Christmas Delegation which was supported by CFOS and included Canadian pastor Chris Ferguson. The widely circulated Christ in the Rubble sermon was preached to this group. Over a dozen Canadians joined a Solidarity Pilgrimage with Sabeel this month and there have been many in between. Despite the risks and challenges of traveling at this time, we see immense courage and love shared by these pilgrims, more than ever before.

• First the first time ever, Canadian Church and Church Organization Leaders organized an advocacy event on Parliament Hill: the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage and Prayer Rally in Ottawa, May 22, 2024. Listen to the voices of those present as they lament, pray and act for just peace in the region, including CFOS Chair Rula Odeh.

• With support from CFOS, KAIROS Canada has set up a Just Peace in the Middle East Ecumenical Hub, a place where you can find resources on Actions, Statements/Letters, Partner Stories & Messages and Resources for Prayer and Worship.

• As found in this Hub, many Churches have issued statements and appeals to the Canadian government that are increasingly strong. One example is the latest from the United Church of Canada, calling for the suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel, considering their disregard for international law.

• Actions like this have echoed around the world. For example, the Church of England has been speaking out for justice, for the first time calling the current treatment of Palestinians, Apartheid, a naming most often avoided by Church Leadership.

• This past summer we learned of the total success of the long standing campaign, of which CFOS is a part, asking the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to respond to violations of the Income Tax Act by the Jewish National Fund Canada (JNFC). The Government’s complete lack of acknowledgement of the evidence presented left us with little hope that this registered charity would be called to account. CFOS friend, Dr. Ismail Zayid of Halifax, is featured in this 2019 article explaining the context. There was delay on the part of the CRA which required CFOS and other groups to write letters urging the CRA to enact its decision to revoke the charitable status of the JNFC. There was concern that intense lobbying in support of the JNFC might be successful in reversing the decision even before it could be put into force. On August 10 the Canada Gazette published the long-anticipated notice, completing the CRA decision and making official the removal of charitable status from the JNFC. This incredible reversal of direction gives hope to all of us that what was previously unimaginable, can indeed be possible. 

“My village is one of three villages that were depopulated in 1967, and with the aid of the JNF, illegally demolished by Israeli forces,” said Dr. Ismail Zayid of Halifax, a signatory to the comprehensive complaint to the CRA which formed the basis of IJV’s e-petition. 

Please support the work of Canadian Friends of Sabeel. We need your help to continue our advancement of The Transformation Revolution.

Kind regards,

Monica

Monica Lambton is a co-founder and long-time Board Member for Canadian Friends of Sabeel. She currently lives in Vancouver, after 20 years in Montreal.

Sumud

Dear friends of Sabeel.

Palestinians speak about sumud as the spirit of steadfastness and perseverance that enables them to continue to exist and to resist the realities of occupation, oppression -- and now genocide. As we at Canadian Friends of Sabeel amplify the voice of Christian Palestinians, we seek to embody that same spirit of sumud in our ministry of solidarity.

Canadian Friends of Sabeel came into existence in November 1998. We were all set to celebrate our 25th Anniversary Year starting with our Christmas Appeal last year. This was supposed to be the closing of a year of celebration and honouring of CFOS’ accomplishments.

Instead, it has been a year of horror, grief, and mourning. What we are celebrating now is our sumud, and the gift of sumud that we receive from our Palestinian siblings. We are still here, standing with the Palestinian Christian community as they continue to work for a just peace. 

2024 brought many frustrations for our work. Program priorities shifted, our volunteer work hours doubled and postponements and cancellations became a regular occurrence. Twice we have been unable to send the Naim Ateek Anglican delegation to Palestine, due to increasing settler violence and the regional war.

Nevertheless, thanks to your support, Canadian Friends of Sabeel have been able offer some significant programs and activities in the past year, despite the ongoing barriers and difficult circumstances: 

• We began the year with a communications overhaul, rejuvenating our website and strengthening our social media presence. We have dedicated time and resources to  stronger outreach and we are now ready to deepen that work through the hiring of a Communications and Outreach Coordinator. 

• Much of the year has been focused on building avenues for collective action with the Canadian churches and church Organizations. A highlight was the Kairos Cease Fire Pilgrimage on Parliament Hill last May. Increasing our support to church staff and Christian organisations helped with the coordination of this work. It also led some church Leaders to speak out more vigorously against the genocide and the various ways that the Canadian government has enabled the violence.

• At the end of the summer we released Authentic Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land guidelines. They are shared with ecumenical groups as a way of true solidarity when visiting Palestine/Israel. These guidelines are not just useful for our partners, but they are the foundation on which we build our solidarity trips. 

• For several months we have been planning several solidarity trips, some of which are underway now. 

• In November, we held our annual James Graff Memorial Lecture on the topic "One Year Later: Our Response to Genocide and Occupation in Palestine". 

• In the face of endlessly increasing violence and hardship, CFOS has written numerous letters to our government and coordinated statements calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and a diplomatic path to a just peace. In the spirit of sumud we are dedicated to continue no matter how discouraging the landscape. We welcomed new board members and honorary board members and strengthened our strategic planning.

We thank you for your generosity in 2024 as it enabled us to overcome many obstacles and supported our accomplishments. We pray that you continue to help us amplify the voice of our Palestinian brothers and sisters as we continue to resist with sumud. Now more than ever Palestinians need us all, and even more they need to know that Western Christians are still with them.  

For a just peace for all,

Rula Odeh

Chair, Canadian Friends of Sabeel