EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS IN OUR NATIONAL NEWSLETTER

News from the Merseyside Group May 2009

1. Our meetings with Moslem Women

Since November we have met twice with a small group of women organised through the Liverpool mosque. The first meeting was in the mosque and the second was at the home of our only Moslem member, Nahida. Both meetings were easy and friendly with a real will on each side to share and understand each other. Most of the Moslem women are at least half our ages and many have young children. They brought their young children and their babies (who are breast fed) which we all thoroughly enjoyed. It was such a novel experience for us and they were no trouble at all. Most of the older children are home educated - a topic for discussion.

The first occasion was an exploratory one with us talking about our own organisation as well as introducing ourselves and they talked much about their faith. They were women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and there were two British converts among them. At our next meeting we came prepared with a small object that means a lot to us and we spent 2 hours in a circle taking it in turns to speak about the significance of these things. They included quotations from favourite texts, a postcard, a photo’ collage, a dove brooch, a fragment of South African rock, a Maori stone, a piece of soap, a piece of cloth, a key and a copper trowel.

Both occasions ended with a meal and lots of one-to-one talking. It's interesting that the third meeting in May will be in the Anglican Cathedral where the clergy are keen to host this joint group as they seek to develop their own multi-faith links.

In addition, our links with Anjun Anwar from Blackburn Cathedral, reported in the last newsletter, have been on-going and members of our W2W4P group have been instrumental in introducing her to the clergy in the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool to assist in their outreach activities to the local Moslem community.

2. Visit of Two Palestinian Women

From 5-8th March two women came to Liverpool from West Bank Villages as part of a national tour of fourteen women organised by the national Britain-Palestine Twinning Network around International Women's day. Although not organised by W2W4P, some of our members were among the organisers and participants. In Liverpool, the organisers where the Liverpool - Bil'in Link Group whose members are Palestinian, Jewish and British. Liverpool is twinned with Bil'in where non-violent resistance to the Wall and the occupation is very strong. The visit very much followed the lines of a W2W4P visit, taking the women's own professional interests into consideration in arranging the programme and aiming to get them heard by a wide variety of people. They had a packed programme visiting a nursery, a Sure Start Children's Centre, an after-school play scheme and Alder Hey Hospital. They met a group of medics and they were key speakers at two public meetings in Manchester and at the University of Liverpool for International Women's Day. They were also able to visit the Liverpool mosque through our contacts there and spoke to some 40 women. They also attended a city centre vigil for Palestine and met the congregation of a catholic church after mass.

The aim of the visit was to show the solidarity of British people for Palestine and to translate that into action by extending twinning links with organisations and individuals. The women were met everywhere with open-hearted warmth and concern. Many here were exposed directly to the situation for the first time and were deeply affected. Several new contacts are now being pursued from the hospital as an institution, pursuing possibilities of strategically supporting health provision to individual students emailing their counterparts and a nursery providing toys and equipment for the Bil'in nursery which completely these items.

For more information about any of these initiatives contact Gwen on 0151 709 2407

BRUCE KENT, speaking at the Servos AGM, 3rd May 2009

I have never heard Bruce Kent speak before: on this occasion we were all enlivened by a very amusing, lively speech. We could take some of his ideas forward.

He described the peace movements as being like an orchestra, and urged us all to 'Play our instrument as hard and as well as we can.' Bruce Kent's own work with Pax Christi, CND and the Movement for the Abolition of War is well known. As a priest, Bruce was appalled when a bishop went to bless a nuclear submarine. He realised how deeply the major institutions of the country were linked to the government on military issues. He reminded us of how ridiculous the government's advice was: 'Protect and Survive' in the event of a nuclear attack would have resulted in around 30 million dead bodies in the UK, yet people were advised to go into their under stairs cupboard for a few days before emerging to make a cup of tea! The nuclear powers fought their wars elsewhere such as in Vietnam and Korea. Bruce is trying to build a 'culture of peace' in all sorts of ways, such as encouraging towns to have a 'peace trail': a walk highlighting monuments, houses, Parks etc which have a link with peace. (Bradford, Coventry and London already have peace trails.)

Another idea is to have statues of people or things associated with peace rather than notable warriors, and on Remembrance Sunday there could be alternative, pro-peace events as well as remembering the dead. He thinks children should see the results of war - war museums can do this effectively. Violent games on computers should be 'policed' and schools should use the 'citizenship' classes to promote peace and consider alternatives to violence. There is a booklet with six lessons and a DVD to use in schools called: 'Build a Culture of Peace'. Concorde Films have made some good films e.g. 'The Big If, and lives of peace people”.

Web sites to look at:
Movement for the Abolition of War; Pax Christi; Peace News and the Peace Issue Conference

Gaza - Viva Palestian Convoy from May 2009 Newsletter

Sue & Mary have spent the last few weeks driving their van to Gaza as part of the Viva Palestinian convoy which broke the siege and entered Gaza on the day of our meeting. The journey was long and very eventful, beginning and ending with illegitimate police actions against convoy drivers both in Lancashire and in Egypt, but they were given overwhelming welcomes all the way along the route through W. Europe and N. Africa. Anne has had a very brief message from Sue. We send our love and admiration to our 2 intrepid members

Latest update: 2nd March 2009. Five WOZA activists released on US $50 bail after six days in custody.

The four women and one man arrested in Harare on Wednesday finally appeared in Harare Magistrate's Court this morning on charges under Section 37 (1) (a) (i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act - "disturbing the peace, security or order of the public". They were released on bail of US $50 each by Magistrate Olivia Mariga and remanded out of custody until 19th March 2009. They also have to report to their nearest police station every Friday. The state prosecutor also tried to insist on an early trial but the docket was not ready. They were brought to court by Law and Order Officer, Phiri

The investigating officer Detective Sergeant Kahora is the man responsible for ensuring that the group was unlawfully detained, spending six days in custody, well over the 48-hours allowed for by law.

WOZA would like to salute the courage and determination of these parents in enduring beatings, arrest and detention in horrific conditions to ensure that their concerns about their children's education were brought to the attention of the Minister of Education. The extended and unlawful detention, the extortionate bail demanded and the reporting conditions imposed also show that the inception of a unity government has done nothing to change the way democracy and social justice activists are treated by a hostile and repressive state.

GAZA CRISIS JAN-FEB 2009 (continuing)

Letters were written by the Co-chairs (Ruth Davies & Jane Harries) to many MP's, MEP's and Ambassadors during the crisis. Replies from MEP's included a copy of the European Parliament's resolution on humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip. Replies from MP's included a letter from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office quoting the Security Council's Resolution (SCR) 1860 passed on 8th January.

……… the focus must now be immediate access for humanitarian aid and on reconstruction, including removing unexploded ordnance, as well as preventing the smuggling of arms into Gaza and reopening the Gaza crossings.

"The voice of the international community was loud and unequivocal in calling for an immediate, permanent and fully respected ceasefire. It is now imperative that Hamas prevent further rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.”

"We now need to see the UN and other aid agencies allowed immediate access into the Gaza strip an a guarantee of their safety so they may do their vital work unhindered."

(Note the careful balance so that the UK government can not be said to favour one side or the other.)

A group of 21 Jewish women's peace organisations issued a statement demanding an end to the bombing and other tools of death, calling for the immediate start of deliberations to talk peace and not make war. We added our voice, sending a formal letter of support to new Profile and Machsomwatch.

We are aware that many members have also been doing all they can to support peace initiatives in Gaza and the West Bank. We have heard of the Sulha Peace Project which brought together thousands of Palestinians and Israelis last August: this is an annual gathering for all ages, giving people a chance to exchange experiences, eat together, make music and rebuild trust between people.

See: http:/flickr.com/photos/Jerusalem_peacemakers/sets/72 157611868341584

We need to keep pressure up on our representatives to work for a lasting solution to the predicament of the Palestinian people.

Ruth and Jane

The International Sabeel Conference Nov 12th-19th 2008

“Friends of Sabeel” is a Palestine liberation theology movement based in Jerusalem. Two members of W2W4P Merseyside attended the international conference in Nazareth and Jerusalem, held to commemorate both the anniversary of the Nakba (Nakba: Arabic for "catastrophe"). The title of the conference, Nakba, Memory, Reality & Beyond refers to the events of 1948 when the State of Israel was set up and 700,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes. The conference consisted of lectures, film, poetry, dance, worship, panel discussions, workshops and hospitality from local Palestinian Christian communities; visits to two refugee camps in Bethlehem and visits to three destroyed/depopulated villages.

The aim was to help participants get a better understanding of the Nakba and its consequences. The Contemporary Way of the Cross around East Jerusalem was designed to show that the Nakba did not stop in 1948 but continued to the present day. A group of 49 participants decided, outside the official Sabeel programme, to travel to the Erez Crossing at Gaza. This packed programme left us with a multitude of impressions and ideas to process. The strongest memory for me was the sense of loss experienced while visiting the depopulated villages; the shrine of Abir Bassam Aramin in Anata and seeing the tent which had become the temporary home of the Al-Khurd family, following eviction from their home by settlers.

Suhmata was the first destroyed village we visited. A local guide, whose family came from Sumhata, described the layout of the village – the location of the coffee house where the men used to sit drinking coffee and smoking, the houses, the church, the pools for animals and the second pool for irrigation. Our imagination peopled the ruined remains of the village and supplied the details of a cohesive working community. The inherited memories of the guide were all he had to pass on to his own children. Kafr Bir'im was a perplexing site. A huge classical ruin, claimed by Israel to be an ancient synagogue, dominated the area. Rather slowly, the extent of scattered stone and broken walls revealed another piece of history: a ruined Palestinian village of considerable size, set in beautiful landscape with spectacular views over the surrounding hills. The little renovated church is still used by the descendants of Kafr Bir'im. The 1948 inhabitants had been cheated by the Israelis, who evacuated them “for two weeks for their own safety." When they returned they found their houses broken and looted and they were driven out again. The 'DP' finally destroyed the houses three years later. The village land is now a national park.

Lastly we visited Eilaboun, a village I knew something about, having seen Hisham Zrieg's film, “Sons of Eilaboun.” In 1948 this Christian village was depopulated: the young men were shot in the village square, the rest taken into detention. The women and children were driven in intense heat, without food or water over the hills into Lebanon. The abiding sense in visiting these villages was one of loss: loss of the physical village, loss of relatives and friends who should have enjoyed a full life, loss of continuity with personal history and of an innocent way of life. Later in the week, we were taken to Anata as part of the Contemporary Way of the Cross. Dozens of little girls streamed out of school. Although cheerful and lively, they looked stressed and ill-nourished. When we approached them they drew back in fear: not surprising, considering the dangers of being a Palestinian child under Israeli Occupation. Immediately opposite the school gate is a memorial to Abir Bassam Aramin, a little 10 year old girl who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers after coming out of school in January 2007. We gathered silently around the small memorial. Abir lost her life, but all Palestinian children lose something precious of their childhood. Israel pleads for its own security, yet these innocent children have no security. For them, survival cannot be taken for granted.

On the last day of the conference a group of us, having heard of the eviction of the Al-Khurd family from their home in Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem, went to visit them. Receiving us in the newly-erected blue tarpaulin tent which had become her home, Fawzieh Al-Khurd related how, seven years ago, a Jewish family had taken up residency in part of her home while her own family were still living in it. In 2001 her husband was hospitalised due to a heart condition and diabetes. While she was at the hospital with her husband, the Jewish family took advantage of their absence to move into an extension of the house.


Fawzieh described how, in the middle of the night, in mid-November, a truck full of furniture drew up. The door of her house was pushed in, Muhammed Al-Khurd, whose poor health necessitated the use of a wheelchair, was thrown onto the ground outside his home. His wife Fawzieh, still in her night clothes, was thrown after him, followed by all their furniture. One of our group, staying in the hotel above the house, was woken by Fawzieh's screams. He saw from his hotel window the truckload of furniture being moved in, followed by the Jewish family.

The next day three of us, British citizens, went to the British Consulate, behind the Al-Khurd house, to report what we had seen and heard. Afterwards we walked past the house, newly draped in bunting made from Israeli flags, with a large blue & white Israeli flag mounted provocatively on the roof. We saw the Jewish "residents" going in with their small children and stopped one of them to ask why she had taken the house: she walked past us saying something in Hebrew. We went once more to see the Al-Khurd family. Two canvas tents stood on the rocky ground directly beneath the house. Fawzieh told us that Jerusalem Municipality personnel had been the night before and demolished the blue tent she was living in. Someone had brought her these two smaller canvas tents to replace the original one.

A few days after returning to the UK, I received an email telling me that Mohammed Al-Khurd had died. I wonder how Fawzieh, a dignified, gentle and articulate woman, is coping with such profound cruelty, loss and injustice? A loss and injustice which has been continuous since 1948: for her, as for many, an ongoing Nakba.

In our last conversation with Fawzieh she said "Britain brought this virus to us, Britain must now take the virus away". She made it clear that she was referring to the British/UN decision to partition Palestine, leading to the destruction and depopulation of over 400 Palestinian villages and six towns. The Al-Khurd family had been one of the tens of thousands of victims of that expulsion. She is absolutely right: Britain has a huge responsibility to the Palestinian people to ensure the restoration of the land, culture and identity which is rightfully theirs.

In travelling to Erez Crossing, our purpose was not to go into Gaza, but to support the 14 NGOs who had been denied entry and could not deliver their humanitarian aid to the 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned behind the Wall, which completely encloses the Gaza strip. Erez is the main commercial crossing into Gaza and yet there was not a single truck or car in sight for the two hours that we were there. The place was like a vast wasteland. In the past few weeks, entry has been denied to diplomats; Israeli, British and International Medical teams trying to take essential medication and health care; to journalists and media; to the papal legate and the UN Reporter for Human Rights in Palestine. Supplies of fuel, electricity, food, domestic goods, medical supplies and building materials have been strictly curtailed since 2006 leaving the economy in Gaza in ruins and the people in poverty, ill-health and near to starvation. Meanwhile the UK government, the EU and the USA have failed to take concrete action to end this illegal blockade. The NGOs were told that they could not go into Gaza "because of tension in the area” - but the Geneva Conventions allow unrestricted humanitarian access to areas of conflict and there is always tension in conflict zones. The NGOs themselves believe the blockade is an attempt by Israel to render Gaza invisible, in the hope that the world will forget about it. The NGOs asked us to do all we can to keep Gaza in the news and awaken the conscience of the world to bring an end to this 60yr long Nakba.

Anne, (Merseyside Group)

Zambia 10

Sue reports “The past few weeks have just flown by. There has been a lot to do, but also a lot to learn and enjoy.

As mentioned in my last report, I did go up to the Copperbelt. However just before that, the person responsible for the capacity building aspects of CHIN's work resigned. The Director and I put our heads together and agreed we would get the Organisational Development Programme done to targets and timescales. So, I found myself recruiting members, doing the introductory training sessions (one Lusaka and one in Ndola) and also recommending someone to take over the role until the end of June (when we are supposed to complete). I did not really see much of Ndola, but for British friends, the plaster cows of Milton Keynes have cousins in the zebra in Ndola! It is a large city but not overwhelming. I did see some of the large industries that surround it, including some of the copper mines as we drove out.

I was a bit anxious about whether or not I had the level/language/emphasis right for training, but everyone appeared to approve and today, compiling the evaluations, it seems I did get it right. I really liked the one comment about "You can't doze in Sue's sessions"! We have now involved thirty-one member organisations and meeting those in the Copperbelt showed the same understanding of children's needs I have seen in Lusaka. There are lots of reasons for CHIN to carry out this pilot, but the main one for me is that this is a positive way to get organisations better placed to be sustainable and therefore offer better services to children.

There was one thing I did want to do while in the Copperbelt and finally did. The next few lines I wrote for our parish magazine, but thought I would share it. On Friday, I went on a pilgrimage whose origins go back to 1961- before I was in high school. It was to a forest outside the city of Ndola, in the Copperbelt. It is now a quiet site, but this is where the plane crashed, killing Dag Hammarskjold and fifteen others. I remember hearing about it, but it was a few years later that I came to understand what a great man he had been. Standing there, reading plaques from many countries and then in the information room seeing the photos of his life, I was very humbled that individuals could commit themselves so totally to peace. One fading stone said, "A man who believed that service to Humanity is the best work in life". And a man who is still my hero after over 40 years. What has surprised me - and shown me my age - is that everyone here I have mentioned this to asked me who I was talking about? For those of you who would ask the same question, he was the Secretary General of the UN from 1953 until his death. He was trying to settle the problems of the Congo post-independence and was flying to meet the secessionist leader in Ndola. This is only miles from the Congo border.

John and Lyn's visit was great. We spent the first two days visiting a number of the CHIN members that my long email was about. It gave them a chance to see parts of Lusaka that tourists never see and meet some of the people as well as learning about the issues. After visiting the 'black hole', John commented that in the UK health and safety would never let a child near a building like that, much less have them in school there everyday! We also visited “Alive and Kicking” the organisation making footballs with health messages on them. This is good for lots of reasons, among them that they are using Zambian leather and employing over fifty people, most of whom were unemployed before. We purchased one of these balls for each of the community schools. They were so excited to get them. Textbooks continue to be appreciated and I will continue to get them, now I’m concentrating on science and development studies (English and Maths having been supplied).

Next we were off on our canoeing safari. I will give a brief description here.

We had 'Canadian' canoes and fortunately, the Zambezi River at that point has a swift current, so we were not tired out (we covered nearly 40 kms). There were hippos everywhere. In an earlier report I mentioned that Zambia has more hippos than any other country and a very unscientific survey reveals that fact to be true! The first night we camped on a desert island in 'no man's land'. These islands could be in Zambia or Zimbabwe. The stars, the sunrise and the continual hippo noises all added to the experience.

Lyn brought out the camcorder and I did take a number of DVDs. She informed me after seeing two, “That the BBC Wildlife team has nothing to worry about!” John said I would have to give out seasickness tablets before any showing. They are jumpy at times, but I did get the elephant family. We canoed right up to them as they were drinking and I made a great sequence of a leopard as well as hyenas eating at night. We spent hours in game drives. Here the area is heavy bush and so you do not see the volume of animals as on the Kenyan savannah. But it is more exciting to 'find' something. One night we saw wild cat kittens - a first even for our two experienced guides.

We then went to Livingstone. The timing was right for the full moon and we ended a great day at Victoria Falls by seeing the lunar rainbow. We also did a game walk in the small national park just north of the Falls. This is very exciting to get so close to game (an armed scout has to accompany the guide) and we also saw some of the small things that are often missed - like a spider which has a web that feels stronger than fishing line. The museum in Livingstone is very interesting and includes many of David Livingstone's things, including letters you can read. They also have a very good section which takes you from 'Our Village to Our City' and shows the changes that have taken place in Zambian society. Getting to and from Livingstone on the bus is a bit of a marathon, but the city is very friendly and just a good size.

I came home today to find that the four blackboards I had ordered have arrived and are now filling one part of my room. Over the next few weeks I will get them delivered with some more footballs and books. Thanks to everyone who has helped with this."

27 May 2008

Talk by Anjum Anwar at the Merseyside Meeting on
the 3rd of November 2008

Anjum spoke vividly for one and a half hours, with the help of a power-point presentation, about her life and work in Blackburn as the only Moslem woman employed anywhere by a Cathedral.

She gave us her own background - a Pakistani-born woman who has been in this country for more than forty years. She has a fifteen year old son. She spoke passionately about the importance of the role of mothers in bringing about peace and understanding between communities. Before working in community development she was both a banker and a teacher. She has also studied her own faith and others for a degree. At present Anjum is studying for a further degree in Islamic studies. Before being invited to join the staff of the Cathedral as Dialogue Development Officer she worked for five years as the only female with the Lancashire Council for Mosques.

Anjum's fluent, fascinating and deeply-felt talk touched on a great many issues concerning community relations in a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society in considerable detail. Some of the main points raised were as follows: 9/11 changed her life: the day after it she walked into her usual corner shop and was refused service. It shook her to the bone and she began some tough thinking: why? She came to the extraordinary conclusion that she was to blame - because she had never made an attempt to develop inter-ethnic understanding beyond a very superficial level. She had not confronted the deep barriers of misconceptions and misunderstandings that are prevalent in western society and vice versa. She decided then that it was high time to work on developing a much more in-depth dialogue. (Relations mustn't get lost at meetings with the cucumber sandwiches!) All Moslems were demonised after 9/11 and it became her mission to demystify Islam. It was at that time that she was actively head-hunted by the Cathedral: the Bishop and in particular by Canon Chris Chivers, who were obviously thinking along the same lines and who created the job of Dialogue Development Officer for her. They work very closely together.

She analysed the underlying problem as being the "privatisation of religion". We don't "live our faith". We keep it in our homes and mosques and churches, but it must be brought out into the public arena, discussed, argued about and shared. The three Abrahamic faiths have so much in common and yet we only want to highlight the differences, those elements that divide us. "Our work is so simple, it's frightening."

Anjum described the many different ways in which the two communities (Christian and Moslem) have worked together in Blackburn, usually centred around the Cathedral and how they have gradually broadened out to include other faiths, wider geographical communities and many more community institutions. They have gained the co-operation of the Council of Mosques and Blackburn Council (no easy matter). Getting into the local schools and colleges has been very important. They targeted sixteen – twenty-five year olds as the single most important age-group and conducted several series of meetings. The themes of two of the series were "Clash of civilisations - or the chance to co-operate?" and "Discovering how to be human," which included people from the non-Abrahamic faiths. She even brought a discussion session over to the Jewish school of King David in Liverpool.

Anjum is closely involved with the Israel-Palestine issue -indeed our group's first contact with her was through an exhibition of children's paintings from Palestine which was hung in Blackburn Cathedral. Last year she went to Jerusalem for a programme on Radio 4 with two Jews, two Christians and two Moslems, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Six Day War, asking the question ”How do you walk into someone else's sacred space?” The DVD of it will be available soon. It was then that she collected the childrens’ artwork for the exhibition. She emphasised that it is very important to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism.

Another exhibition she was responsible for in the Cathedral was one about Anne Frank which had a very powerful effect on her. Thousands of people came to see it and some important meetings organised around it.

She emphasised that it’s very important for her and for all of us to ask the tough questions about our religion and culture and she is constantly hard on Islam and sees it as the fault of Moslems that it is so much misunderstood. "Moslems are the enemy of Islam. They haven't lived up to their covenant with God".

Anjum thinks the question that Gordon Brown posed some time ago, "What does it mean to be British?", is an important one and she has organised multi-ethnic discussions around it. She attributed the increased wearing of the hijab to the feeling that Moslems have of being increasingly pushed into a corner and therefore use this as a strong means of identification in a hostile world.

She is about to launch a new women's organisation "Women's Voice" to advocate for women who are victims of many forms of abuse and discrimination in Islamic society and who have been let down by their institutions and especially by the mosques on personal and domestic issues related, for example, to forced marriages and sexual abuse. She anticipates it will be tough-going.

In discussion we talked about possibilities of working together, having conferences both in Blackburn and Liverpool. Maureen asked if Anjum will help set up meetings of young people in Liverpool on a similar basis to those in Blackburn and asked the question, "How do we make real links with the local Moslem community?" Polly asked if she could help W2W4P in Brighton to make real links.

Anjum invited us to visit Blackburn Cathedral and she said she wanted to take our "Bridges Not Walls" exhibition there.

Gwen