The Pope's Message to Bethlehem
Dheisheh Refugee Camp
March 22,2000
Followed by a report on the
Palestinian Authority Police
actions in the camp.
Dear Friends, 1. It is important to me that my pilgrimage to the birthplace of Jesus Christ, on this the two thousandth anniversary of that extraordinary event includes this visit to Dheisheh. It is deeply significant that here, close to Bethlehem, I am meeting you, refugees and displaced persons, and representatives of the organizations and agencies involved in a true mission of mercy. Throughout my pontificate I have felt close to the Palestinian people in their sufferings. I greet each one of you, and I hope and pray that my visit will bring some comfort in your difficult situation. Please God it will help to draw attention to your continuing plight. You have been deprived of many things which represent basic needs of the human person: proper housing, health care, education and work. Above all you bear the sad memory of what you were forced to leave behind, not just material possessions, but your freedom, the closeness of relatives, and the familial surroundings and cultural traditions which nourished your personal and family life. It is true that much is being done here in Dheisheh and in other camps to respond to your needs, especially through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. I am particularly pleased at the effectiveness of the presence of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine and many other Catholic organizations. But there is still much to be done. 2. The degrading conditions in which refugees often have to live; the continuation over long periods of situations that are barely tolerable in emergencies or for a brief time of transit; the fact that displaced persons are obliged to remain for years in settlement camps: these are the measure of the urgent need for a just solution to the underlying causes of the problem. Only a resolute effort on the part of leaders in the Middle East and in the international community as a whole, inspired by a higher vision of politics as service of the common good, can remove the causes of your present situation. My appeal is for greater international solidarity and the political will to meet this challenge. I plead with all who are sincerely working for justice and peace not to lose heart. I appeal to political leaders to implement agreements already arrived at, and to go forward towards the peace for which all reasonable men and women yearn, to the justice to which they have an inalienable right. 3. Dear young people, continue to strive through education to take your rightful place in society, despite the difficulties and handicaps that you have to face because of your refugee status. The Catholic Church is particularly happy to serve the noble cause of education through the extremely valuable work of Bethlehem University, founded as a sequel to the visit of my predecessor Pope Paul VI in 1964. Dear refugees, do not think that your present condition makes you any less important in God's eyes! Never forget your dignity as his children! Here at Bethlehem the Divine Child was laid in a manger in a stable; shepherds from the nearby fields were the first to receive the heavenly message of peace and hope for the world. God's design was fulfilled in the midst of humility and poverty. Dear aid workers and volunteers, believe in the task that you are fulfilling! Genuine and practical solidarity with those in need is not a favour conceded, it is a demand of our shared humanity and a recognition of the dignity of every human being. Let us all turn with confidence to the Lord, asking him to inspire those in a position of responsibility to promote justice, security and peace, without delay and in an eminently practical way. The Church, through her social and charitable organizations, will continue to be at your side and to plead your cause before the world. |
Here's the truth about
about what happened later.
THE PA POLICE AND THE
DHEISHEH REFUGEE CAMP
(From The Office Of The Islamic Association For Palestine)
IAP March 23/00 - The eyes of the world are on Palestine this week with the visit of the Pope. Palestinians, both within Palestine and the Diaspora, are aware of this and are listening carefully to his every word and action. When he kissed Palestinian soil, proclaimed the right of Palestinians to their own state, expressed empathy with the plight of the refugees and said Palestinians were being denied the fulfillment of basic human needs, Palestinians knew the world would hear these words and were filled with a new found hope that something would be done. Finally their message would be heard. How could the rest of the world hear these words and not do something to help them? They are fully aware that the Pope does not have the political or military might to demand the rights of Palestinians, but they know that he can exert a tremendous moral authority on these issues.
On Wednesday (May 22) the Pope visited the Dheisheh Refugee Camp, a shanty town of about 10,000 Palestinians just south of the biblical town of Bethlehem. These desperate victims of Zionist aggression came out in large numbers to hear what the Pope had to say. They interpreted his every gesture and word as an endorsement of their claim to independence and finally a worldwide recognition of their sufferings. Finally there was a glimmer of hope in an otherwise very bleak situation. They seized this rare opportunity to gain world attention by setting up a brown tent, typical of the shelter used by the refugees in the early months of their displacement, writing graffiti on the camp buildings featuring keys to homes left behind, with words in English: ''We want to return to our homeland,'' and displayed posters showing 1948 photographs of refugees, including a weeping woman holding a baby. The refugees granted the television cameras interviews and took advantage of opportunity to let the world know of their determination to return to their homes. The message that the Dheisheh refugees sent out to the world was clear and determined.
But within minutes of the Pope's departure from the camp and when world attention was no longer on them, harsh reality struck these unfortunate souls once again. As the crowds moved in to get a closer look at what was going on, the Palestinian Police beat three young men with clubs. This action angered the crowd. Just a few minutes previous their breasts swelled with the hope that a better day may be just around the corner, but the stark reality of the cruelty and oppression at the hands of those who should be protecting them was once again thrown in their face.
The Follow-up Committee of the Dheisheh Refugee Camp issued a statement that the chief of police in the District of Bethlehem issued orders to forcibly storm the camp, attacked houses inside the camp, smashed windows and severely beat tens of residents, which prompted a crowd of young men from the camp to assemble in order to defend themselves and their homes.
Nearly 50 people were injured and the police attack then extended to the local hospital where those injured were being treated. Hundreds of the Palestinian refugees reacted with fury by hurling stones at the policemen.
They knew that much of their suffering was not only due to what the Israeli's have done to them, but also that the so called Palestinian Authority was an instrument of cruelty directed towards them. They looked\ upon these officers as willing pawns in the hands of the Zionists who are more interested in their own self interests rather than the interests of the Palestinian people. They see the TV Arafat with all his strong words about the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people and his public pontifications about the continued injustices of the Israelis, but they also know the reality of who the PA and Arafat really is. With these facts in mind they struck back in a moment of anger. Instead of the PA learning anything from this, they will continue to be more cruel and more oppressive towards their own people and demonstrate once again just how illegitimate their rule over the Palestinian people really is.
The Dheisheh Refugee Camp Follow-up Committee has announced the establishment of a committee to follow up on what has happened with the view to bringing to account those responsible for this incident. But one thing is for sure - the actions of the police where deplorable and an embarrassment to the Palestinian people.
Islamic Association for Palestine
E-mail: info@iap.org www.iap.org
