A FILIPINO MANIFESTO ON ISRAEL’S MILITARY ATTACK ON GAZA

PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-GAZA-CONFLICT

We, who are also citizens of the world, brothers and sisters here in the Philippines, are calling on all peoples of the world to protest Israel’s military attack in Gaza.

More than a thousand had already died. Children and women included. There are also innocent civilians who died in the fighting between Israeli and Hamas troops. This kind of happening only shows violence and disrespect to human life. Life that is only loaned to us by Elohim God who created humankind according to his image.

Along side with the declaration by the United Nations that this attack is unjust and it must be stopped, we are also convicted that this must be stopped for such is also killing the self. Killing the self for the other fellow human being is also the self in accordance to Filipino wisdom. Therefore this must be condemned and protested upon for the sake of ourselves and of human dignity.

The other fellow human being is related to the self. Humankind, male and female, is created in the image of Elohim (Genesis/Bereshit 1.26-27). We are all coming from God the creator. All human races are brothers and sisters in God (Bereshit 5.1-2); hence, the teaching of the Scripture not to kill a fellow human being knowing that s/he hails from God (Bereshit 9.1-7). This is what the Torah clearly teaches. And in this kind of teaching, we can confidently say that killing a fellow other who is also truly the self is pure madness.

idf-soldiersThis conviction is righteous having being based from the wisdom of the United Nations, Filipino culture and teaching of the Torah. And these three solidly justify our protest against Israel’s military attack on the Palestinians. Palestinians, to be exact, are also brothers-and-sisters and relatives of the Israelis having also descended from their ancestors Abraham, Noah and Adam. And we, Filipinos as fellow human beings, are also brothers-and-sisters of both Israelis and Palestinians.

 

Therefore it is not right for us to remain silent concerning those issues mentioned above.

On the other hand, we are calling the Hamas to pave ways for peace with Israel. They must not use humans as shields in the fighting. They must stop launching rockets to Israel. Islam is peace. The Holy Koran teaches humanity as a brother- and sisterhood under Allah for we all hail from our fore parents–Adam and Eve (Sura 49.13).

gaza-israel-child-_2989892kBesides being against Israeli government and the Hamas movement, we are also against the position of Filipino Christians who directly or indirectly supports Israel’s oppression and bombing of Gaza. Though we strongly disagree with their teachings, we are open to dialogue with them so that we can create and come up with a practical peace theology.

This statement is the conviction of those who signed their names below. This is being propagated in the whole Philippines as well as to the three million strong overseas Filipino diasporas working and living abroad on this planet which God gave us to be our home together.

Shalom, salam, peace for Israelis, Palestinians and all the peoples of the whole world!

 

Jack Dosejo Alvarez, Servant Pastor at Komunidad Kay Kristo

Dann Pantoja, Founding President & CEO at Peacebuilders Community

Hadje Sadje, Peace for Life

Darnell Barkman, PeaceChurch Philippines

 

Join us and sign this manifesto using the comment box below.

Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2014/08/a-filipino-manifesto-on-israels-military-attack-on-gaza/

6 comments

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  1. We at PeaceChurch Philippines echo this statement and consider ourselves signatories with your condemnation of violence but embrace of human life made in the image of God.

    We give our lives to the Creator just as Jesus our Lord did for His service. We commit to demonstrating the shalom of His kingdom with our good works as our act of worship!

    1. Kudos to that Kapatid na Darnell!

    • lanie on 08.August.2014 at 1438
    • Reply

    Kung alam nyong inaatake ng israel ang gasa, ano ang ginagawa ng gaza sa israel.umuulan dto ng rocket.at kung di dahil sa iron dome,bomb shelter at pagmamahal ng gobyerno sa mga nasasakupan,mas malala pa siguro ang kalagayan ng Israel.nung panahon ng kalamidad,sino ang first na tumulang sa pinas?,ISRAEL.Tas pagpoprotesta ang ibabalik nyo.shame on you pro hamas..kaming nandito sa israel ang nakakararas ng karahasan ng hamas.thanks to God at sya patuloy na gumagawa ng miracle para sa mga nandito.mag isip at mag analyze kc konti na lang tym.who curse israel God will curse them.biblocal po yan. Ang ginagawa ng israel ay defend lang sa mga traidor na hamas.marsming warning sa mga civilian pro mismo hamas ang pumipigil kc ginagamit sila na human shield.so hindi katakataka na maraming namamatay.they are victims of war but kasalanan ni hamas yan.so co filipinos.wag maniwaka sa mga reports lamang.biased ang iba jan.SHALOM.

    1. The manifesto is not pro-hamas or pro-israel. Ang punto ay kapayapaan base sa pagiging tao at mgakakapatid ng sangkatauhan. Ang manunulat ng Genesis 1-11 ay nanawagan ng pagrespeto sa kapwa bilang imahe ng Elohim at kapatid sa Diyos.

    • Arlene on 08.August.2014 at 0946
    • Reply

    Israel had been attacked, is being attacked and thousands of rockets were sent by Hamas . Even if no other country will stand with Israel, Israel has to attack and must attack her enemies to survive.

    It’s not a question of whether other nations will stand with Israel. Israel must survive as a nation.

    There’s a lack of understanding of the use of the Law in Scripture.

    God ordains or establish government to control evil. Israel’s government has the right to protect it’s own citizens. Hamas sending rockets to Israel is an act of war and must be met with decisive force.
    Hamas does not respect ceasefire agreements.

    1. Israel has the right to depend herself but she must be discriminating in fighting the hamas and not to include civilians and UN facility where children and innocent people reside.

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