Day 31: War in the Middle East
Israel says it has reached the coast south of Gaza. Hamas health ministry says 9700 people have died in the war. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and the West Bank. BBC headlines here
Chief Rabbi says hateful extremism must be faced down
The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has called for greater moral clarity in the public response to the war in Israel and Gaza. He appealed for moral courage to call out hateful extremism and face it down. In an article in The Times, Sir Ephraim said: “At the very moment when it should be clearer than ever what is meant by Hamas’s ‘resistance’, ‘jihad’, ‘uprising’, or ‘intifada’, more and more people are now openly calling for these things in cities across Britain and the world. This is hateful extremism. We must have the moral courage to call it by its name and to face it down”. He said moral lines in the public response to the war in Israel and Gaza were blurred. “Advocating for the welfare of innocent Palestinians must go hand in hand with a clear-eyed condemnation of the barbarity of Hamas. Indeed, it is an essential component of it”. One day after his warning, 29 people were arrested in London “for inciting racial hatred, other racially motivated crimes, violence and assaulting a police officer”.
Iranian activist stands with demonstrators calling for return of hostages
The Chief Rabbi’s naming of extremism was echoed by the Iranian human rights activist and actress, Lily Moo, who addressed a London rally on Sunday, when thousands of people waving Union Jacks and the blue-and-white Star of David called for British help to bring home the 242 Israelis abducted by Hamas on 7 October. Lily Moo has been a vocal campaigner against the Tehran government since the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the morality police in September 2022 for removing her headscarf in public and later died in custody. In her speech, Lily Moo denounced the Iranian regime, which is known to finance Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. She said the Islamic Republic “is holding my entire nation hostage and they are posing attacks on your free-living democratic nation.”
German vice chancellor condemns antisemitism 80 years on from Holocaust
The German vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, has strongly condemned antisemitism in Germany and says it must not be tolerated in any form. In a video on Twitter / X viewed more than 16 million times, he said the Islamist demonstrations in Berlin and other cities in Germany “is unacceptable and needs a tough political response”. Muslims in Germany must clearly distance themselves from antisemitism – some had, but too few: “There is no place for religious intolerance in Germany.” Praising Hamas and burning Israeli flags is a criminal offence which will lead to a court appearance and risk residence status or deportation.
Pope Francis calls Iran
Pope Francis has spoken by phone with the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which the Vatican says was at the request of Iran. The President asked the Pope to speed up the cessation of the attacks on Gaza describing the killing of almost 10,000 people as the biggest genocide of the century, “terrible and unprecedented crimes”. He said the bombing of the Gaza church and the destruction of the historical heritage of the Palestinian nation is an example of apartheid. Supporting the oppressed people of Palestine “is the practice of the teachings of all Abrahamic religions, including Christians”, the President said. In his Sunday address, Pope Francis re-iterated his call for an end to violence, to cease using weapons, to rescue the wounded and get humanitarian help to the people of Gaza
Vigil without flags
Two hundred people attended a candlelit vigil in the centre of Oxford last night, with representatives of all faiths giving readings and prayers, punctuated by the crowd singing “Blowing in the Wind”. The Oxford Mail reports that Bishop Steven Croft welcomed everyone, saying there must be no flag waving, chanting or hectoring. “We come here to pray and find peace. We are together as a community of communities.” Local MPs joined the vigil and the leader of Oxford City Council Susan Brown told the crowd: “Too many people locally are experiencing fear in our city as a result of international events”. But she said people from all communities were there together, irrespective of faith or background.
Expert help for dioceses wanting to build houses on church land
The Church of England bishop who takes the lead on housing policy, says her steering group is asking the Archbishops’ Council for funding to set up a central church development agency to offer expert help to dioceses who want to build housing on church land. Dr Guli Francis Dehqani, the bishop of Chelmsford, told the Church Times that the steering group has held meetings with MPs and housing experts to encourage a cross party response to the housing crisis. It believes that public pressure for stable, good quality housing would incentivise politicians to act. The bishop said she realised the agency idea was a small part, but it showed the church wanted to be party of the solution. Figures for people living in temporary accommodation show a ten per cent rise on last year and there are fears that the cost to local authorities of housing everyone in need will lead to more councils going bankrupt. Church Times article here
Archbishop’s powerful and emotional meeting with same sex supporters
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby faced emotionally charged sessions with supporters and opponents of same sex blessings, at back to back meetings in Lambeth Palace on Friday. The meetings were held ten days before the Church of England’s parliament votes on same sex blessings, a subject which has deeply divided the church. Two participants, Professor Helen King and Rev Colin Coward, blogged detailed accounts of the afternoon session when representatives of 34 supporters of same sex blessings had their say. The picture that emerges is of a powerful, emotional meeting where people told their stories and asked questions about the process, but frustration took over when time ran out and the Archbishop was left alone to answer all the questions. It left Helen King wondering whether the many hours she had spent on the Living in Love and Faith process over the last six years had been a complete waste of time.
Catholic bishop of Beijing to visit Hong Kong
The Catholic bishop of Beijing, Joseph Li Shan, will visit Hong Kong on 15 November at the invitation of its Cardinal Stephen Chow. The Catholic Herald reports that the five-day visit is seen as an attempt by Cardinal Chow to improve relations between the church in China and the rest of the Catholic church. There is tension after the church in China appointed bishops without Rome’s approval, contravening an agreement with the Vatican. Chow has been a cardinal only since 30 September and has frequently spoken of the need to build bridges with China.
