On Sunday, December 3, an eve of chanting for the children of Gaza was held at Karam Imsih Hall, near the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Tla’ Al-‘ Ali, western Amman, under the patronage of Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Jamal D’aibes.
The eve, presented by children with cancer, was organized by the “Irada Rouh” Foundation for Human Resources Development, in cooperation with the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan.
During the eve, Bishop Jamal D’aibes recalled his visit to the Latin School and the Rosary School in Gaza three years ago at a time when he served as secretary general of Christian Schools in Palestine, and director general of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Palestine. In an emotional statement, he said that our beloved children in Gaza are wonderful and deserve all our praise. He also expressed his great sadness at the news of the martyrdom of a number of children who were attending those schools. The bishop also expressed his love for the children who, along with their families, presented chanting and a musical performance that painted the most beautiful pictures of national and human solidarity.
For his part, CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader said, “These days, everyone calls for peace, and everyone contributes according to one’s ability to restore peace and achieve independence. We do not have political solutions in this hall. We, of course, rally behind the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, who calls for an immediate cessation of the aggression, the provision of aid to the afflicted, and reaching a final solution to the Israeli occupation, by concluding a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on establishing an independent state on Palestinian soil with noble Jerusalem as its capital. However, we support all these Royal efforts with prayer, hope, and we support them today with chants calling for the attainment of justice and peace to the tune of the children who are suffering twice: The first one because they are ill and we pray for their speedy recovery, and the second one because they are pained for the children of their age in the suffering land of Gaza.“
The program coordinator, Ms. Fadia Nayef Haddad, said that the church’s holding of this initiative provides evidence of the national cohesion among all citizens which we are proud of all the time.
As for founder of the “Irada Rouh” Foundation for Human Resources Development Mrs. Ibtisam Al-Jadoua, she said,”the foundation, that was launched at this time in 2017, sheds light on the morale and the suffering of children with cancer, who never succumb to this malicious disease, as it is no longer linked to death, no matter how severe it is, because it contains the will to life, the will to attain peace, and the will for healing. From this premise, we have directed the attention of children to the suffering of their brothers and sisters, and especially to their peers in Gaza. They got ready to practise weekly so as to perform these patriotic songs led by the musician Yazan Abu Marcel. We hope that we will contribute in this way to establishing peace and help cease the aggression conducted against the Gaza Strip and entire Palestine, especially as we are on the threshold of the new year, which we hope will be a year of goodness, blessings, and healing for our beloved children and for all of Palestine from the disease of occupation.
The event was attended by Fr. Wajdi Twal, Fr. Ala’ Ba’ir, nuns, members of the Pastoral Council of the Scared Heart of Jesus Church in Tla’ Al-‘Ali, scouts, the Love Committee Group, and Ms. Suhair Anastas, who came from Gaza after living for 40 days under the bombardment in the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. She has earlier participated in the Palestinian delegation that met with His Holiness Pope Francis in the Vatican. The patron of the event presented her with an honorary shield, in addition to the shields presented to those who deserve them.
By Munir Bayouk/ en.aboun.org
