Among many US Catholics, there is a feeling (sometimes unstated and perhaps unconscious) that what goes on in Israel-Palestine is not ‘our’ issue. It’s framed as a Jewish-Muslim conflict that we can observe from a distance but that doesn’t really affect us.
I observed this sense on a pilgrimage to Israel and the West Bank in early 2020, and have felt it even more this week, when Catholic Twitter has largely been very quiet on the events in Jerusalem and beyond.
But the long-standing oppression of the Palestinians by the Israeli state and settler orgs, with silence and support of the US, is something that Catholics need to begin seeing as ‘our’ issue, too.
One reason why is bc there are Palestinian Catholics! They, like Muslim Palestinians, face the routine killings, land confiscation, travel bans, exile, systematic humiliation & more by Israel. We need to listen to & uplift the voices of Catholic Palestinians in our circles
More importantly, even if there were no Christian Palestinians, the cause of establishing justice in the Holy Land should be one we commit to firmly. We must push for equal rights for Xians, Jews, & Muslims there, so the dignity of all is honored. There are many ways to do this.
I commit to sharing more about what I have witnessed personally in Israel-Palestine, esp in the West Bank. Sometimes I’ve been hesitant to say more bc I don't want to create tension or alienate myself.
But Catholics in the US really don’t know what the status quo is like, so it’s important to shed light on it. Violence against Palestinians is a constant, but it typically only makes headlines here when Jewish Israelis are harmed or killed. The loss of each life is a travesty.
My heart is heavy this week, seeing the news of recent violence but also remembering the years—in fact, decades—of violence & oppression that are intimately connected w the events currently unfolding in the Holy Land. Merciful God, empower us to enact justice & grant us peace!

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More from @jordandenari

11 May
This weekend I received the advance copy of my new book on Islamophobia, which releases next week. It looks GREAT!

A lot of thought went into the cover. It features an Islamic geometric pattern of interlocking stars & crosses, an artistic motif that Christians also adopted.
The eight-pointed star has historically been a symbol of Islam, and the cross is a central symbol of the faith for Christians. The pattern is a Rorschach test of sorts—which symbol do you see first?
I also chose the pattern to symbolize the way our two faith communities are connected. Often we construct our identities over & against the other, but we also can recognize how much we need each other, how the beauty of one doesn't take away from that of the other.
Read 4 tweets
23 Apr
Georgetown undergrads #onhere, I'll be teaching an Intro to Islam course in the fall. If you're interested, sign up for THEO 050-01, which will meet MW 3:30-4:45. Spread the word!
Description: "Twenty years after September 11, 2001 and a rise in Islamophobia, Islam remains a deeply misunderstood religion. This course introduces students to the diversity and depth of the Islamic religious tradition, and how it is lived by 1.8 billion Muslims globally..."
"The course will look at the Qur’an, Islamic prayer, the place of the Prophet Muhammad in Muslim spirituality, art and architecture, Islamic law, interreligious relations between Muslims and other groups, and more..."
Read 6 tweets
23 Apr
Today is the Feast of St. George, also known as Al-Khidr in Arabic. He is revered in both Christian and Muslim spirituality and brings our two communities together in beautiful ways, esp in the Middle East.
The above photo is from a shrine to St. George in Mahis, Jordan. On May 6th each year, Christians and Muslims visit the shrine and an Orthodox Mass is held. Here a Muslim woman and my Catholic friend, Elham, are speaking to the local bishop.
These are the ruins of a church dedicated to St. George in Amman in Jabal al-Weibdeh. This is where I happened to meet Osama, a young Muslim man who became a friend and dialogue partner while I lived in Amman.
Read 8 tweets
8 Mar
This report contains what, to me, are some of Francis' most profound and theologically rich reflections on Muslim-Christian dialogue to date. Reported by @gerryorome. #CatholicMuslimBridge americamagazine.org/faith/2021/03/…
"Many times one has to risk to take this step forward [in the dialogue]...There are some critics who say the pope is not courageous; he is mindless [incosciente], that he does things that are contrary to the Catholic doctrine, that it is a heretical step, that there are risks.”
The pope emphasized that Christians must understand that with Muslims, “we are brothers, and we must continue forward [in the dialogue] with the other religions.”
Read 7 tweets
7 Mar
Excerpts from Pope Francis' amazing, tear-jerking address at the interreligious meeting in Ur, birthplace of Abraham. #PopeFrancisInIraq #CatholicMuslimBridge vatican.va/content/france…
"In those stars, Abraham saw the promise of his descendants; he saw us. Today we, Jews, Christians and Muslims, together with our brothers and sisters of other religions, honour our father Abraham by doing as he did: we look up to heaven and we journey on earth."
"Those same stars...illumine the darkest nights because they shine *together.* ...The Almighty above invites us never to separate ourselves from our neighbours. The otherness of God points us towards others, towards our brothers & sisters."
Read 13 tweets
6 Jan
We’re just a few months away from publication of my new book, #Islamophobia_WhatChristiansShouldKnow.
Here’s a thread to give you a chapter-by-chapter preview.
Full title: ‘Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination.’ Will be published with @OrbisBooks in May 2021.
Intro: Why Christians are called to care about Islamophobia and why I have written this book. I address hesitancies and skepticism that some readers may have, and explain why this isn't an Islam 101 book.
Read 23 tweets

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