IRAQ REFLECTION: A more powerful witness
December 10th, 2008
in:
CPTnet
10 December 2008
IRAQ REFLECTION: A more powerful witness
by Peggy Gish
“What are you doing here as Christians?” one man asked after we introduced ourselves as members of Christian Peacemaker Teams. Three members of the Iraq team were leading a one-day nonviolence and reconciliation workshop in Suleimaniya for fifteen young adult leaders from the conservative Muslim city of Halubja.
We explained that our purpose is not to push our faith on them. We generally don’t initiate speaking to Muslims here about Christianity. Our work involves looking for ways to reduce violence, support local people who are using nonviolent ways of dealing with the problems, and help victims of violence in their society.
“But why would your organization put the word “Christian” in your name?” another one questioned us further, implying that doing so is offensive to Iraqi Muslims. “This is our identity,” we answered. “We do this work because of our faith and out of our faith. You get the strength to do your work out of your Muslim faith, and we get the strength to do our work from our Christian faith.”
They asked about the work we have done in Iraq throughout the past six years, (exposing the abuse of prisoners, working along side Muslim organizations seeking reconciliation between ethnic groups, accompanying groups of people who were threatened, etc.)
Then the questions shifted to some of us being American. “Why are you working here, when there is a lot of violence in your country?” one participant asked. “Yes, there is a lot of violence in America, and when we are there, we are among those working to stop it,” we answered. “One of the reasons we are here is because it is our country that has initiated the war in Iraq and has caused a lot of damage to your society. We want to be a different kind of presence, a healing one.”
“While the Kurdish people were being gassed by Saddam, the U.S. did nothing to help us. They have treated our people very badly in occupying our country. It is only when they wanted to justify starting a war here that they speak out about our suffering,” one said. “Yes,” we responded, “our nation has failed you and caused you much suffering. That is one reason we are here. Most people in America don’t know about the violence you have experienced . When we are home, we tell our people about what is happening here, which helps many of them speak out and push our government to change its policies.”
So much of what the people of Iraq have heard and experienced has been the hypocrisy of Western leaders and nations or a distorted version of Christianity that has resulted in military and economic aggression in their country and around the world. Christian groups have emphasized saying the right words about God too much or equated witnessing to one’s faith, with speech. A more powerful witness is when the “word becomes flesh” and the Spirit of Christ is visible in our actions and lives.
10 December 2008
IRAQ REFLECTION: A more powerful witness
by Peggy Gish
“What are you doing here as Christians?” one man asked after we introduced ourselves as members of Christian Peacemaker Teams. Three members of the Iraq team were leading a one-day nonviolence and reconciliation workshop in Suleimaniya for fifteen young adult leaders from the conservative Muslim city of Halubja.
We explained that our purpose is not to push our faith on them. We generally don’t initiate speaking to Muslims here about Christianity. Our work involves looking for ways to reduce violence, support local people who are using nonviolent ways of dealing with the problems, and help victims of violence in their society.
“But why would your organization put the word “Christian” in your name?” another one questioned us further, implying that doing so is offensive to Iraqi Muslims. “This is our identity,” we answered. “We do this work because of our faith and out of our faith. You get the strength to do your work out of your Muslim faith, and we get the strength to do our work from our Christian faith.”
They asked about the work we have done in Iraq throughout the past six years, (exposing the abuse of prisoners, working along side Muslim organizations seeking reconciliation between ethnic groups, accompanying groups of people who were threatened, etc.)
Then the questions shifted to some of us being American. “Why are you working here, when there is a lot of violence in your country?” one participant asked. “Yes, there is a lot of violence in America, and when we are there, we are among those working to stop it,” we answered. “One of the reasons we are here is because it is our country that has initiated the war in Iraq and has caused a lot of damage to your society. We want to be a different kind of presence, a healing one.”
“While the Kurdish people were being gassed by Saddam, the U.S. did nothing to help us. They have treated our people very badly in occupying our country. It is only when they wanted to justify starting a war here that they speak out about our suffering,” one said. “Yes,” we responded, “our nation has failed you and caused you much suffering. That is one reason we are here. Most people in America don’t know about the violence you have experienced . When we are home, we tell our people about what is happening here, which helps many of them speak out and push our government to change its policies.”
So much of what the people of Iraq have heard and experienced has been the hypocrisy of Western leaders and nations or a distorted version of Christianity that has resulted in military and economic aggression in their country and around the world. Christian groups have emphasized saying the right words about God too much or equated witnessing to one’s faith, with speech. A more powerful witness is when the “word becomes flesh” and the Spirit of Christ is visible in our actions and lives.
