MK254
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- May 11, 2013
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Wengi wamehojiwa na kusema kwa walivyopokewa yaani hawajaona upendo kama huo kwa muda mrefu.
Hongereni sana Wakristo kwenye hilo kanisa, waonyesheni inawezekana kuishi na watu bila kuwachinja kwa jina Mungu, na kwamba dini inapaswa kuwa kitovu cha amani na utulivu.....
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The Church of Saint Porphyrius has become a sanctuary for those displaced by Israeli bombing, across all faiths.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, Gaza on January 6, 2023 [Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]
Gaza City – When an Israeli air raid destroyed Walaa Sobeh’s house and much of her neighbourhood, the Palestinian Muslim sought shelter in Gaza’s oldest church.
At the Church of Saint Porphyrius, she found not just sanctuary, but a feeling of belonging to “one family” — united by both the terror of bombs exploding around them and a hope that they could survive Israel’s attacks.
So she telephoned other relatives in north Gaza and asked them to make their way to the church, too. Sobeh and her family are among hundreds of Palestinians across different faiths who have found safety — at least for now — at the church.
At a time when the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza have sparked a surge in Islamophobia in parts of the world, the Greek Orthodox church has emerged as an emblem of a deeper identity as Palestinians.
“We are here living the day, not sure if we can make it to the night. But what eases our pain is the humble and warm spirit of everyone around,” Sobeh said. She described receiving “enormous support from the priests and other people in the church who volunteer tirelessly around the clock to help the displaced families”.
So far, the church has escaped Israeli missiles.
“The Israeli military has bombed many places of sanctuary,” said Father Elias, a priest at Saint Porphyrius, adding that he was “not sure that Israel won’t bomb the church”, even though it provides shelter for hundreds of civilians.
Israeli bombs have hit several mosques and schools sheltering people whose homes have been blown up.
Any strike on the church “would not only be an attack on religion, which is a vile deed, but also an attack on humanity”, Father Elias said. “Our humanity calls us to offer peace and warmth to everyone in need.”
Palestinian Orthodox Christians attend Christmas mass at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City on January 7, 2023 [Mohammed Saber/EPA]
www.aljazeera.com
Hongereni sana Wakristo kwenye hilo kanisa, waonyesheni inawezekana kuishi na watu bila kuwachinja kwa jina Mungu, na kwamba dini inapaswa kuwa kitovu cha amani na utulivu.....
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The Church of Saint Porphyrius has become a sanctuary for those displaced by Israeli bombing, across all faiths.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, Gaza on January 6, 2023 [Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]
Gaza City – When an Israeli air raid destroyed Walaa Sobeh’s house and much of her neighbourhood, the Palestinian Muslim sought shelter in Gaza’s oldest church.
At the Church of Saint Porphyrius, she found not just sanctuary, but a feeling of belonging to “one family” — united by both the terror of bombs exploding around them and a hope that they could survive Israel’s attacks.
So she telephoned other relatives in north Gaza and asked them to make their way to the church, too. Sobeh and her family are among hundreds of Palestinians across different faiths who have found safety — at least for now — at the church.
At a time when the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza have sparked a surge in Islamophobia in parts of the world, the Greek Orthodox church has emerged as an emblem of a deeper identity as Palestinians.
“We are here living the day, not sure if we can make it to the night. But what eases our pain is the humble and warm spirit of everyone around,” Sobeh said. She described receiving “enormous support from the priests and other people in the church who volunteer tirelessly around the clock to help the displaced families”.
So far, the church has escaped Israeli missiles.
“The Israeli military has bombed many places of sanctuary,” said Father Elias, a priest at Saint Porphyrius, adding that he was “not sure that Israel won’t bomb the church”, even though it provides shelter for hundreds of civilians.
Israeli bombs have hit several mosques and schools sheltering people whose homes have been blown up.
Any strike on the church “would not only be an attack on religion, which is a vile deed, but also an attack on humanity”, Father Elias said. “Our humanity calls us to offer peace and warmth to everyone in need.”
‘War knows no religion’: Gaza’s oldest church shelters Muslims, Christians
The Church of Saint Porphyrius has become a sanctuary for those displaced by Israeli bombing, across all faiths.
