This week I went away for few days, to Bouar, to build glass walls for St.Elie’s chapel and to meet with representative of 3 religious communities
(Catholics, Protestants and Muslims).
Trip was ok, usual gags with rebels. In Baoro they stopped me and asked me the same formalities….I played dumb, told them to get pen and paper and write down my details. They said that’s not what they needed. They wanted money. I replied formalities are just writing down personal details. Then I asked if they actually had a notepad and if they could actually write? They got annoyed and let me go.
The work on the glass walls went ok, just a couple of cuts, and the meeting was amazing. Here’s the recap and final message: on the 19th of July 2013, as per Bouar’s Vicar Abbe Mirek, representatives from Protestant, Muslim and Catholic communities met in the Maison de Jeunes. 31 presents. Several topics: pray together, exchange or point of view and our thoughts on the current situation, create a common platform amongst religious leaders and cast a common message to people, authorities and rebels. Meeting started at 8.30 am with a moment of prayer held by a Protestant, a Catholic and a Muslim. After that everyone introduced themselves and Father Aurelio, as facilitator, began with meeting. He said when there’s a fire in a village, everyone comes to help out. Even those who just had a fight. So in the same way with this crisis it’s important that faithful men and women join together for peace.
Every
situation, even the ugliest, brings some positive elements, in this case the
possibility to gather despite our differences. This crisis will help us be
united! Father Aurelio draw the
attention to shared points amongst Christians and Muslims. Both believe in a
god that want us to take care of each other and to pay attention to suffering.
God’s law is against violence. Finally he highlighted that the risk of tension
between religious community has sensibly increased with the rebel’s arrival
(majority speak Arabic and are Muslim) After
a short break, allowing people to get to know one another, we divided in 3
groups and discussed about religious figures, the situation in this country,
justice, education , rebels Seleka, lack of authority figures and tension
between different faiths. After 45
minutes each group presented their outcome.
Finally, around 11.30 we created a small commission made of 2 representative
for each community: Father Bassala Ferdinand and Dakabo-Kette Jeovin
(Protestants) Sister Felicité Saidou and Bayere Jacques (Catholics)
Abdourahmane Goni and Oumarou Sanda (Muslims)
The meeting was over, but the commission will plan more. At 3 pm they introduce
the Religious Leader Platform to the Republic District Attorney in Bouar
(he’s at the moment the highest state figure)
On Saturday morning, 20th of July they edited a message that will be red
out to all churches and mosques. They organised a prayer day on the 12th of august
( Independence Eve ) Protestants, Catholics and Muslims will merge in the
Stadium and pray together. Also in the afternoon of the 20th the commission
brought a message to Seleka Rebels: * * MESSAGE
E ye gui Siriri we want for nothing but Peace! Bouar’s Religious Leaders
Message We, Bouar’s men and women
of faith, Protestants, Catholics and Muslims, met on the 19th of July
2013 to answer to our conscience plea about the country’s situation and Bouar
in particular. Our faith in God, either if Christians or Muslims, demands to
pay attention to sufferings of our brothers and sisters, surrounded by war
since many months. No creed, either Christian or Muslim allows violence,
murder, theft, robbery, rape. We firmly condemn all of those. We ask forgiveness for all our devoted either
Christians or Muslims that did wrong. For those who stole, looted, killed,
intimidated. For those who took advantage to get rich or to vindicate
themselves. this country has peacefully
coexisted for a long time, we do not want it to fall in the nightmare of ethnic
or religious war. We therefore make a
plea:
*To our
brothers and sister in faith:* ·
We invite
you all to God’s faith and His law and to coherence. If all believers follow
His law there wouldn’t be any war! We remind you that God entrusted us the
Creation and every one of us needs to take responsibility for this country and
for our brothers and sisters who suffer. We ask to all our communities to open
and commit to a heart conversion, prerequisite of any external change. For all of us, Christians and Muslims, we
exhort you to work towards forgiveness and reconciliation, in order to keep
Ethnic or Religious tension faraway.
*To the
Authority* ·
We invite you to rapidly regain your role and
purpose! Ruling of law is a prerequisite for Peace. We remind to all civil
authorities your duty to listen to your conscience, everyone has to answer
directly to God not only for the wrong they did but also for the good they
didn’t want to do. We remind that every
woman and every man who believes in God and who has public responsibilities
needs to respect their faith and God’s law.
Civil servants or military personnel we exhort you to pay respect to the
oath you solemnly sworn, to be honest and to be of service and to have a
respectful attitude towards all people, whatever their ethnicity, religion,
sex, political view. Some national
matters are more sensitive than others: Education and Healthcare in particular.
The State has a specific duty to pay its employees. Also employees must go back
to work, so trust and respect will be restored!
** *To Seleka Individuals (Rebels)* ·
As
religious authorities we pray for your conversion to stop this endless series
of crimes, murders, rapes and plunders. ·
Please respect God’s law, an through good will,
this violence and hatred will transform in love, justice and peace. · We ask to armed
men to respect every person, to respect the State and its functionaries.
Respect for all, especially women, children and sick people! · We remind
Seleka rebels that the State must get back to work and needs resources both
financial and human. The development of a country is never through weapons,
theft or plunder!
*To all
Women:*
All of us,
either Christians or Muslims recognize women did often suffering the most
throughout the population. As daughters, mothers, wives you carry an enormous
burden. We wish for all of you a dignified life, we pray that your sons,
brothers, husbands will find the joy for a dignified life, helped by your
prayers and your faith in God’s law.
** *To our young generation:*
In order to live in CAR, today, you need a lot
of courage! After the recent events this country sunk into misery. It is hard
to keep up the hope! We give forth once more the believers hope, so you don’t
get disheartened, but you’ll commit to rebuild this country! Do not go after violence, vendetta, easy
money, theft, rape, drugs, weapons! These are paths to death. Follow wholeheartedly education, that will
give you a chance for a better future. Find passion about work!
Finally to all parents we say: think about
your children’s future, send them off to school. It is in their right and also
a duty! God bless these efforts to
reinstate Peace, Justice and social cohesion in this continent, especially in
CAR.
