‘IN THEIR OWN WORDS’
A Conversation with Christian Leaders from the Holy Land
SADAKA – the Ireland Palestine Alliance, Christian Aid and Trócaire invite you to this special public event which is part of the first ever Ireland-wide speaking tour by senior Palestinian church leaders.
When: Friday 26th November, 7.30pm
Where: Smock Alley Theatre Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar, Dublin 8
The main aim of the tour is to raise awareness of the grave and increasing plight of the Christian community in Palestine, as well as the Palestinian population as a whole, who are living under Israeli military occupation.
All are welcome!
Book your free place: E: info@sadaka.ie; Tel: 01 6694707
The senior church leaders coming to Ireland are:
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church
Monsignor Manuel Musallam of the Latin Catholic Church
Mr. Constantine Dabbagh of the Middle East Council of Churches
As you may see from the biographies below, these men are of highly significant stature in religious and socio-political terms – not just in Palestine, but also in a global context.
‘We Palestinian Christians declare that the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity’. KAIROS
Palestine Background to the visit to Ireland of three senior church leaders from Palestine:
The tour is a Sadaka initiative, organised in partnership with Trocaire and Christian Aid. The primary purpose of the tour is to raise awareness of the grave and increasing plight of the Christian community in Palestine, particularly in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. The tour aims to give voice to the Palestinian people as a whole, engage with political and religious leaders in Ireland and highlight the current political and human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
. The religious leaders’ engagements in Ireland include a courtesy call with President Mary McAleese at Aras an Uachtarain and meetings with Mr. Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs; leaders of the 4 main Christian churches and the First and Deputy First Ministers in the NI Assembly among others. There will also be a presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, receptions to be hosted by the Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Palestinian Delegation to Ireland, a visit to the Michael Davitt Museum and the celebration of an ecumenical service in Ballintubber Abbey in Co. Mayo.
The tour begins on the 24th December – updates will be uploaded to the Sadaka website during the tour – so please check out the site for the latest news: www.sadaka.ie
Biographical Information:
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna, Greek Orthodox Church – Archbishop Theodosius (Atallah) Hanna was born in 1965 in the village of Al Rameh, Galilee district, Israel. He was ordained in 1991 and since that time has held many prominent positions within the structures of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, including spokesman for the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. He held the position of Secretary General of the Clerical Lay Joint Council of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and was appointed Professor of Church History and Arab Civilisation at the Arab Teachers College in Haifa. He is the founder of the Orthodox Youth Movement in Jerusalem and the Holy Land and is an active member of the international ecumenical movement both at local and regional level. Alongside his work towards Christian unification, he is a representative at the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. Throughout the Holy Land he is regarded as one of its most prominent religious and spiritual leaders. On the 1st December 2005 he was unanimously elected by the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem as Archbishop of Sebastia (Nablus district).
Monsignor Manuel Musallam, Latin Catholic Church – Ten years older than the state of Israel, Monsignor Musallam has witnessed enormous changes in his lifetime and has had to cope with supporting his people through their extraordinary circumstances under Israeli occupation. He served as the parish priest in Gaza until his retirement in 2009. During his time there, Monsignor Manuel became known as the ‘Priest of the Million’, in recognition of his unfailing care and concern for both Christian and Muslim alike.
Mr Constantine Dabbagh, Middle East Council of Churches – Mr. Constantine Dabbagh was born in Jerusalem in 1938, and in the midst of fierce fighting in 1947, fled as a refugee to the Gaza strip. During his life he has worked for United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Gaza, and for the United Nations in the Republic of Congo (now Zaire). He has consistently advocated non-violence amidst living conditions that clearly have become a humanitarian crisis. His personal and professional dialogue of justice, peace, security, mutual understanding and reconciliation has involved him in critical negotiations between political factions within Palestine, and the Palestinian Authority and the international community. Constantine directs the provision of health, education and community services which care for the predominantly Muslim population of Gaza. In particular, the services focus on mothers and babies, vocational education and the provision of psycho-social health services to an increasingly traumatised population.
For more information on the church leaders and the tour itinerary, please go to
We look forward to welcoming you on 26th November,
Marie Crawley On behalf of the Board of SADAKA
SADAKA – the Ireland Palestine Alliance, Fitzwilliam Hall, Fitzwilliam Place Dublin 2
T: 01 6694707
E:info@sadaka.ie
Irish in gaza 