Reconciliation Ministry seeks to Empower Middle Eastern Women

Reconciliation Ministry seeks to Empower Middle Eastern Women

By Michael Ireland, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service  -- www.assistnews.net

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (ANS, June 29, 2016) --The history of the Middle East is a study in conflict, a chronicle of conquerors and pilgrims, of prophets and saviors.

Musalaha Reconciliation Ministry has brought Israelis and Palestinians together for over two decades, promoting reconciliation as demonstrated in the life and teaching of Jesus. Musalaha is a non-profit organization that promotes reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

According to the Musalaha website www.musalaha.org, “We advocate and facilitate reconciliation encounters among Palestinian and Israeli believers based on the life and teaching of Jesus. Just as Jesus himself reached out beyond his own ethnic community, we seek to impact our societies with his message of reconciliation through bridge building efforts between Muslims, Christians and Jews according to the common values and reconciliation principles contained in all three Abrahamic faiths.”

Musalaha says: “The realities of our current situation are complex religiously, socially, politically and spiritually, and still we greet one another with the word ‘peace.’ Is it possible for those Palestinians and Israelis who desire to remain true to their Palestinian or Israeli identity, history, and nationality, to also live as neighbors free of hostility, bitterness, and fear?”

These questions are part of the struggles that Israeli and Palestinian believers must also face. Reconciliation has become a central issue within the body of the Messiah here in the land, and believers are compelled to deal with it on many different levels.

Nineteen years ago, Musalaha (which means reconciliation in Arabic) was established by Salim J. Munayer when he acted upon his vision to see true peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Since then, an executive board of an equal number of Palestinian and Israeli community and church leaders has led this ministry of reconciliation in taking steps towards overcoming these huge obstacles.

“It is our belief that Christ’s death and resurrection are the foundation of reconciliation, and that forgiveness and healing can only come through following His example and obeying His word. We hope to emulate and teach Christ’s model of forgiveness, mercy, and love, breaking down the walls of enmity that so easily embitter and ensnare,” the website states.

The Musalaha Women’s Department seeks to empower women in different segments of Israeli and Palestinian societies to become agents of reconciliation and to bring change into our respective communities.

Women play a critical role in the processes of peace and reconciliation, however most Middle Eastern cultures do not encourage the participation of women in the political, socio-economic arenas and even within the infrastructure of the church.

The ministry says it is a well-established fact that prejudice and intolerance, as well as tolerance and understanding, are learned behaviors that first develop in the home. “Women, especially in their role as mothers, have an undeniable impact on both the people in their circles of influence as well as the next generation as they raise their children and instill within them cultural values that transform their societies,” the ministry states.

Writing in an update for the ministry, Hedva Haymov says: “This weekend, June 17-18, was a highlight in my work in reconciliation. More often than not, recruiting for events is very challenging, and in our anything-can-change last-minute culture, it is difficult to get people to commit to a weekend-long meeting. Why would people take their precious weekends to stare into a mirror, and perhaps see things that need to change?”

Haymov says: “The Ahlan women’s group is different. The women were willing to commit to the meeting, we did not have any cancellations before it started and some women drove four or more hours to be part of this weekend discussion on Listening.”

In the ministry update, Haymov writes: “We started the weekend with a barbeque, allowing families to join us for a few hours and be involved in what we are trying to accomplish. Several husbands made a grand effort to attend, and they were very encouraging to us to continue in what we are doing. Several of the women’s children of different ages played and ate and laughed as we started the barbeque.”

Ronza, Musalaha’s West Bank Women’s Coordinator, and a facilitator in the Ahlan group, took the group through a series of ice breaker games.

“Ronza is not new to running meetings, but it was her first time to lead one of Musalaha’s joint Israeli-Palestinian groups. The families enjoyed the games and we had a special opportunity to learn a little more about each other in a fun, light-hearted way,” Haymov reported..

Later, when the husbands left, the 28 women gathered and started a teaching on “Listening to the Other,” which covered how to listen without preconceived notions or judgments.

Haymov recalls: “One of our leaders-in-training, Rula, taught a wonderful lesson on putting our thoughts on hold and being present in order to be able to hear the person in front of us. This conversation will only happen once. Be in the moment. You don’t get do-overs in life, so make the most of it and listen.

“Rula also taught us not to listen in order to answer. How many times do we sit on the edge of our chairs, hoping the other person takes a break to breathe so that we can start our rebuttal? She reminded us that the person who speaks the most shows what they know, but the person who listens the most shows their wisdom. We are grateful to Rula, and to her mentor in Musalaha’s Train-the-Trainers program, who has taught her well.”

Toward the end of the conference, many of the women expressed their gratitude to have the opportunity to interact with women that they could not meet in their day-to-day life, Haymov said.

“Some women came from a small town outside of Ramallah – a place most Israelis have never heard of, let alone visited. The difference in the lifestyles of these women is dramatic. Several times I was asked specific questions about these differences, and we look forward to addressing them more in the future, after stronger relationships develop within the group.”

During the last session of the weekend, ministry leaders asked for feedback and the women were gracious with their responses.

“Some commented on the food, the location, and the welcoming atmosphere, but the thought that lingers with me was shared by an Israeli woman who said, ‘I knew I would learn something about the Palestinian culture, but I have actually also learned some things about my own culture as well.’”

Haymov concluded: “This is an astute observation and byproduct of reconciliation encounters, because when we learn about the other person, we also learn about our own responses and our own identity as a result. Everyone seemed to agree with her sentiment, and it was a good way to part, reflecting on how listening is an opportunity to learn about ourselves through learning about the other.”

Photo captions: 1) Musalaha women’s meeting (Courtesy Musalaha). 2) Michael Ireland.

About the Writer: Michael Ireland is a volunteer internet journalist serving as Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, as well as an Ordained Minister who has served with ASSIST Ministries and written for ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net) since its beginning in 1989. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China, and Russia.

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