Tiffin Franciscan shares experiences with Palestinians |
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Written by TIFFIN FRANCISCAN SISTER CAROL POTHAST, Glandorf St. John Pastoral Associate
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Sunday, 13 April 2008 19:00 |
GLANDORF—Tiffin Franciscan Sister Paulette Schroeder presented her experience in the Mideast: “What’s This All About: Israel and Palestine?” at Glandorf St. John March 10.
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Tiffin Franciscan Sister Paulette Schroeder reacts to Glandorf St. John eighth-grader Mathias Klausing as he models Arab garb. Sr. Schroeder recently returned from spending time with Palestinian people in the Mideast. (Photo courtesy of Glandorf St. John)
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Sr. Schroeder, who lived with Palestinian people for a month, shared her experience through a PowerPoint presentation in which she commented on the immense disparity between the news Americans hear through our media and the actual situation in Palestine.
While presenting this same program to eighth-graders in the morning, Sr. Schroeder asked: “What is the first word you think of when you hear the word ‘Arab’?” In each of the three classes she visited the word “terrorist” came to students’ minds immediately. That response exemplifies why Sr. Schroeder is passionate about putting real faces on the Palestinian people whom she characterizes as simple farmers, shepherds and vegetable growers.
Sr. Schroeder uses every possible opportunity to inform people about the very difficult oppressive situation the Palestinian families are asked to live in: a 25-foot high wall dividing them from Israel, frequent closures of their businesses, curfews which often result in detainments, lack of mobility, inaccessibility to their farmland and family living some miles away, limits put on educational opportunities and difficulty in getting medical services for children and mothers.
Day after day, through harassment and public humiliation, says Sr. Schroeder, the Palestinian people are reminded of their second-class status to the Jews in a land that is also the land of Palestinian ancestors, holy prophets, patriarchs and matriarchs.
Sr. Schroeder spoke, too, of the dissatisfaction of many Israelis with their present government. She spoke of 26 Israeli groups, such as those who organized a food convoy to the Gazan Palestinians. Seven tons of food were delivered to these hungry people whose borders had been shut by the Israeli government.
A lady from Sederot, a small Israeli village receiving qassam fire from Gaza on a regular basis, spoke during this convoy rally and said: “I don’t trust Hamas. I don’t trust Israel. But it does my heart good to see Arabs, Jews, Christians working together for the people of Gaza. I know they hurt too.”
That sentiment is the heartfelt desire of Sr. Schroeder, too, as she hopes to continue her work as a Christian peacemaker in Palestine in September.
“We are all sons and daughters of God — one loved as much as the next,” she says. “All the violence and injustice in the world alienates, creates rage, revenge, and suicide bombers. Each of us needs to become informed, to advocate for justice with our own government, which supplies Israel with $11 million a day for its ‘security’ needs. We must envision a world without weapons … and then work from there.”
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Last Updated on Monday, 22 September 2008 09:12 |
