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Cholera call to action

14 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's first reading the prophet Isaiah proclaims glad tidings to the poor and liberty to captives. As the people of Zimbabwe, trapped in poverty and virtual political captivity, suffer a growing cholera crisis, world aid organizations and church and political leaders are starting to call for the forcible removal from power of President Robert Mugabe. The World Health Organization said Sunday that close to 14,000 cholera cases had been reported in the African nation, and 589 people had already died. This week the United Nations Children's Fund in Zimbabwe said it was preparing to deal with a possible 60,000 cases of cholera in coming weeks. Raila Odinga, the Kenyan prime minister, urged the African Union to call an emergency meeting to authorize sending troops into Zimbabwe and said Mugabe's actions deserved investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, the second highest figure in the Church of England, said: "The time to remove them from power has come. Robert Mugabe and his henchmen must now take their rightful place in The Hague and answer for their actions." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak endangered the whole of southern Africa. "I am still really appalled at the inability of the international community to deal with tyrants. Robert Mugabe should have gone a long time ago," she said. Zimbabwe Health Minister David Parirenyatwa spoke against politicizing the outbreak. "Cholera affects everyone and it does not chose between Zanu-PF and MDC supporters," he said, referring to Mugabe's party and the Movement for Democratic Change led by his rival Morgan Tsvangirai. Source: Articles by Tristan Stewart-Robertson for The Scotsman, Agence France Press, and Ekklesia.co.uk

zimbabwe condoleezza rice john sentamu international criminal court raila odinga united nations childrens fund world health organization robert mugabe cholera david parirenyatwa
Syrian uprising takes more violent turn

12 Jun 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Twice in this Sunday’s Pentecost Day gospel the risen Lord wishes his disciples peace. What had been largely a peaceful protest movement against the Syrian government became decidedly more violent this week when an estimated 120 people, including up to 80 security-force members, were killed in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour. Government and opposition representatives offered conflicting accounts of what transpired. State television said on Monday the policemen were killed by "armed gangs" of protestors. But activists on the scene and a statement on Facebook signed the "residents of Jisr al-Shughur" said "the deaths among soldiers and police were the consequence of defections in the army" when the security forces were shot by government troops after they refused to open fire on civilians. Syrians who first took to the streets peacefully in mid-March initially demanded democratic reform. But as the government has responded to the swelling demonstrations with escalating force, the leaderless and largely spontaneous protest movement has rallied around calls for the outright toppling of the regime. "As the death toll in Syria reaches staggering new heights, it is imperative that the U.N. Security Council--which has so far been silent on this issue--votes to condemn the killings," said Philip Luther of Amnesty International. "It must also take decisive action and refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court," he said. Such a resolution is reportedly in the works. Sources: Articles by Liz Sly for the Washington Post, Danica Kirkafor the Associated Press, and Agence France Presse

international criminal court protests united nations security council amnesty international syria philip luther jisr al-shughur
Courtly gesture aims to annul Jesus’ condemnation

04 Aug 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Though Jesus did not come to judge, as he makes clear in this Sunday’s gospel, he himself was condemned to die. Now a Kenyan lawyer is on a quixotic quest to overturn Pontius Pilate's court ruling, though he wants to keep the faith that flowed from it. "The selective and malicious prosecution [of Jesus] violated his human rights," said Dola Indidis, a Roman Catholic who is petitioning the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, to nullify Jesus' conviction and death sentence.Indidis, a former spokesman for the Kenyan judiciary, accuses Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Judea, of "judicial misconduct, abuse of office, bias, and prejudice." That may well be so, but getting a court to rule on a 2,000-year-old case from an outlying province in a long-defunct empire will not be easy.Indidis first brought his case before the Kenyan High Court in Nairobi in 2007, but the court refused to hear it, saying it lacked jurisdiction. Now he is turning to the International Court of Justice, often referred to as the World Court, best known for ruling on territorial disputes between members of the United Nations. Officials at The Hague would not confirm or deny that they have received a petition.But Indidis seems undeterred and points to the example of Joan of Arc, the 15th-century saint who led the French to major victories against the English before she was captured and burned at the stake. A quarter-century after Joan's death her conviction was overturned by a papal court, and in 1920 she was canonized.Homily hint: Although Indidis’ crusade may bring a smile to people's faces, it still causes us to ponder why a man who “did good wherever he went” was put to death in a world filled with suffering and starving for redemption. As one commentator said of Jesus' Crucifixion, “This is what God’s love looks like when offered to a sinful and violent world.” Source: An article by Fredrick Nzwili for Religion News Service

international criminal court judicial misconduct pontius pilate dola indidis international court of justice