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Muslim-Christian Civil Society

Project Manager – Muslim-Christian Civil Society
(Full or Part-time)

Job Description  

Project Manager – Muslim Christian Civil Society (Full or Part-time)

Job level: Manager

Accountable to: Programs Director

Location: Bethlehem District

Introduction:  Established in 1990, Musalaha is a faith-based organization that teaches, trains, and facilitates reconciliation mainly between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as international groups, based on biblical principles of reconciliation.

Our Work: Musalaha’s definition of reconciliation is twofold. (1) Restoring Individual and Group Relationships – this means constructively engaging with the other side to rebuild trust and reclaiming one’s identity and narrative to be a source of goodness to one’s neighbor. This includes taking concrete steps towards a more just and peaceful environment. (2) Addressing Systematic Injustices – this means dealing with the core issues of the conflict and challenging policies, systems, legal structures, etc. that oppress people and cause an imbalance of power, which damages the ability to reconcile. While working through the process of reconciliation, Musalaha has developed a sustainable process, known as the 6 Stages of Reconciliation and a Curriculum of Reconciliation consisting of 24 chapters. Our work is implemented among women, young adults, youth, children, civil society leaders, Musalaha alumni, and other international settings around the globe.

Overarching purpose of the role:

This position must fulfill one of Musalaha’s strategic objectives: Strengthening and empowering Palestinian men and women to take an active role in Muslim-Christian reconciliation and leadership. This position must deliver on key behaviors (such as trust) in the purpose and benefit of Musalaha’s reconciliation approach to Muslim-Christian relations in Palestine. This position must aim to further intensify our reconciliation efforts amongst men and women by informing, convincing and guiding our diverse target groups.

Main aspects of this role consist of:

  • Recruit – Reach out to men and women who are interested to build new relationships, engage on sensitive subjects regarding Muslim-Christian relations in Palestine, and serve the Palestinian population in line with Musalaha’s vision of reconciliation and its relevance locally and globally.
  • Manage and Coordinate – Work with other Project Managers and team members with the purpose of successfully implementing all reconciliation-based activities for the different target groups.
  • Report – Communicate in writing and verbally with the donors sponsoring the respective projects in a professional and timely manner. This may include writing applications, reports, sections for Musalaha’s newsletter, and conducting project evaluations.

Duties, Responsibilities and Tasks:

Management

  • Provide leadership and strategic planning for Musalaha.
  • Define and implement annual goals and objectives for Musalaha.
  • Define and implement Musalaha standards, policies, and operating procedures for all aspects of Musalaha’s work.
  • Manage Musalaha participants, facilitators, and volunteers.
  • Develop and support Musalaha Civil Society group by developing the skills and effectiveness of each member of the team through individual support and supervision, appraisal, and development planning.
  • Report to the direct manager, and contribute to Musalaha’s working groups, or other parts of Musalaha’s wider work, as requested.
  • Budget preparation.
  • Meet twice with other Musalaha groups to present on FoRB (Freedom of Religion or Belief) policies in different locations.

Operational

  • To recruit Project Leaders and participants.
  • To oversee the reconciliation ‘journey’ from initial application until the last debrief and evaluation.
  • To oversee all Musalaha’s reconciliation-based activities, including accommodation, schedules, and additional programs activities.
  • Ensure constant feedback and concerns from participants and partners and act upon the feedback.
  • Coordinate and cooperate with existing reconciliation actors in the region.
  • Execute activities based on budgets.
  • To oversee and implement youth exchange programs annually.

Communication

  • Provide content to the Communication Manager ensuring external communication of projects.
  • Ensure effective internal communication within Musalaha, promoting a healthy organizational culture.
  • Provide updates on projects in weekly staff meetings.
  • Build and maintain relationships with key partners and stakeholders, including youth exchange programs.

Financial

  • Ensure all financial expenditures of the projects are filed in accordance with organizational standards.
  • Ensure all receipts are delivered to the accountant.

Essentials and Skills:

  • Commitment to the visions and work of Musalaha.
  • Commitment to Musalaha’s Code of Conduct.
  • Excellent leadership, management, and organizational skills.
  • Fluent in Arabic and English are a must.
  • Proven track record of developing an organization, with experience in cross-cultural settings, budgets, and operations.
  • Highly interpersonal and good team player.
  • Ability to inspire and motivate groups of people.

Experience:

  • 1-3 years of relevant professional experience in Project Management or lead change management.
  • Work experience in cross-cultural settings and in globally diverse teams.
  • University degree in International Relations/Political Science/, Social Science/or related field.

How to Apply:

  1. Please provide a full CV in English.
  2. Contact details of 2 references, one of whom must be your most recent employer.
  3. Provide a supporting statement (2-3 paragraphs) stating why you are applying for this post and explain how you will fulfil the requirements detailed above.

Applications should be emailed to daniel@musalaha.org using reference “(Your full name): Project Manager – Civil Society- M/C” in the subject. The closing date for applications is 5pm Jerusalem time on 31st of December 2024. If you do not hear back from us in the month of January, it means your application was unsuccessful.

 

APPOINTMENT AS NETWORK COORDINATOR FOR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

APPOINTMENT AS NETWORK COORDINATOR FOR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

April 01, 2021

We are happy to announce that our Executive Director, Dr. Salim Munayer, has accepted a new role as the Network Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa for the Peace and Reconciliation Network (PRN), an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). We are excited and encouraged with the opportunity to spread Musalaha’s vision and reconciliation model in the MENA region, and network with other actors and individuals who are working towards a more peaceful and just world. Visit the link to read the announcement:

https://worldea.org/…/peace-and-reconciliation…/….

FREEDOM FROM HATRED

FREEOM FROM HATRED

MARCH, 2021

We have elections next month, the fourth elections in two years. As a result, we are experiencing political unrest from both governmental instability and the pandemic. The good news, however, is that the vaccine seems to be working around the world (although not distributed fairly). This will allow us to eventually have meetings face-to-face. We hope this will further the process of our reconciliation work. But we are also troubled by the fact that the State of Israel is limiting the number of vaccinations in the West Bank and Gaza. Not only is this a violation of International Law and human rights, but there is also something deeply immoral in this policy. It also adds to the enmity between people and a lost opportunity to practice good will and care of neighbor.          
 
As we approach the one-year mark of the pandemic and enter the fourth round of elections in only two years, tension and instability are high and any slight provocation could escalate, causing further harm to communities already suffering. In addition to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is growing friction between secular Jews and religious Zionists, especially when it comes to the Orthodox community. Among the secular society, there is a feeling that religious Jews did not obey the pandemic regulations and that the government turned a blind eye. This anger is directed towards both the religious community for their recklessness and the government for not enforcing the rules due to political considerations.           

A recent study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (How the Haredi street turned racist and ultra-nationalist – Israel News – Haaretz.com) confirmed this tension between secular Jews and religious Zionists, as well as between Palestinians in Israel and Israeli-Jews. The study mapped the level of hatred among the various communities in the country by interviewing a nationally representative sample of Israel’s different “tribes”: secular Jews, religious Zionists, ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Palestinians living in Israel. The group that was hated the most overall by Jewish society was the Palestinians living in Israel. Around 24% of secular Jews, 42% of religious Zionists, and 66% of ultra-Orthodox Jews reported hating Palestinians living in Israel. Moreover, 49% of religious Zionists and 23% of secular Jews supported stripping Palestinians in Israel of their right to vote. Palestinians in Israel reported hating religious Zionists (22%) and ultra-Orthodox (22%). 

Internal tension between Jews was also reported in the study, with 23% of secular Jews reporting hating ultra-Orthodox Jews. The hatred between Palestinians and Israeli-Jews is a known fact but the increasing level of hatred between different segment of the Jewish society has been exacerbated during the pandemic. Hatred seems to have become the norm in our region, and it is not limited to any specific boundaries. What is worse is the lack of condemnation of such hatred by religious, political and community leaders. Unaddressed hatred leads to violence, causing damage to all aspects of society, and accelerates division and fragmentation.

These “tribes” are becoming increasingly polarized and the limited contact among the different communities only exacerbates an already desperate situation. The perils of this echo-chamber effect are that like-minded people who engage in discussions with one another tend to move toward extreme positions. For those who already hold extreme views, this dynamic may lead to much more dangerous consequences.

For this reason, reconciliation work is extremely important. We need to bring people together with the help of organizations and individuals who have experienced the dynamics of reconciliation encounters. It is vital to prevent bad reconciliation encounters, and therefore, experience and wisdom in this field is key. Despite the high levels of hatred, Musalaha is receiving more and more requests to join its programs. There are other people groups who do wish to see an alternative to the conflict and embark on the journey of reconciliation.

As we begin to prepare for the upcoming holidays of Passover and Easter, we reflect on the theme of liberation from slavery and captivity. This should serve as a reminder to liberate ourselves and others from the slavery of hatred and its captivity over our lives. We pray for the day we will celebrate our freedom from hatred.
 
– Salim J. Munayer
Musalaha Executive Director
 
 
References:

Cahill, C. (2010), ‘Why do they hate us?’ Reframing immigration through participatory action research. Area, 42: 152-161. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4762.2009.00929.x
 
Cass R. Sunstein, “Why They Hate Us: The Role of Social Dynamics Law and the War on Terrorism,” 25 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 429 (2002).

Looking Back, Being Present, Thinking Forward: GRATITUDE FOR 30 YEARS OF RECONCILIATION WITH MUSALAHA

Looking Back,Being Present, Thinking Forward: Gratitude for 30 Years of Reconciliation with Musalaha

DECEMBER 18, 2020

Usually in the Christmas updates, I detail all of the activities that had happened in the year, but this Christmas update is going to be a bit different. This is due to two main reasons: Musalaha is celebrating 30 years of reconciliation work in Palestine/Israel and this year is particularly different with the Coronavirus. While the year was indeed a success in terms of adapting to the pandemic affectively and managing to carry out most of our activities, there is much to say about 30 years of work. 

Firstly, 30 years is no small number for any organization to be active, let alone in Palestine/Israel. We have faced numerous challenges and adversities including various different political administrations, wars, an Intifada, global economic crisis and now a pandemic! Despite all of this, Musalaha has learned to adapt itself to some of the most complicated circumstances in Palestine/Israel. This was of course no easy task as Musalaha had to reinvent itself a number of times. Reconciliation was always our message and calling, but its communication and implementation had to always translate to the reality on the ground. Sadly to say, we witnessed over 30 years many peace-building, reconciliation and dialogue groups dissolve. We are truly thankful for God’s provision and guidance through the various storms. 

Secondly, we have impacted the lives of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis throughout our work. Moreover, our vision of reconciliation has also expanded to other individuals and communities around us. In its very early establishment, Musalaha focused on Palestinians and Israelis followers of Jesus, and it remained the case for a number of years. However in recent years, we have expanded the vision and work to other segments of society. This is partially due to the case that Muslims, Jews, and secular individuals have approached us and wanted to participate in our programs and learn about our curriculum of reconciliation. 

This expansion has not been confined to our local context in Palestine/Israel, but people from all over the world have engaged with us for the purpose of learning how we conduct reconciliation encounters and the important six stages of reconciliation in our curriculum. We can now say that our methods have helped reconciliation work in more than 10 countries and received academic attention. We are truly thankful for God’s wisdom and opportunities in working with the diverse people around us. 

Thirdly, 30 years is a long time, so we early pioneers of reconciliation at Musalaha are getting old! Nevertheless, a new generation of peacemakers and promotors of reconciliation are taking more and more responsibility at Musalaha. The vision and calling for reconciliation in Palestine/Israel will continue in the work of our younger generation on the board and in the organization. We already have a network of more than capable Palestinians and Israelis that are facilitating groups, advocating in their community and keen to take a step further in their personal journey of reconciliation. Training leaders in our field of work and in our context is no easy task, but the deep yearning of younger people to see change in our conflict is great. They do not accept the status quo, are keen to take initiative and are far more advance than my generation in their thinking and approach. We are truly thankful for God’s new generation of reconcilers. 

Finally, and after reflecting on the past, we look forward to our future work (especially when things go back to ‘normal’). We have two new programs that will be launched, the first is the Musalaha Academy which will be an online platform to learn about our reconciliation curriculum. This will enable all people interested in learning about reconciliation to have easy access to our material. The second program that will be launched is the Jerusalem Program, which is catered to people around the world interested in studying about conflict. In the program, Jerusalem and the many different conflicts in the city will be used as a case study for people to examine and reflect upon. We plan to have between 14 days to a month worth of high quality teaching and touring around the city, in which participants can learn valuable knowledge and skills to take to their respective context. We are truly thankful for God’s blessings and for opening new doors for activities. 

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I pray for blessings and good health for you all!     

   

Musalaha Executive Director — Salim J. Munayer

WHEN CHRISTMAS IS THREATENING

When Christmas is Threatening

DECEMBER 18, 2020

I was on my way to enter my house when a neighbour stopped me and pointed to my Christmas tree that was visible from the window, and said: “your Christmas tree is offensive to me and my family”. His tone suggested that I should take it down. I was taken back by his comment and did not know what to answer. It was the first time I had ever heard such a thing. Since when was my Christmas tree offensive? And on what grounds can he tell me what I can and cannot put in my own house or how I should observe my religious tradition? 

This was the conversation between myself, a Palestinian Christian living in the city of Jerusalem and my fellow Orthodox Jewish neighbour. The point here is not to suggest that all Israeli Jews are hostile to Christianity or decorated trees, for at the same Christmas season, I was asked by teachers to introduce the Christmas holiday in a Jewish-Israeli school my sons attended. Nevertheless, as a minority living in Palestine/Israel, these are often the encounters I have with the other two majority groups, Palestinian Muslims and Israeli Jews. 

These types of encounters encourage me to rethink what the Christmas holiday means to me as a Palestinian Christian living in the ‘Holy Land’, and how my fellow neighbours understand it as well. For us Christians in the Middle East, Christmas was always shadowed by Easter. Even in Arabic we call Easter the Big Holiday and Christmas the Little Holiday (عيد الكبير وعيد الصغير). Likewise, theologically speaking, Easter always meant more sense to us and a reason for rejoicing. The crucifixion, burial and resurrection always were central to our Palestinian Christian identity. Especially as I grow up in the Greek Orthodox Church that my forefathers built. 

I remember as a little boy receiving a package full of Christmas decorations from relatives that had immigrated to the UK. This was something completely new for us in the old Palestinian city of Lydda, for we had never decorated our home for such an occasion. The decorations were such a new element in our Christmas celebration that friends and family came from all around the city to see what we had put up in our home. This was only the beginning of the strong western influence on how we celebrate Christmas in the land Christ grew up in. 

As Christmas became such a huge phenomenon in the West and in popular culture, Jews and Muslims would always come to me asking questions about what this holiday meant and how I celebrated it. Often, my fellow Muslim neighbours would even wear Christmas hats and come to see the celebrations in Nazareth and Bethlehem. As Jesus was also a prophet in Islam, some more secular orientated Muslims would also join in the celebrations. 

All of this attention from my Jewish and Muslim neighbours, both positive and negative, forced me to explore and study the Christmas story more closely. To my surprise, the Christmas message was far more powerful and relevant to the situation in Palestine/Israel than I thought. It took me time to realise its significance and wonder. While the Christmas story preached by popular and western culture was one of comfort, simplicity and kindness, the Christmas story I discovered was unravelled in a context of discomfort, complexity and oppression. A context that I could identify a lot more as a Palestinian Christian who faces numerus challenges and as a minority who is discriminated. 

The people of Israel in the second temple period were under occupation, oppression and despair. The Roman Empire dictated every aspect of life and enforced its will by the sword. The emperor Augustus was considered a god and required worship from Roman citizens. In addition, the local Jewish leadership at the temple were fixated with maintaining the position and influence they had through negotiation with King Herod and the Romans, and by doing so, missing what God was doing through history and expecting the Messiah to overthrow the Romans with military force. Also today, people are obsessed and drawn to political power which demands a certain amount of loyalty. 

It is in this story of political, religious and social unrest that God decides to reveal himself. Moreover, he revealed himself not in the palaces or the temple of Jerusalem, but in a small household in Bethlehem. And those who attended his birth were not the elite or powerful, but the marginalised, oppressed and different. It was a young woman who was considered by some to be unfaithful and her husband who was a carpenter, shepherds who were at the bottom of the socio-economic class and foreigners from afar. An unexpected and unusual company to welcome the king of kings who was to liberate them.

This Christmas story that I had learned could not be more relevant to my Palestinian context! By following Christ and embracing the Christmas story, you automatically place yourself with the outcasts of political and social powers. I could not believe I had never heard anyone preach or teach about these aspects of the Christmas story. Even many Christians would only emphasise the birth of Christ and completely ignore its contextual message. Christmas is a story of liberation from oppression, both spiritual and physical (for whatever those two binaries mean). It is a story that gives hope to those who are ignored, live under occupation and marginalised. As Palestinian Christians this resonates very well, especially as our community encounters injustices on a daily basis and is shrinking more and more. 

Indeed, the Christmas holiday is appealing to many of my Jewish and Muslim neighbours, as well as Christians. But the contextual and theological story of Christmas is full of challenging messages to how we live our lives in Palestine/Israel and around the world. Are we going to continue celebrating the holiday in a superficial manner? Or are we going to allow the hopeful message of Christ to reach the most oppressed, marginalised, and voiceless people in our respective contexts? 

For when we embrace this Christmas message of hope and liberation for these communities, we join the Kingdom of God which opposes every wicked authority and leadership. There is a danger in our time to miss the work of God in history and maintain our gaze on political and religious individuals or trends like many did during the Christmas story. As the Kingdom of God works like yeast and a mustard seed, its impact and effect are not seen immediately. And this message is far more threatening to political, religious and social powers than any Christmas tree you will see.

 

Musalaha Executive Director — Salim J. Munayer

Originally published in Radix Magazine Vol. 41, No. 2

Online available by 19/12/2020: LINK

THE LIMIT OF OUR SOLIDARITY

THE LIMIT OF OUR SOLIDARITY

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

As the advent season is coming up, we began to discuss as a family about who we will invite and host for Christmas in our home. Usually, this is a much easier process since we do not need to take in COVID-19 considerations. But now we need to think about group gatherings, limited people and general cautions. This year, we wanted to focus on the people around us who could not travel back home or do not have a family due to COVID-19 restrictions. As Christians, many of us will be thinking of doing the same, as the Christmas message includes showing solidarity with the marginalised, weak, poor and ignored.       

With that said, our solidarity can often be superficial. During the Christmas period we may invite people we know, get along with or feel comfortable around. The narrative of the Christmas story can certainly challenge the limit of our solidarity with other people, and especially with those who are dismissed.

There are many obstacles for us to express the same solidarity Christ showed in his birth. Maybe we do not want to feel the pain of such acts or feel that we lost something. That is why many of us show solidarity when it suits us and does not threaten our livelihood. This can be expressed by only giving things we do not want or can afford to lose. We do not want to lose our power or privilege. Likewise, we do not want to be branded as poor, weak, marginalised or oppressed ourselves. 

Moreover, when we show solidarity in a charged political, social and religious context like Palestine and Israel (and indeed in other contexts as well), this forces us to show solidarity with the ultimate ‘other’. This challenge threatens our identity, for in many cases, we build our identities on the expense of others around us. We construct our social, national and religious identity to be superior to all other identities around us. However, by showing a Christmas-like solidarity we are forced to compromise our distinctive identity and humanise the ‘other’. We can no longer see the ‘other’ as inferior, but become united with them in solidarity. True solidarity deeply challenges who we are. 

Only by humanising the ‘other’ do we truly understand what solidarity means in the Christmas story. This theme can also found in the parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the messages of the story is the fact that the man on the road was beaten, dirty and naked. In other words, people could not distinguish who he was and what he did. Was he a Jew or a Samaritan? Or possibly someone else? Did he commit a crime or was he innocent? Jesus forces the audience around him to humanise the man, and to see him as human first without any added constructed identities. And only because he was a human are we obligated to show solidarity to him.

The birth of Christ teaches a similar message. Christ revealed himself as a vulnerable baby, with no power or position. He showed solidarity with the marginalised, weak and poor by becoming marginalised, weak and poor. Let us enter the Christmas period by reflecting on the limits of our solidarity and attempt to imitate the one true King who turned the world upside-down.  

 

Musalaha Executive Director — Salim J. Munayer

STRATEGY MEETING 2020 – A VISION OF RECONCILIATION

STRATEGY MEETING 2020 - A VISION OF RECONCILIATION

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the world in an unprecedented manner, primarily affecting the sick, poor, elderly, and marginalized in our societies. Yet, every crisis brings with it a wealth of opportunities to do good unto others and self-reflect. At Musalaha we took advantage of the fluctuating lockdowns and restrictions to hire a consultant and diagnose the organization inside and out. After 4 months of analysis, multiple discussions, and assessment of solutions, the Musalaha board and staff gathered in August for the 2020 strategy meeting. Please watch our 3-minute video of our team sharing about the strategy meeting (watch here).  

The challenge of change is universal, inevitable, and never-ending. On the ground, the reconciliation/peacebuilding world has been facing many changes. In January 2019, the United States government withdrew its funding for cross-border peace initiatives, and more than half of the peace activities vanished overnight in the Holy Land. On the other hand, the magnitude of local Israeli-Jews and Palestinian-Muslims interested in reconciliation based on Musalaha’s model and biblical principles has taken us by surprise.

We hear repeatedly people sharing their disappointments with the political leadership on both sides and frustrations over secularism’s simple approach to religion. The illusion of politics, religion, and conflict being separate is disappearing. Moreover, internationally, we are also being asked to help reconcile churches split over the democrat-republican dichotomy, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more. In other words, the supply is decreasing, and the demand is increasing, yet we are determined to defy the rules of economics and make our reconciliation activities affordable and available to all. The real test is how we react to change as individuals and as a team.

As a result, Musalaha is going through some changes based on the findings of the strategy meeting. We are changing our slogan to “A Vision of Reconciliation”, adding young board members, starting the process of restructuring the organization, dividing operations according to stakeholder focus, expanding the variety of groups we work with locally, and also embracing an international outlook for reconciliation in different contexts. The ultimate goal is to change our organization so that it is able to meet the current demand for reconciliation, stay up-to-date with the changes in the environment, adapt technologically, and become more professional and efficient peacemakers.

 

Daniel Munayer – Musalaha Business and Organization Development 

Watch the Video here:

LOVING YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

LOVING YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

OCTOBER 30, 2020

One of the programs we are currently running at Musalaha is the joint Muslim-Christian volunteering initiative. This is an 18-month program in which 30 young adults from the Bethlehem region get together and study themes related to reconciliation. This month, the group of 30 went into the desert and followed Musalaha’s classic reconciliation activities. Some of these activities include a hiking trail, ice-breaking games, structured presentations and discussions, and an opportunity to meet new people and develop new friendships. After the program ends, these individuals who are led by their own core committee of five persons, are committed to return into their communities and volunteer together by promoting reconciliation in the wider society. Please watch our short video of this group sharing their experiences of the desert trip (LINK).

This group has made me reflect upon Muslim-Christian relations in Israel/Palestine, especially considering the way people are reacting to the recent events in France. And I would like to highlight four problematic patterns I have identified with some Christian attitudes towards our Muslim neighbors.

1 – The Islamophobic approach. I often hear some Christians making generalizing and sweeping statements about Islam and its relationship to violence and militancy. These statements are very problematic. We need to be careful how we speak about “Islam”, for there are many different interpretations of Islam in the world. Moreover, when we speak of Muslims, we are talking about a group of 1.8 billion people. Of the 1.8 billion, only one in five Muslims are Arab, while the majority live in Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, etc.  

It deeply troubles me when I hear some Christians and religious leaders conflate popular expressions of Islam with terrorism. People often try to justify their racism by asking, “but what about the terrorist? They are very real”. True, Muslims can be violent like any other people group, and this must be condemned. However, the truth is that most Muslims condemn violence perpetrated by other Muslims. According to the The Gallup World Poll, 91 percent of Muslims interviewed believed that the attacks like 9/11 and London 7/7 were unjustified. Another fact rarely discussed is that 358 Muslim employees died in the World Trade Center. Why is this information not communicated to Christians? Why are mainstream Muslims not receiving media coverage? Are we actually listening?  

2 – The isolationist approach. Some Christians try to limit their contact with their Muslim neighbors as much as possible. Despite living in close quarters, it amazes me how segregated we can become when we want. At best, this approach limits interaction with Muslims to particular necessity-based functions in society. For example, the isolationist might say, “I like Muslims, I work with many of them all the time, I have many Muslim friends”. At worst, this approach will refuse to have Muslims live in the same neighborhood, street, and apartment block. When was the last time you became friends with a Muslim who was outside of your obligatory environment? Or is this a love of convenience?      

3 – The evangelistic approach. Some Christians only want to interact with Muslims so that they may be ‘saved’. When one digs deeper into the evangelistic approach, you can start reading between the lines. Often, Christians want to convert Muslims to Christianity, and along the way, also adopt their political ideology. As a result, Jesus is used as a tool to persuade Muslims to support a political movement or state. Regardless, approaching Muslims with the desire to ONLY convert them neglects their humanity and eliminates the space to develop authentic relationships. Are we imposing our worldview and religious culture on our fellow Muslim neighbors? Do we only care about their souls, or also their bodies and minds?

4 – We are all the same approach. Often, some liberal leaning Christians say, “everything is O.K., there is no difference between us, we are all humans.” Yes, we are all humans, but significant differences do exist. This approach seeks to avoid confrontation with the problems between Muslim and Christian communities. To ignore the competition between religious groups in Israel/Palestine is the new ‘color blindness’. Are we going to become observers and passively watch the contest over symbols, holidays, businesses, etc. unfold? Ignoring problems usually leads them into crises.

At Musalaha we believe in an alternative approach. We believe that loving your Muslim neighbor means seeking to understand individuals and approaching them as equal humans. We believe in nourishing friendships that seek to build a better future for all. Indeed, it is through relationships that we share and learn about each other’s faith, culture and language in a genuine manner. And by doing so, overcoming our fear and prejudice towards them and learn how to serve one another. Moreover, we strive to serve our greater society and environment together, regardless of the “benefitted outcome or community”. Especially during these times, there are many uniting concerns calling us to collaborate. How are we managing the pandemic? How can we work together to prevent ecological disasters?  On October 31st, the group of 30 are meeting to reflect upon their desert trip to identify opportunities to serve both Muslims and Christians in the Bethlehem region. Let us do the same, how do we approach our Muslim neighbors? And where and how can I partner with Muslims to serve for the inclusive goodness of all?

Musalaha Business and Organization Development – Daniel Munayer

PAUSE.

PAUSE.

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Lockdowns, closings, no in-person appointments, zoom calls, remote learning, stay home, go to work, teach your children…

This year has been full of changes for all of us. I think the most difficult part is the change in our social connections and interactions. Musalaha knows very well that “contact” is an essential ingredient in dealing with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It helps us overcome our fears and suspicions, and allows us to open-up about our wounds. 

Last weekend, a Musalaha women’s group was doing exactly this in one of our meetings. When I asked the ladies from this new group if they wanted to meet, even with COVID-19 around, I received a resounding YES! All of us are yearning for connections and fellowship. 

However we did not give them an easy weekend. Yes, we want them to relax and enjoy the Dead Sea (the only place open for us to meet), but we also wanted them to do the hard work of reconciliation and discuss what prevents us from reconciling (even without COVID-19). Physical, emotional, social, and psychological obstacles normally prevent us from engaging with the ‘other’ side and being united. How can we move forward and be one voice? The ladies spent their weekend delving into these obstacles and checking their own biases and prejudices, as well as emotions that may keep them from being “us” instead of “us” and “them”. 

One of the exercises we did was to line up and receive a role to play (battered religious woman, Orthodox-Jewish girl in love with a boy from another religion, atheist living in an urban setting, or a former Christian that converted to Islam). Then, I read a list of situations. If they felt comfortable in the situation, they had to take a step forward. And if not, they had to take a step back. As we went through normal scenarios – like a policeman approaches, or you can invite friends to your home for dinner, or you can participate in an international seminar abroad, or airport security asks you to step aside – we saw a growing gap between women with freedom and women being held back. This exercise is meant to open us up to empathizing with the “other”. Moreover, the women found it very hard to be in the shoes of another, especially those in difficult situations. This is an area we all need to grow in.

All in all, when we had 20 Israeli and Palestinian women discuss obstacles of reconciliation, the exercise helped us understand and feel the different layers that come into play. There are so many obstacles in 2020, above and beyond being Israeli and Palestinian, which we should help us be empathetic to all people, including Palestinians and Israelis.

. 

Hedva Haymov — Musalaha Project Manager

A DEFINING MOMENT.

a defining moment.

OCTOBER 2, 2020

Last month I travelled abroad to attend my Father-in-law’s funeral. This was the first time I had travelled since the outbreak of COVID-19. It was a weird and unfamiliar experience. Everything has changed in the way one travels to a different country. In many ways, it sharpened the fact that things are going to be different because of the pandemic for a very long time. In addition, from our work in the field of reconciliation in Palestine/Israel and from other contexts around the world, we have realised that the claim ‘COVID-19 affects all of us the same’, is simply false. It has become very clear that different communities are affected differently by the pandemic, with the poor, marginalized and discriminated suffering a lot more than the privileged and powerful. This is something we must acknowledge and address in our communities and work. It is a defining moment in history, it is going to change many areas of our lives.

 

Moreover, not only does the pandemic affect us differently, but our social, religious and political walls and borders have risen higher. We can hear individuals blaming entire communities for the spread of the virus, and using them as a scapegoat for an entire country’s failure. Racism of course, is often at the heart of such claims and hateful remarks. One can even claim that since the pandemic outbreak, we have seen an increase of racist remarks and attitudes.

 

For this very reason, promoting and facilitating reconciliation is extremely important. And as the virus does not seem to disappear in the near future, we have to show flexibility, creativity and an active mind-set in order to adapt to the restrictions. Both the virus and xenophobia are not going to leave us anytime soon. Acknowledging the reality we live in at the moment is the first step to staying active in such difficult circumstances.

 

Musalaha Executive Director — Salim J. Munayer