From: Peter Sethre
I received a message this morning from Nuha Khoury in Bethlehem. Luther
Seminary has a relationship with Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.
I think it is a very good statement, and needs to be shared.
Peter Sethre
Director of Continuing Education
***********************************************************
-----Original Message-----
From: Nuha Khoury [mailto:Nkhoury@annadwa.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 10:11 AM
Palestinians Grieve Over US Tragedy
With deep sorrow and profound grief we write this message to offer our heartfelt condolences to the mothers, fathers, children, friends and families of the thousands of innocent people who have been the victims of the terrorist attacks yesterday morning on the USA. We would like to reach out to all of our American friends to assure them that we stand by them at this difficult and tragic time. Constantly, for the past eleven months, we have received many massages from our friends from America expressing their solidarity and sharing with us our grief. Never in our worst nightmares did we imagine that we would be witnessing such a horrendous event and human tragedy inflicted on our American friends. We care for every life and we pray for all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones taken away by this indiscriminate act of organized terror. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
We are aware that the media has shown President Arafat's shocked reaction to this act and his strong condemnation of it. Unfortunately, the media has also shown scenes of a few Palestinians celebrating this tragedy. We want you to know that these few do not speak for or represent the entire Palestinian people. What the media failed to acknowledge was the majority of Palestinians who were shocked, saddened and mournful. We believe that this media campaign is biased and aims at dehumanizing the Palestinian people. Such a campaign follows the same logic of the terrorists, since it deliberately attempts to punish innocent people indiscriminately. In our grief, we are asking ourselves why did the people immediately associate us Palestinians with the perpetrators rather than the victims.
As Palestinians, we can very well understand the pain of our American friends. We know what it means when political leaders are targeted and are not safe in their own offices. We understand what it means when planes attack security headquarters. We know how it feels when the backbone of the economy is assaulted. We do not want to compare suffering, since every suffering is unique and this particular tragedy has such hideous dimensions. Yet, never before have Americans and Palestinians shared so much.
We express our solidarity with the American people. We invite people all
over to:
1. Hold vigil prayers for the victims and their families.
2. Raise awareness and sensitivity to the brutality that
the media perpetrates through the images projected.
3. Monitor the way that certain nations and peoples are
stereotyped (The Americans, The Palestinians, etc.), thus inciting
hatred and legitimizing aggression.
4. Develop alternative media that will set new ethical
standards in reporting.
5. Actively participate in the WCC's "Decade to Overcome
Violence" so that future generations will have compassion, do justice
and value life.
6. Commit to Prophet Micah's vision that "they shall sit
every person under his vine and his fig tree and none shall make them
afraid." So that no American, Palestinians, Iraqi, Israeli, Japanese,
etc. will be afraid to be in his/her office, home, or airplane, no
matter what nationality they hold.
May the peace of Christ be with us all.
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
Pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church- Bethlehem
Dr. Nuha Khoury
The International Center of Bethlehem
Dr. Nuha Khoury
Dar al-Kalima Academy Coordinator
Tel: + 972 2 2764697
Fax:+ 972 2 2770048
Email: nkhoury@annadwa.org
http://www.annadwa.org/
Lord, I pray for our country right now, that even as this email goes to all I have sent it to, that each of them would feel your presence and your comfort and that they would know that even in the chaos and the unknown, that you are in control of each of our lives and that you love us all.
We are all in so much shock, Lord, and our lives have been shaken though we are not actually physically at the places that have been devastated. Help us each to find comfort in you and help us to feel your presence as we learn more and more details as the hours and days go by. Be with the victims, the emergency personnel, and our leaders in government. Guide them, strengthen them, and comfort them as they continue to face the horror of this tragedy.
I pray this all in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are moved by the alarming news and crisis that our country is facing.
This, the greatest nation, founded in the belief that "In God We Trust" & the "Land of the Free".
Please have mercy on those suffering, hurting and in fear, and give wisdom & strength to those who are assisting.
May the forces of evil be broken by your power and may we humble before thee, our strength and refuge.
Give wisdom to all our President & our leaders and bring your comforting peace through the power of your Holy Spirit.
Help us here to reach to those that have been affected by this tragedy.
In the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. AMEN
Are you guys familiar with Nostradamus?
This is a quake from one of his predictions:
?In the year of the new century and nine months,
From the sky will come a great King of Terror...
The sky will burn at forty-five degrees.
Fire approaches the great new city...?
- Nostradamus
?In the city of YORK, there will be a great
collapse, two twin brothers,
torn apart by chaos, while the fortress fall, the
great leader will
succumb, the third big war will begin when the big
city is burning. ?
- Nostradamus
2001 is the first year of the new century and this
is the 9th month.
New York is located at the 41st degree Latitude.
He also said that this will be the third World War
and it would be bigger
than the last two wars. I hope he is wrong, but
judging from his
predictions of Hitler, Napoleon, and Pearl Harbor....
New York City Animals Need Help!
Please read this Action Alert and forward it to your friends and family who care about animals.
THANK YOU for your action on behalf of the animals.
Doris Day Animal League
227 Massachusetts Ave., NE
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20002
www.ddal.org
New York City's Animals Desperately Need Your Voice (from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) http://www.peta-online.org/
Obviously our hearts go out to every human being affected by the tragedy at the World Trade Center. This terrible tragedy has serious repercussions for animals, too. Due to the tremendous loss of human lives, there will undoubtedly be many animals left orphaned. Other animals are trapped in buildings that have been evacuated and to which people have learned they are unable to return.
PETA's headquarters is receiving calls from desperate New York City residents whose companion animals are trapped inside now vacated apartments, some so close to the World Trade Center that the animals inside can only be highly traumatized by the explosions, the sirens, the noise, the shaking ground, the smoke, and now the unexplained absence of their families. We know of at least one 13-floor building, 120 Greenwich Street, practically across the street from the World Trade Center, where more than 20 dogs and an undetermined number of other companion animals are locked inside apartments without food or water or comfort.
These animals need your immediate help. Mayor Giuliani has a poor record when it comes to animals. In 1998 he refused to allow desperate New Yorkers whose apartment building ís scaffolding collapsed, the opportunity to tend to or rescue their beloved animals for more than five days, leaving animals to become dehydrated and starving.
Please urge Mayor Giuliani to set up a task force to locate and rescue animals in need. To many of this disaster's victims and their families, these beloved animals are members of the family and would be a great source of comfort.
PETA and other animal protection groups are willing to send trained rescuers into the buildings to take the animals out, if given the chance. We will sign waives of liability in the event of any injury or death.
United Animal Nations (UAN.org), can offer assistance with mobilizing volunteers and rescuing and caring for abandoned animals.
Mayor Giuliani's address is:
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Tel.: 212-788-9600
Fax: 212-788-7476
E-Mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
If you have a difficult time getting through to Mayor Giuliani due to phone line trouble, please don't give up; keep trying.
A National Day of Prayer
President Bush has designated today, Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, as a national day of prayer and rememberance for those murdered in Tuesday's cowardly attacks on our country. Pray with us for the families and loved ones of those who have died.
Donate Online to the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is providing lifesaving assistance in the form of immediate disaster mass care and blood to victims and emergency workers in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania following the barbarous attacks of September 11. The Red Cross will stay with these people as this tragedy unfolds.
You can help. Click now:
http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html
Salvation Army Responds to World Trade Center Tragedy
In the wake of Tuesday's horrific terrorist attack that destroyed New York City's World Trade Center, The Salvation Army's Greater New York Division immediately mobilized all of its resources to assist in emergency response efforts.
Salvation Army Deploys Nationwide Disaster Relief Teams
Salvation Army disaster relief teams across the country are providing lodging, meals and spiritual counseling to stranded travelers.
http://www.redshield.org/crisis/
Prayer for our Nation
God bless you all as we each try to deal with what is happening around us!
Can you believe what is going on? Let's start a prayer chain?
Lord, I pray for our country right now, that even as this email goes to all I have sent it to, that each of them would feel your presence and your comfort and that they would know that even in the chaos and the unknown, that you are in control of each of our lives and that you love us all. We are all in so much shock, Lord, and our lives have been shaken though we are not actually physically at the places that have been devastated. Help us each to find comfort in you and help us to feel your presence as we learn more and more details as the hours and days go by. Be with the victims, the emergency personnel, and our leaders in government. Guide them, strengthen them, and comfort them as they continue to face the horror of this tragedy.
I pray
this all in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.
Dear God in Heaven,
We are haunted by the alarming news and crisis that
our country is facing.
This, the greatest nation, founded in our tenets "Land of the Free" and "Home of The Brave," has been shaken. Please have mercy on those suffering, hurting, and in fear; and give strength to those who are assisting the tragic-stricken victims and their families. May the forces of evil be broken by your power and may we walk humbly before thee, under your strength and refuge. Give wisdom to our President and our leaders to bring your peace to those who are so greatly affected by these startling events.
We wish to reach out to those who have been affected by this tragedy. We pray for them and we share in their profound, wordless emotions at this time. AMEN.
There is still a great need for blood, so please give locally if at all possible.
Got this from my bro Matthew Poeske. Pay it Forward/Pass it On!!!
Spankus Reginald McBain
American
Republic of Humor
My Friends,
I've put together a few poems and lyrics, on behalf of both the United States and a few female friends that thought it a good idea.
I love you all,
Matthew Poeske
*~ United States National Anthem *
Star Spangled Banner
First Verse
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous
fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Second Verse
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Third Verse
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Fourth Verse
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
http://www.usis.usemb.se/FAQ/anthem.html
(Link above is to the U.S. Embassy in Sweden. You can
download the
music by using the "Save Link As" (Netscape) or "Save
Target As"
(Internet Explorer) right mouse click menu "context menu"
command of
your browser, or whatever facility your particular browser
provides
for saving the target of a hyperlink.)
[I dedicate these poems to the loved and lost during the attack on New York and Washington D.C.]
*~ Shall I compare thee to a summer's day *
William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
*~ Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night *
Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not so gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
*~ Marines' Hymn *
(Official U.S. Marine Corps Hymn)
From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and
sea.
First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our
honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze from dawn to setting
sun.
We have fought in every clime and place, where we could
take a gun.
In the snow of far off northern lands and in sunny tropic
scenes,
You will find us always on the job,The United States
Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps which we are proud
to serve.
In many a strife we've fought for life and never lost our
nerve.
If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes,
they will find the streets are guarded by United States
Marines.
PASS THIS ON --
Always Faithful ? SEMPER FIDELIS?
Matthew Poeske
"Terrorism is the preferred weapon of weak and evil men." -- Ronald Wilson Reagan
A note from the Editor:
In deference to the victims, their families, and the people whose loved ones are still missing, we are not running the ArcaMax Humor Cartoons today. Instead, we would like to remind our readers, especially our fellow Americans, that President Bush has designated today, Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, as a national day of prayer and remembrance for those murdered in Tuesday's cowardly attacks on our country.
"All our hearts have been seared by the sudden and senseless taking of innocent lives," Bush said. "We pray for healing and for the strength to serve and encourage one another in hope and faith."
"I ask that the people of the United States and places of worship mark this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with noontime memorial services, the ringing of bells at that hour, and evening candlelight remembrance vigils," the president said in a proclamation. "I encourage employers to permit their workers time off during the lunch hour to attend the noontime services to pray for our land."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., asked all New Yorkers to hang an American flag from their windows as a symbol of freedom, and a fast-spreading e-mail chain letter called on Americans to light candles at 7 p.m. local time Friday.
Canada has also declared a national day of mourning. Prime Minister Jean Chretien said that the day "will show our solidarity that we feel towards our American friends and the families of the Canadian victims. ... We want to fortify their courage in the face of this terrible situation."
We are touched by the acts of kindness that Americans have shown to the people in New York and Washington, D.C., as well as the outpouring of sympathy from nations across the world. We join you today in prayer and mourning, and encourage you to pray for those families who have lost a loved one, for the brave rescue workers carrying on in the midst of the overwhelming task before them, and for our President and national leadership. Let us continue in courage and confidence, working together and striving to love and serve one another
Dear friends,
On Tuesday, as the world ground to a horrific standstill, the people in our office stood in disbelief around a television set, watching the atrocious events around the United States unfold.
Here at PhotoPoint, we'd like to extend our most heartfelt prayers and deepest sympathies to everyone around the world affected by these tragedies. We pray for the victims and the family and friends of the victims. We pray for the courageous emergency medical teams, for the police officers and the firefighters. And we pray they'll continue to find survivors.
In the face of such cruelty towards so many innocent people, we hope you'll get involved and help in any way you can.
Americans who can give blood and/or money are asked to contact
the Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
1-800-GIVE-LIFE
If you live in Canada, and can give blood, please contact the
Canadian Blood Services:
http://www.bloodservices.ca/
1-888-2-DONATE
The FBI Tip Line: http://www.ifccfbi.gov
For more information about how to help victims of yesterday's attacks, please contact: http://helping.org
Again, our prayers go out to everyone.
The PhotoPoint Team
http://www.photopoint.com
We at IFILM share in our nation's mourning over this week's terrible events. We express our sympathies to the families, friends and coworkers of the countless lost and struggle to muster hope for a better day. IFILM remains your guide to the movie world-even when the horrors of the real world outstrip the ones ever imagined for movies. As we reflect on the catastrophic attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, we offer some links to help inform, and some films to give pause and maybe even inspire.
HOW TO HELP
If you have ever purchased from Amazon.com, you may quickly and easily donate to the Red Cross using your credit card already on file with Amazon.com. Fully 100 percent of each donation will reach the Red Cross without profit to Amazon.com.
Donations may also be made directly via the Website for the American Red Cross. For information on other ways to assist the victims and survivors of the attacks, visit http://www.Helping.org/ .
http://www.poofcat.com/911.html
"We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought
we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But
as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who
can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger.
And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. He
wil rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a
result, many will give thanks to God because so many people's
prayers for our safety have been answered."
2 Corinthians 1:8-11