It happened during lunch hour in Ryneveld Street past Stellenbosch University’s old main building…

Stellenbosch, Monday 5 March 2012, a march for justice in Palestine

On a tranquil autumn day, Muslims, Christians, and a Jew with white, brown and black faces, young and old, walked through the heart of the town and the campus, in silence, connected by a clear statement…

• 13:00: March, from Arts Building (corner Merriman and Ryneveld Street) to the Faculty of Theology (Dorp Street 171).
• 13:00 – 13:40: Simulated Israeli checkpoint at the main gate of the Faculty of Theology.
• 13:40: Opening of gate for all, handing over of Bethlehem Call, and the Afrikaans Die Bethlehem Oproep to the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology.

Everyone who supports a free and just Palestine were welcome to join us and ab0ut 50 people walked with us.  The group walked to the main building of the Faculty of Theology . 

At “Checkpoint 171” (actually the main entrance to the Faculty of Theology in 171 Dorp Street) we wanted people to experience what it feels like to not be able to enter your own university in your own land,  or rather, to not have the access to education, etc. [I’ll load our video here asap.]

(photo by EA Carol Martin)

After a few staged “incidences” such as the one here where one Christian and a few Muslims wanted to respectively visit holy sites and their mosque but were refused entry, we opened the gates well in time for classes, but we also did so for another reason….

Inside the premises, on the steps to the front door, we presented The Bethlehem Call/ Die Bethlehem Oproep to the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology to  Prof. Julian Smith (Vice-Rector, Community Interaction, SU) and Prof. Nico Koopman (Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Centre).  We chose this Centre for its commitment to the honouring of the legacy of Beyers Naudé who was a champion for justice.  Both of them applauded everyone walking through the town to the faculty.  Prof Smith said that all of the 28 000 students of the University should in fact stand up for human rights.  We are very grateful for this response by our university and the Beyers Naudé Centre.

From left to right: Rev. Edwin Arrison (Kairos SA), Prof Nico Koopman (Dean, Faculty of Theology and Director of the BNC), Prof Julian Smith (Vice Rector Stellenbosch University), Christel Erasmus and Deon Scharneck (Kairos SA, theological students and organisers), MM (EA, Kairos SA) with fellow EAs Terry Crawford Browne (also from Kairos SA) and Carol Martin on whose camera this picture was taken.

The Bethlehem Call was composed in December 2011 by 60 people from 15 countries in Bethlehem, Palestine, as an urgent appeal to take a stand with the Palestinian Christians against the illegalities of the Israeli Occupation.  (See also an Islam response to the Kairos Palestine document.)

As I translated The Bethlehem Call into Afrikaans, I realised something I’m supposed to know –  just how powerful it is to read something in one’s own language. I have read The Call many, many times since December 2011, but now the words in my mother tongue made me experience the contents in a more immediate, a more intimate, manner. Suddenly I understood the urgency, the lament, and the appeal so much better. 

I am a post-apartheid South African and for the life of me I just cannot allow another apartheid system in another part of the world.  I have to stand with the oppressed.  No, I have to do more.  I have to spread the message and advocate for a just peace in Palestine.

Die Bethlehem Oproep:

Hier staan ons – Staan by ons

Hoe lank nog, o God, sal hulle ons lewensonderhoud steel? Ons mense onderdruk, gevange hou en verneder? Ons kinders van hulle jeug ontneem?  Inderdaad, vir hoe lank nog, Here, sal die talle Christene in die wêreld die lewensangs van ons Palestynse susters en broers en al die onderdruktes verontagsaam?

“Kom en kyk” het die Christene van Palestina gesê. “Kom kyk na die olyfboorde, die stootskrapers, die antieke terrasse, die verdeelde stede.  Die situasie word al hoe erger.”

…

Vandag neem die onregmatige regime en die onwettige vorms van Israel se besetting van Palestina dimensies aan van sistemiese onreg waardeur die ondenkbare en die onvoorstelbare internasionaal aanvaar, ondersteun en genormaliseer word. Dis ‘n voorbeeld van empire (globale dominansie) in aksie. Dit gebeur in Palestina soos ook in baie ander kontekste in die wêreld. Terselfdertyd is Palestina duidelik ook ‘n internasionale kwessie.  Die Israelse regering maak aanspraak op, en geniet inderdaad ‘n status van uitsonderlikheid in die internasionale gemeenskap.  Israel beskou haarself as verhewe bo die reg en word gehanteer asof vrygeskeld van die internasionale reg.  Hierdie status gee Israel se regering die vryheid om Palestina sonder enige straf te beset.Soos ons met ons eie oë gesien het, het die verraderlike toestande afgedwing deur Israel se besetting van die Palestyne en hulle land ‘n vlak van feitlik onvoorstelbare, gesofistikeerde kriminaliteit bereik.  Dit sluit die gestadigde, dog doelbewuste, en sistematiese etniese suiwering en landsmoord van Palestyne en Palestina in, en daarby ook nog die verwurging van die Palestynse ekonomie.  Die brutaliteit in die internasionale “geweld van stilswye” gee Israel se regering ‘n byna ondeurdringbare skild om haar bose plan uit te voer met ‘n blatante minagting vir menseregte en die internasionale reg.  Stilte is ‘n opinie. Passiwiteit is ‘n aksie.  Ons aanskou wêreldwyd ‘n besliste ruggraatlose lafhartigheid en swye wat faal om weerstand teen Israel te bied.  Ons sien dit in regerings, politieke partye, mediahuise, besighede en die meeste van georganiseerde geloof – insluitend die Christendom – en in die stilte van profete.  Dit maak ons aandadig aan misdade teen die mensdom, soos dié van apartheid en vervolging soos beskryf in die internasionale reg.[1]

Ons merk ook die vasbeslotenheid en veerkragtigheid van Palestyne waarmee hulle die wanbalans van politieke, ekonomiese and militêre mag met ‘n onbuigbare standvastigheid vir hul vryheid en ‘n regverdige vrede ewenaar.

‘n Onstuitbare momentum om Israel se regering en haar plaaslike en internasionale steun te delegitimeer en te kriminaliseer, is aan die opbou.  Dat internasionale boikot, disinvestering en sanksie (BDS) veldtogte en ander vorme van nie-gewelddadige weerstand bestaan, is ‘n voldonge feit.  Die regering en staat van Israel word tans beskou as ‘n apartheidsregime volgens die internasionale reg, met spesifieke verwysing na die VN konvensie oor die onderdrukking en strafbaarheid van apartheid as ‘n misdaad en die Rome Statute van die Internasionale Kriminele Hof.  Die wreedheid van die Palestynse situasie maak vergelykings met apartheid in Suid Afrika oorbodig en byna irrelevant.  Die maatstaf is die internasionale reg, nie Suid-Afrika nie…

Vir die volledige dokument: Die Bethlehem Oproep