Fr Joe Ryan writes:

I have been involved and aware of the Kurdish situation for several years, as there are many Kurds in my neighbourhood. As I have written earlier, I have been invited to Turkey to witness human rights trials, and to Brussels to request the release of the PKK leader, Abdullah Oczalan. Last week I went to Downing Street where the Kurds were on hunger strike to ask for British support in their opposition to IS. Days later I met them at the BBC where they were asking for balanced reporting on the fraught situation in Syria. Here they express the situation as they see it.

KURDS ARE FACING MASSACRE IN KOBANE.

ISIS terrorists have entered Kobane on the 4^th October 2014 and are massacring civilians as you read this. The lives of thousands of women, children and men are in danger. The international community is silent despite many appeals. The whole world is watching the genocide of Kurds in Kobane. Since the 15^th September ISIS/DAIS has intensified its attacks against the Kurdish population in Rojava (West Kurdistan/Northern Syria) and seizwd control of 60 villages near the border in a two day campaign as they approached the town of Kobane. Kobane is Syria’s third largest Kurdish town and would give the Islamic State (ISIS/IS) control of a long stretch of the country’s northern border with Turkey.

ISIS terrorists, militarily, logistically and politically supported by NATO member Turkey and funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatari States (despite them being in the coalition), are using US made heavy artillery and weapons seized in Iraq and Syria. ISIS has already taken over Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, declaring an ‘Islamic Caliphate’  in the region and has displaced 500,000 Ezidi Kurds in Sinjar and kidnapped 3,000 women who are being sold as sex slaves. Thousands of children, disabled people and elderly men have been kidnapped and executed in the Kurdish region of Iraq and Syria. Kobane is now under the immediate threat of genocidal massacre as happened in Sinjar. At the same time Turkish soldiers have been attacking people trying to cross the border of Kobane-Suruc.

Turkey’s ultimate plan is to create the conditions for the fall of Kobane in Rojava Kurdistan by forcing international powers to create a buffer zone in this region. In this way they wish to destroy the legitimate rights of self-determination of the Kurdish people in Turkey and Syria.

OUR APPEAL:

• The UK Government must urgently provide the Kurdish forces resisting ISIS with advanced weaponry tat can match that of the ISIS terrorists.

• The UK Government should take immediate steps to delist the organisation.

• The UN must allow a humanitarian corridor from Serekani (Kurdish town in Turkey) to Kobane in order to provide support to the people of Kobane.

• The UK Government should consider economic sanctions against all states and individuals that continue to support ISIS, especially Turkey.

• NATO must convene and consider the continued membership of Turkey considering the overwhelmingly evidence of Turkey’s continued support of ISIS terror.

• The UN must not, under any circumstances, permit a ‘buffer zone’ as proposed by Turkey who supports ISIS. Such a ‘buffer zone’ will have serious consequences for the ongoing political process in Turkey.

• The UN and international women’s organisations must investigate the situation of kidnapped women by ISIS and begin a plan of action for their rescue.

• The UK, EU and US must officially recognise the authority of three cantons declared as autonomous regions in Rojava Kurdistan (Northern Syria).

Source: Leaflet from Kurdish Peoples’ Association UK, Roj Women Assembly, Free Youth Movement.

Dervila McMorrow joined the Justice and Peace Commission at the beginning of October to further our work in schools and youth groups. From Donegal, Dervila  spent last year working with the Vincentians in homeless projects in Salford, and has a vision of how young people can contribute to making their world a better place through practical schemes such as Fairtrade, and service projects.

With an MA  in Pastoral Administration from All Hallows College Dublin, Dervila has seen the ‘Francis Effect’ on young people, and is keen to turn Catholic Social Teaching into a reality for them.  Already we hear her frequent mantra ‘I like to keep busy!’. In 3 weeks she has visited 3 deaneries, helped with one schools day and attended a national Fairtrade conference. So do contact her for talks and workshops in schools, youth and confirmation groups, at justice@rcdow.org.uk

Our third successful Interfaith Games were held at Finsbury Park on September 21st, with representatives from different churches and faiths. VIPs included the Mayor of Haringey, and Lynne Featherstone MP and Jeremy Corbyn MP. The idea is for different faith and community groups to meet and have fun on ‘neutral’ territory. Even the organisers were roped in to race: something we hadn’t bargained for!

Our Annual day on November 8th will examine how we can best respond to the crisis of benefit cuts. John Hills, Professor at LSE will talk on the effects of the Welfare Reform Act, and Helen Obrien of Caritas Social Action Network will explain Catholic Social Teaching on this thorny subject. All welcome at St John Vianney’s Parish Centre 10.30 – 4.00pm Saturday November 8th.

Climate Change is very much on our minds as the December 2015 Climate Summit looms on the horizon. In line with the CAFOD Climate Justice campaign, we are planning a year-long campaign to pray and fast for our climate and we intend to cycle to Paris to make our views known to our leaders. Yes, you read that right: we are planning a winter cycle ride, using the Avenue Verte ( a sort of Green Way). Contact us if that appeals!

I was lucky to meet a favourite author right on same street as the Justice and Peace Office last month. At the Haringey Palestine Solidarity Literary Festival I was introduced to, and had lunch with Dervla Murphy, Irish travel writer who is working on a trilogy on the Israel Palestine situation. The first volume, A Month by the Sea, is an account of her stay in a Gaza refugee camp.

Saturday 28th of June will be the centenary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event which triggered the War.  With this in mind, the Justice & Peace Commissions of Westminster, Southwark, and Brentwood Dioceses have joined with Pax Christi to organise a “Walk for Peace” on the day.

The walk begins at 10.00am at the statue of Gandhi in Tavistock Square WC1, and will visit many other sites and memorials associated with people who have worked for peace, such as the Westminster Abbey statues of the 20^th century martyrs. Those preferring a shorter walk may join in at 11.30am at the Edith Cavell Statue by St.Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square  The walk will conclude at 2.30pm with a short service in the Tibetan Peace Garden at the Imperial War Museum.

Autumn Justice & Peace Assembly
for Westminster, Southwark & Brentwood Dioceses
in conjunction with Missio

A joint Justice & Peace Assembly for the Dioceses of Westminster, Southwark & Brentwood, organised in conjunction with Missio, is to be held on Saturday 19th October 2013 10.30am-4.30pm at The Salvation Army – Regent Hall 275 Oxford Street London W1C 2DJ.

The programme for the Day includes talks on:

Faith, Justice, Peace and Mission – Patrick Lynch, Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark

Mission and Development  – Kevin Dowling CSSR, Bishop of Rustenburg, South Africa

50 Years on from ‘Peace on Earth’ – Bruce Kent, Vice President CND, Pax Christi & Movement for Abolition of War

Scripture and Mission – Franciscan Missionaries of Mary

Bishop Kevin Dowling is bishop of Rustenburg in Sout Africa. He is visting the UK as a guest of Missio. Missio has been supporting his Diocese since its creation 25 years ago. In a diocese bigger than Wales, Bishop Kevin only has two dioceasan priests. However, his inspiring leadership has ensured that the Church is still one of the largest providers of education, pastoral, health and social care. The diocese runs the largest non-state AIDS and HIV programme in the country.

He will be speaking about Mission and Development at the Autumn Assembly. The support of the Church in England and Wales, through Missio, is vital to his work. We would be delighted if you can join us. You will have an opportunity to meet the Bishop after the assembly.

Bishop Pat Lynch is Chair of the Office for Migration Policy and is a member of the

Department of International Affairs. He is also Episcopal Chair of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice. Bishop Pat will set the scene for the day and speak on justice and mission.

Bruce Kent is Vice-President of Pax Chrisiti, Vice President of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and Vice President, Movement for the Abolition of War. Bruce will reflect on the one the Church’s most important document’s on peace – Pacem in Terris – 40 years after its publication.

Sr Marie Therese Chambers FMM and Sr Alberto Forson FMM of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary will speak on Scripture and mission.

A Catholic parish in Tottenham, north London, has become the first in Westminster Archdiocese to receive the LiveSimply Award.

The LiveSimply group at St John Vianney, West Green, was presented with the award after the 11am Mass on Sunday 22 September by two LiveSimply assessors: Ellen Teague, journalist and member of the Columban Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Team, and Simon Brown of Eco-Congregation and A Rocha UK, who was cheered for arriving on his bike! The award plaque, made from a recycled church bench, applauds ‘Living simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with the poor’, and notes that the award is organised jointly between CAFOD and Eco-Congregation. Around 200 parishioners attended the joyful presentation.

Leading LiveSimply group members John Mooney, Mariantha Fomenky and West Green parish priest Fr Joe Ryan said it was “a great honour to receive the Award”. Fr Ryan, who also chairs the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, added that “this is only the beginning of an on-going programme to reduce the parish carbon footprint and develop our mission to serve people in need and protect God’s creation”. Mariantha Fomenky plans to reach out to the local community, “engaging the Mayor, local councillors and MPs, and encouraging more people to join the campaign”.

Parish work towards the award started in July 2011 with a parish audit, perusing 100 LiveSimply ideas, and then building on what the parish was already doing. For example, there were already a number of prayer groups and these began using the LiveSimply prayer, which was then introduced to Masses on the first Sunday of each month.

Then over two years, individual parishioners signed up to live more sustainably, reduce their energy use, and walk to church. Supporting local charity shops, cooking leftovers and growing fruit and vegetables in their gardens were all embraced by enthusiastic parishioners. The parish has marked Fairtrade Fortnight, supported a homeless project in Central London and the Catholic Worker House in North London which serves homeless refugees. In the aftermath of the 2012 Tottenham riots, the LiveSimply group worked with North London Citizens to affirm and support the whole community in the area.

Financial support for CAFOD and involvement in its campaigns on Aid, Trade, Water and Food was acknowledged by Tony Sheen of CAFOD Westminster, who attended the presentation and thanked the group.

The LiveSimply Award is a national recognition given to Catholic parishes who have committed themselves to making a difference both in their community and the world. To earn the award, a parish must put into practice three LiveSimply practices under each of the headings of living simply, living sustainably, and living in solidarity with those who live in poverty. St John Vianney is one of two parishes in the Westminster Diocese, and seven in England and Wales, to earn the award”.

Ellen Teague