Two Iraqi refugee boys outside a social services center in Beirut, Lebanon. Photo by David Snyder/CRS

Representatives from Catholic Relief Services are participating today in a forum at the National Press Club in Washington that is highlighting the plight of the 2 milliion Iraqis who have been displaced by the war. CRS is co-sponsor of the event, Villanova Law Schools Ryan Forum on Law and Public Policy.

Many Iraqi refugees have fled to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, where they live as “illegal immigrants” and are unable to get jobs, schooling for their children or even basic medical care for their families. As they try to start new lives, they are forbidden to work in many cases, and shut out from services that citizens receive. These refugees wait out the days — hoping against hope that they’ll get visas to third countries.

Catholic Relief Services is working through our partners in the Middle East, like Caritas Lebanon, to provide food, medical care and help with rent to thousands of refugees. Mark Schnellbacher, our CRS Regional Director for the Middle East, and Najla Chadra of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, participated in today’s panel.

CRS is also working to bring this issue to greater visibility here in the United States, particularly among American Catholics. Our CRS Advocacy staff has kept our grassroots legislative network informed on this issue and urged them to support appropriate legislation addressing the crisis. Earlier this year, CRS sponsored a delegation of eight women religious to Syria and Lebanon, where they saw first-hand the conditions in which these Iraqi refugees live and the challenges they face. They returned to the U.S. and mobilized to raise awareness of Iraqi refugees’ suffering, speaking in their congregations, universities and the media, as well as briefing members of Congress. And after speaking here today, Najla is scheduled to speak about the situation for Iraqis in Lebanon to several more groups in the Northeast.

CRS joins with Caritas Internationalis in mourning the death of Archbishop Rahho of Mosul in northern Iraq. Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped last week and was found dead today. The following is a statement from Caritas Internationalis:

Caritas says the tragic death of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul in northern Iraq highlights the urgency of ending the violence in the country and the region.

The archbishop was kidnapped on February 29 in Mosul after a deadly shootout in which three of his companions were killed. He was found dead on Thursday 13 March.

Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organisation of 162 national Catholic charities that includes Caritas Iraq, said peacebuilding efforts need to be supported both within local communities, nationally and internationally to bring a halt to the conflict.

Caritas Iraq runs peacebuilding training courses in many places in the country, trying to break through distrust and suspicion among communities.

Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight said, “Archbishop Rahho was a man who sought peace and dialogue in a country at war. All sides of the conflict in Iraq have a duty not to target civilians. Archbishop Rahho supported peacebuilding efforts including those carried out by Caritas, which makes his death even more tragic and senseless. Caritas again calls for an end of all violence in Iraq and in the region, and for the safe release of all people taken hostage. Peace through dialogue is the only way forward.”

Caritas Iraq has been active since 1992 providing humanitarian relief, especially to new mothers and babies, and peacebuilding work since 2003.

Since 2003, CRS has been one of several Caritas Internationalis supporters of Caritas Iraq’s work with the internally displaced population and with those who have been marginalized within an increasingly desperate and violent situation.

Israel recently launched airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation for the Qassam (homemade) rockets that Gazan militants often fire into Israeli territory. Gazan civilians have suffered severe collateral damage. Omar Shaban, CRS’ Head of Office in Gaza, writes:

Omar Shaban, CRS’ Head of Office in Gaza. Photo by CRS

The situation is the Gaza Strip is unprecedented in terms of the level of suffering. Most of the victims are civilians; many houses were destroyed. When Israeli air fighters targeted Hamas’ buildings, which are empty, all the buildings in the area were severely damaged. There is no raw material available in the markets, no glass to repair the windows, no wood to repair the doors and kitchens, no tools and spare parts to repair the water and electricity networks which were damaged by the shelling. There is no fuel at all — very few cars and people are on the streets.

The entire area from the Erez crossing to Salah Din Road is under Israeli bombardment. People who live in these areas can not leave their homes. Journalists were not allowed to enter closely to these areas. Humanitarian organizations were allowed to enter into these areas only in the second day of the military operation.

Gaza’s hospitals are not able to cope with the huge number of casualties. Hospitals are treating people in the corridors because the ICUs are too small to cope with the number. Gaza City has become a dead city.

They’ve been threatened with kidnapping, received anonymous envelopes containing a warning bullet and seen family members mutilated in their home country of Iraq. So they fled.

Now Iraqi refugees in neighboring Middle Eastern countries — an estimated two million people —are struggling to find pay rent, find jobs and get medical care.

Drawn by an Iraqi refugee girl in Lebanon, this picture shows the girl (in purple) below her father and older brother, who are outside a green “jail” in the top right corner. The jail represents the retention center in Beirut where illegal immigrants are housed. The Arabic words read: “Please Jesus, get my father and brother out of prison. Thanks for keeping them safe and sound for me. Amen.” Photo by Laura Sheahen/CRS

In Lebanon, Iraqis have faced another threat: arrest and imprisonment. Considered illegal immigrants, tens of thousands of undocumented Iraqi refugees were not allowed to work in Lebanon and were imprisoned if they overstayed their short visas. Hundreds of Iraqis have been detained in the holding cells of a retention center in Beirut — without light, fresh air or hope. Others are housed in a regular prison, sharing space with criminals.

But thanks to the efforts of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, these Iraqis will soon be reunited with their loved ones and will be able to look for work in their new country. With support from Catholic Relief Services, other Catholic donors and the United Nations’ refugee agency, the migrant center has negotiated an amnesty with Lebanese authorities. By paying visa fees to regularize their status and working toward a job-sponsorship program, Caritas should be able to free approximately 300 Iraqis and keep others from being detained.

“This is a major and unprecedented step forward, contributing to alleviating the plight of Iraqi refugees living in dreadful conditions in Lebanon,” says Najla Chahda, director of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center.

The news is a wish come true for young girls like Rana, an Iraqi staying in a Caritas refugee shelter near Beirut. Like many undocumented Iraqi men over 18, her father and older brother were sent to the retention center while she, her mother and her younger siblings were sent to the migrant shelter. In a drawing, Rana imagines the retention center as a green jail with the door open, and shows her father and brother standing outside it.

“Years before the issue of Iraqi refugees became front-page news, social workers at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center were working with compassion and skill to help these families get on their feet once they reached Lebanon,” says Melinda Burrell, Country Representative for CRS Lebanon. “Catholic Relief Services is proud to support the Migrant Center’s commitment to helping those who are bearing the brunt of the chaos in Iraq.”

The amnesty will also mean that thousands of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon can come out of hiding. Fearing arrest, many of them have rarely left their bare, cramped apartments. Without jobs or a connection to the Lebanese people around them, and traumatized by what they lived through in their home country, Iraqi refugee families have fallen into poverty and despair.

Caritas will continue to cooperate with the Lebanese government to eliminate obstacles that keep Iraqis poor, like fees and difficulties in applying for residency permits. Since the permits require an employer to act as a sponsor, Caritas also plans to link prospective employers with Iraqis. Continuing its ongoing social work, Caritas will follow up with freed detainees, making sure they have the papers they need to avoid being arrested again.

In the coming months, families can look forward to joyful reunions. Prisoners should start being released on a rolling basis starting in late February 2008. Just as in Rana’s drawing, the door is open now.

After a CRS-sponsored trip to Lebanon and Syria, eight women religious from the U.S. have mobilized to raise awareness of Iraqi refugees’ suffering.

The Catholic sisters, drawn from various religious orders, made home visits to Iraqis desperate for medical care, rent, jobs, and school for their children. They visited with Catholic Relief Services partners like Caritas Lebanon, learning more about day-to-day realities for the refugees. Returning in late January, the sisters have spoken to their congregations, universities and the media about what America can do to help Iraqis who fled the violence in their home country.

Last Wednesday, two of the nuns briefed approximately 75 congressional staffers on the needs of Iraqi refugees during a session in the Capitol Building. Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service, and Anne Curtis, a Sister of Mercy, shared stories of the Iraqi families they met, many of whom are not allowed by their host countries to work. Attendees included staffers from the offices of Senators Obama, McCain and Durbin.

The sisters urged Congress to increase funding for United Nations and other programs that help Iraqi refugees, as well as to accept more Iraqis as immigrants to the U.S. “Iraqis have run out of their savings and are getting desperate,” Sister Simone said in emailed bulletins during the January trip. “Some have decided to return to Iraq and have been killed. Others are trying to work in the underground economy” in their host countries, she continued.

The sisters will keep pressing for action. “We feel very good about the briefing,” said Sister Simone when Wednesday’s meeting concluded. “Iraqi needs are so great, and there are things our government can do to alleviate their suffering. Somebody is listening.”

This month, Catholic Relief Services has received a series of personal reflections from The Holy Land. These dispatches were written by participants in the Global Fellows program.

Each year, participants in the Global Fellows program are invited to travel to the developing world, to experience the plight of the poor and marginalized overseas. Upon their return, the Global Fellows are empowered to preach in parishes across the United States about social justice and peace around the world.

This year, they traveled to Israel and the Palestinian territories, to observe daily life in this difficult place.

Read these personal reflections from The Holy Land.

The Impact of Settlements

Fr. Paul Esser – Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Tale of Three People: Christians, Palestinians and Israelis

Fr. Don Lapointe – Diocese of Springfield, MA

Human Dignity for Both Palestinians and Israelis

Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio – Diocese of Paterson

Walls Instead of Bridges?

Fr. Joe Muth – Archdiocese of Baltimore

As thousands of Palestinians stream from Gaza into Egypt following cutoffs in fuel and supplies, CRS staffers in the troubled region have contacted us with their stories of life during the blockade. One CRS project officer lives in Rafah, about six hundred feet away from the border with Egypt. She writes: “Today [Jan. 23] at about 2:00 am, we woke up to the sound of successive explosions. All night we couldn’t sleep, and were scared and worried. We were thinking, ‘This may be an Israeli incursion to our region.’ In the morning we discovered the cause of the explosions: armed groups destroying the border between Egypt and Palestine.” Amid the general elation about the freedom of movement, she says, is a haunting feeling that there will be repercussions for breaking down the wall.

On Tuesday morning, the CRS receptionist in Gaza described her family’s struggles during the electrical cutoff and blockade on heating fuel: “Last night, my sister was preparing for today’s exam at her college. It was very hard for her to concentrate on her study due to the severe cold and the weak light of the gas lamp, which ran out after few hours. My father, my brothers and some neighbors were sitting in groups listening to the news.”

Egypt is allowing Gazans to cross the border and buy food and supplies; many of these Palestinians are returning to their homes in Gaza, but some say they won’t. As Middle Eastern, U.S. and UN leaders decide what to do next, CRS is closely monitoring the situation and preparing its staff in Jerusalem and Gaza to deal with the impact of these difficult days in Gaza.

You’d think that a woman with a loving husband, newborn baby and a master’s degree in physics would be set for life — or at least not hiding out in a dank basement room bare of anything but two thin mattresses on the floor.

A few years ago, Rana [name changed] had a successful career in Iraq. Today, she fears for her life. One of an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, Rana does not leave the tiny apartment in Beirut where she, her husband and her 10-week-old daughter wait out the time until another country accepts them as immigrants.

A young Iraqi refugee in Lebanon holds her baby daughter, whose name in Arabic means “Flower.” A Muslim, the mother ordinarily veils only her hair. Here, she has veiled her face for fear of being identified and deported. Photo by CRS Staff

A softspoken 30-year-old new mother, Rana explains that her father was murdered for his political beliefs. As his daughter, she herself was later threatened directly. She fled to Beirut to join her husband, who was in Lebanon already.

Lebanon proved not to be the asylum she hoped for. Having moved into one apartment, Rana heard rumors that her father’s enemies knew her whereabouts. She and her small family moved to another apartment, which the talented and well-educated Rana does not leave. “I am afraid all the time,” she says.

Stories like Rana’s are painfully familiar to the staff of the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, one of the few charities in Beirut reaching out to those fleeing Iraq’s violence and chaos. Funded by Catholic Relief Services and other donors, the migrant center helps the refugees with rent payments, medicine and household needs like mattresses.

The vast majority of Iraqi immigrants live illegally in Lebanon, unable to receive work permits or access public schools and health services. Many put their names on a long U.N. waiting list, hoping against hope that countries like Canada will take them in. Forbidden to work and afraid to go out often for fear of arrest, they sit in near-empty apartments and watch the months drag by.

This week, a group of U.S. nuns are visiting programs for Iraqi refugees in Lebanon. Hosted by CRS, the sisters have made home visits, seen shelters and met with women religious working in and around Beirut.

They are sharply aware of Lebanon’s limitations in dealing with the flood of refugees. Just a few days ago, a car bomb meant for a U.S. embassy vehicle killed several people on the streets of Beirut (everyone in the CRS delegation is safe). Lebanon has been in political turmoil for the past year and without a president since the end of November 2007, the country’s government has more problems than it can handle.

Private groups like the Caritas center are trying to bridge the gap, with case workers putting in long hours and struggling to find more resources. “There are just so many” Iraqis needing help, says one social worker.

“They are not refugees,” says a Lebanon-based Sister of the Good Shepherd that the delegation visited. “They are our brothers and sisters, because the world belongs to all of us.”

Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio – Diocese of Paterson

We began our day with Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Despite the ornate surroundings, we were caught up in the mystery of what happened 2,000 years ago in this holy place – the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus – the central mysteries of our faith. To some degree that spirit permeated our day – a busy day of meetings with various officials and educators.

Mr. Avraham Lavine, Director of International Organization’ Relations, Ministry of Labor and social affairs and his associate, Eliane Haddad.

One of the major responsibilities of this office is to relate to 96 different humanitarian organizations, such as Catholic Relief Services, which respond mainly to the Palestinian needs. In 1994, when the Palestinian economy completely collapsed, CRS became central in providing food and other humanitarian aid.

Mr. Lavine believes that the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians wish to live in harmony, yet the actions of the extremists on either side continue to upset the apple cart. Only a deep sense of compromise can solve the current problems.

Risa Zoll of B’Tselem

B’Tselem is the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the occupied territories. B’Tselem – “in the image of” – is a dynamic agency founded by a group of public figures to enhance human dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis.

It employs 26 field researchers. They take testimony from victims of human rights violations, video the respondents and publicize the facts to governmental agencies and the general public. It attempts to “jar Israelis from a state of denial.” They have documented facts that the “wall” and the settlements have caused many human rights violations for Palestinians. It is a credit to the Israeli government that it permits this organization to function so openly.

Most powerful of all were the videos taken by the local Palestinian people of the different abuses at the hand of the settlers. Settlers are seen taunting, throwing stones, at the Palestinians, in the presence of the police, so that the Palestinians are virtually prisoners in their own homes.

After lunch we headed for

Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Inter-religious affairs.

This man is truly dynamic and extremely articulate as he describes his life experiences of complex issues and situations without taking a breath. He suggested that we could help solve the problem if we enable people to get beyond the mentality of seeing the Israelis as all right and the Palestinians as all wrong or vice versa. See the facts as they are – people can be loved without somebody being hated. Also needed is more active engagement by the United States, without taking sides.

Dr. Mahadi Hadi, Director of PASSA

Mr. Hadi is a brilliant man who has compiled detailed histories of both Israelis and Palestinians from the founding to the present in order to help people, especially youth, to talk, research and educate.

After years of study, discussion, meeting and organization, this man’s heart spilled over as he said, “at sixty I am tired of being nice. I must speak out about the facts as I see them.” The heart needs to be reached if decency, respect and dignity are to be honored. We must grapple with the soul of humanity to bring about peace.

Our visit with the Latin Patriarch was canceled, which was disappointing. By the end of the day, we were overloaded with information and needed a break to process all we had heard.

In summary, today was a powerful, yet overwhelming day!

Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio, from the Diocese of Paterson, is a member of the Global Fellows: Parish Homily Program. The Global Fellows: priests, deacons and seminarians, travel to the developing world to experience the plight of the poor and marginalized overseas. Upon their return, the Global Fellows are empowered to preach in parishes across the United States about social justice and peace around the world. This entry is a personal reflection by one of the participants in this program, and does not necessarily reflect the views of Catholic Relief Services, or its partners.

Fr. Joe Muth – Archdiocese of Baltimore

We are told that three visitors from the East arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring about the child that had been born. That was in the first century. Twenty centuries later seven visitors from the West (from Catholic Relief Services) arrived one day in the same town, wondering about the same child.

In Jesus’ time, Jerusalem was occupied by the Romans, and today many parts of the city are occupied, in violation of International Law by Israel. The State of Israel is creating a wall to make itself more secure and to extend the size of Israeli controlled Jerusalem. The Palestinians see this wall as an oppressive, insecure, illegal occupation of their land. Both sides vehemently defend their position psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, and of course, militarily. The seven Global Fellows western visitors spent their first day in Israel in the Bethlehem District seeing glimpses of the wall; also referred to as an electrified security fence or security barrier.

Walls instead of bridges? In the motherland of faith, the home of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, who can believe what we have seen?

As visitors to this nation we have been told to look for balance, to listen for balance, and to seek balance. Even if we find balance I feel like we will be accused of betraying the Palestinians or not listening to the Israelis.

Balance is what Jesus cautioned against. Balance is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus says the new law is to love you enemies and pray for your persecutors. If the occupation of this land is still going on, then so must the message of Jesus.

Our day began with Mass at the Church of the Annunciation, in Beit Jala. Despite the difficulties we had heard about, there was singing, joy, and friendship at the liturgy. Good conversation followed the liturgy. We talked about the plight of the Palestinian people and their desire to be treated humanely, with dignity and respect. They want their story to be.

Throughout the day, we heard about despair, poverty and the illegal occupation of land. We heard that Palestinians are not allowed to fly out of Tel Aviv, but must fly out of Jordan. We heard about humiliation, harassment, and long waiting times at checkpoints. In all of this, people still had a sense of hope and survival. They were also excited about family parties as they were preparing to celebrate Orthodox Christmas.

We left to return to our hotel in Jerusalem – waited about 20 minutes at a checkpoint going from Palestinian territory to Israeli territory. While waiting a young Palestinian man wearing a knapsack walked up to the checkpoint. The Israeli soldier exchanged loud words with him – lifted his rifle, pointed it at the Palestinian boy, stepped behind a barrier, and prepared to fire. We watched this unfold, stricken with fear, fell silently waiting. The young man turned around and walked away. We breathed a sigh of relief and continued our journey. I imagine this happens many times in the course of a day. Tensions are high.

We can learn lessons from the Palestinian people. They have developed a spirituality of fear, despair and frustration – it is their life!

The Magi left their gifts and returned home. I hope that by the end of the week we can discover the gifts we are supposed to leave here, too.

Fr. Joe Muth, from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is a member of the Global Fellows: Parish Homily Program. The Global Fellows: priests, deacons and seminarians, travel to the developing world to experience the plight of the poor and marginalized overseas. Upon their return, the Global Fellows are empowered to preach in parishes across the United States about social justice and peace around the world. This entry is a personal reflection by one of the participants in this program, and does not necessarily reflect the views of Catholic Relief Services, or its partners.