The Month of Christmas and Message of Christianity - EDITORIAL

As the month of December dawns, it brings to the minds of Christians the world over of the birth of Christ in a stable at Bethleham in Palestine. Christ’s message is love of fellowmen and peace to this world. Christ himself, a man of love and peace, paid price of his convictions with his life.

Sadly, most political leaders in the ‘Christian US and the West’, seem to have lost sight of Christ’s message.Today, the political leadership in these countries, trample underfoot, Christ’s message of love and peace. 

Instead, they promote a doctrine of killing and maiming in the very land of Christ’s birth. 

They provide death dealing arms, armaments and political backing to the State of Israel which is continuing an on-going massacre of Palestinians. To date Israel has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in retaliation for the attack of the armed group ‘Hamas’ on Israeli civilians. In that attack over a thousand Israelis were killed . 

The charity ‘Oxfam’ reveals Israel has killed more than 6,000 women and 11,000 children in Gaza over the last 12 months. The United Nations adds 1.9 million people were displaced in Gaza as of October 2024, out of a population of 2.2 million.

Separate data from ‘Action on Armed Violence’ reveals, from October 2023  Israel has hit civilian infrastructure across Gaza with explosive weapons once every three hours on average. Since Israel began attacking the Gaza Strip it records Israeli explosive weapons hit on average, homes every four hours. It hit temporary shelters every 17 hours, schools and hospitalsevery four days and aid distribution points and warehouses every 15 days.

Describing herself as ‘a reluctant chronicler of genocide’, Ms. Albanese UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory Occupied since 1967- said the international community must recognise what is happening in Gaza as a genocide. 

Pope Francis the leader of the Catholic Church, according to excerpts from an upcoming book has called for an investigation into whether Israel’s strikes on the Gaza Strip constitute genocide.

Sadly, the United States vetoes resolutions at the United Nations Security Council demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza even as civilian casualties rise. According to the US, ‘a ceasefire would only plant the seeds for the next war, as Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace...’

On the other hand we see our newly elected President Dissanayake -a died in the wool Marxist- on Friday the International Day for Solidarity with the people of Palestine, condemning the immense loss of civilian lives, suffering, and the ongoing destruction, continuing for over a year in the Palestinian territories and across West Asia, as unacceptable and intolerable. He called for an immediate halt to the massacre.

The Lankan President also drew attention to Israeli threats against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). He said it was disappointing and disheartening to see the humanitarian services that sustained the lives of the refugees were on the verge of collapse.

In today’s context the love and peace preached by Christ seems to have fallen by the wayside. The so-called Christian political leaders of the West, who preach value of these sentiments to us Asians, Africans and the indegenous peoples of the Americas collaborate with the profit-oriented ‘merchants of death’ in the armaments industry by continuing to supply weapons of destruction to the Israeli rulers. 

But this should not surprise anyone. After all slavery in its all its inhumanity was enforced by the West.All Asian people were subject to Western imperial rule with all its barbarity. 

However large numbers of ordinary people in the Christian west are today standing up against their governments and the actions of the state of Israel. 

Hopefully we will witness the message of Christmas -peace and love of mankind, prevail during the month dedicated to the man who brought a message of love and peace to the world.