HALO TRUST GETS NODE TO DE-MINE JESUS’ BAPTISMAL SITE

Emmanuel Ukudolo

Scotland, May 16, 2016 – Israel and the Palestinian Authority has granted permission to HALO Trust and the eight Christian denominational churches in the region to remove landmines from the site by the Jordan River where Jesus Christ was baptized in the West Bank.

HALO was founded in 1988 in response to global catastrophe caused by landmines and it has been responsible for clearing mines in several war prone areas including Afghanistan.
Called Qaser al-Yahud, the site consists of a 136 acre minefield with access restricted to the seven churches in the area since the 1967 war.

Removing mines from the site will open the area for tourism and a blessing in terms of pilgrims to the churches, which have abandoned their structures due to the danger posed by landmines.

“Most of the churches belong to the Roman Catholic Church and the Coptic, Ethiopian, Greek, Romanian, Syrian and Russian orthodoxies, to be restored to their proper purpose and enjoyed by thousands of pilgrims and visitors. A plot of land belonging to the Armenian Orthodox church will also be de-mined”, the HALO Trust said on its website.

We gathered that the Israeli National Mine Action Authority (INMAA) approached the HALO Trust following previous successful HALO mine clearance projects elsewhere in the West Bank. To achieve this noble task, The HALO Trust is now appealing to congregations and foundations worldwide to raise the funds for clearance, which is expected to cost around $4 million.

Speaking on the development, Chief Executive Officer, HALO, James Cowan said the HALO Trust has been demining in the West Bank for two years, during which time it has succeeded in building bridges across religious, cultural and political divides.

“ It is my belief that clearing this iconic site of landmines will benefit all humanity for centuries to come”, he said.

For the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, it is a source of much pain that a traditional site of the Baptism of Christ is now a site scarred by the debris of war.

“In making the land safe again, the HALO Trust is bringing a symbol of hope to a region that struggles with deeply-held divisions. At the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of reconciliation, so it is an inspiration to see HALO’s work helping communities to overcome these divisions.

“Everybody wants to see this land returned to use by the local Churches as a place of peaceful prayer and worship: HALO is reaching across the divide to make this vision a reality”, he said.
Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox church in Jerusalem, Mor Severios Malke Mourad, explained that at a time when many religious sites are being destroyed in the Middle East, the clearance of these churches by the HALO Trust offers a powerful symbol of hope.

“The Syrian Orthodox church supports HALO’s deminers in their task, which will enable us to conduct mass and prayer in safety”, he said. Custos of The Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said the Franciscan church has long tradition of worship at Qaser al-Yahud, particularly at Epiphany.

“Whilst we continue to do so today, our access has been limited due to the deadly legacy of landmines. We look forward to the day when, thanks to HALO, we will be able to celebrate the sacrament of Christ’s baptism in safety”, he said.