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Inspired
Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.
As the drumbeat of support for Israel’s retribution for a deadly terror grows on Capitol Hill, some faith leaders are raising concerns. Calling for peace and recognizing the humanity of Palestinians caught in the crossfire, leaders talk about the grief, lament, and need to act as the Israeli military operation Iron Sword produces a large-scale humanitarian crisis.
This week’s roundtable includes perspectives from three leaders of faith-based organizations speaking out and organizing in the wake of the terror attacks and Israel’s declaration of War on Hamas. The conversation begins with reactions to the horrific terror attack coordinated and carried out by Hamas militants and the ways faith-based groups are lamenting and engaging in advocating for the oppressed and suffering.
Each talks about the challenges of offering nuance and history on the occupation of East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank and reflects on the media coverage and the dominant narratives following the horrific attack. Speaking to the response from their respective communities to the risks of speaking out and remaining silent, each offers their experience and reflects on where they look for hope.
The conversation begins with reactions to the horrific terror attack coordinated and carried out by Hamas militants and the various ways each organization is engaging and organizing people of faith and goodwill in their respective networks.
From reflections on the media coverage to the challenges of providing context and history to the conflict, each offers their experience and reflects on where they look for hope.
Roundtable participants include:
Joyce Ajlouny became the general secretary of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Joyce Ajlouny was the head of the Ramallah Friends School and the advocacy voice of the Quaker movement.
Eva Borgwardt is the political director of If NotNow, a movement of American Jews working to organize their community to end U.S. support for Israel’s system of apartheid and demand equality, justice, and a thriving future for Palestinians and Israelis.
Also joining the roundtable is the Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, who leads the coalition of Churches for Middle East Peace. Cannon is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) and formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. She is the author of several books, including A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land.
