It may be hard for the Church to pronounce itself on the truth in the complex political process of image shaping, but it is always called to be the hands of Christ in situations of despair

By Rabih Hasbany

News

Human Rights Watch has expressed fears of a humanitarian crisis in the Egyptian governorate of North Sinai as a result of a security campaign by the Egyptian army against an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) operating in the region.

HRW said in a report published on 23 April 2018 under the title, “Egypt: Looming Humanitarian Crisis in Sinai,” that the campaign against the IS affiliate in North Sinai has left up to 420,000 residents in four northeastern cities in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

According to the report, the military campaign included the imposition of severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods throughout almost the entire governorate. Residents say they have witnessed a sharp decrease in supplies of food, medicine, and other essential commercial goods. The sale or use of gasoline for vehicle use in the area was also banned and telecommunication services have been cut for several days at a time. Water and electricity were cut almost entirely in the eastern areas of North Sinai, including Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed.

HRW asked the government to provide sufficient food for all residents and allow relief organizations, such as the Egyptian Red Crescent, to provide resources to address the needs of local residents.

Analysis

According to Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, “A counterterrorism operation that imperils the flow of essential goods to hundreds of thousands of civilians is unlawful and unlikely to stem violence.”

To which Egyptian military spokesperson Colonel Tamer Rifai responded,

The Human Rights Watch report on the Sinai is completely untrue. The armed forces provide all commodities for the people of Sinai free of charge and at reduced prices, in coordination with the relevant ministries to provide the administrative and medical needs of citizens in the areas of operations.

He added further that,

The armed forces ensure the arrival of trucks loaded with fresh food to the residents of Sinai, as well as the distribution of food packages to the people in the areas of operations, and opening a number of outlets of national service to provide any other food products.

Without visiting the region, we are forced to weigh the statements of each in accordance not only with whom we most naturally trust but also in accordance with who is able to most credibly justify their claims with evidence. In addition, we must reflect upon purpose/s behind each in making the claims they do. What do they have to gain or lose saying what they say?

The Role of the Church

In the midst of this crisis in Sinai, the Church can play a role that reflects the love of Christ by contributing to the provision of food and other services needed by the residents. The Church itself can do these acts of mercy or it can set an example in helping the humanitarian organizations operating in the region, such as the Egyptian Red Crescent. Thus, the Church can contribute to the common good of the people of the country.

The Church of Christ on Earth is an extension and embodiment of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, the Church should adopt a Kingdom view of, and attitude toward, humankind by granting to each the inherent dignity of being created in the image of God. The work of the Kingdom is also what Christ did on earth when he went about doing good for his community. The head of the church summed up his mission on earth, and therefore the mission also of his Church, when he inaugurated his ministry with a quotation from the Prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4: 18).