Church urged to break silence on Gaza crisis amid calls for justice

Rev Dr. Moss Nthla, Evangelical Alliance of South Africa Secretary General addressing the media in Nairobi, together with Pastor Elly Senor, Pastor Anthony Sasaka of the Quakers Friends Church, Caroline Nganga and Otieno Ombok of Kenya Palestine Coalition, Pastor Rachael Butali of Quakers Friends Church, Rev Daniel Mulwa of Reformed Church of East Africa and Naomi Barasa of Kenya Palestine Solidarity Movement(KPSM). (Handout)

By Lucy Mumbi
Monday, March 31, 2025

Barasa criticised Western media for allegedly framing the conflict as a religious war, stating, “This is nothing close to the truth. The UN, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have repeatedly classified it as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

The Church has been challenged to break its silence on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, with the Kenya Palestine Coalition (KPC) calling on faith leaders to take a stand against what it describes as genocide and apartheid.

According to the Kenya Palestine Solidarity Movement (KPSM), the church has been silent on the suffering of Palestinians and must now take a moral stand.

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“The church has a role in speaking out against injustice. There are many instances in the Bible where prophets and Jesus Christ speak out against oppression. Through parables like ‘The Good Samaritan,’ Jesus emphasises the importance of tending to the wounds of our suffering neighbors,” KPSM Chairperson Naomi Vulenywa Barasa said.

Rev Dr. Moss Nthla, the Secretary General of the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, addressing the media in Nairobi, Kenya. (Handout)

The coalition lamented that the ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 deaths in the last 17 months, terming it an “unfolding genocide.”

Barasa criticised Western media for allegedly framing the conflict as a religious war, stating, “This is nothing close to the truth. The UN, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have repeatedly classified it as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

The coalition has now announced that it will be hosting a series of engagements with religious leaders, peacebuilders and human rights practitioners to deepen discussions on the role of the church in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

To further this discourse, KPC has invited Reverend Dr. Moss Nthla, a South African clergy and Secretary General of the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, to share insights on the role of the church in the anti-apartheid struggle.

The exhibition of 70 years of Palestine occupation at a conference in Nairobi aimed at engaging the Kenyan Church on their role in the Palestinian struggle. (Handout)

Dr. Nthla, a well-known social justice crusader and member of the Global Anti-Apartheid Movement, is expected to affirm Israel’s status as an apartheid colonial state and highlight parallels between South Africa’s past and the Palestinian struggle.

“We must recognise that apartheid, wherever it exists, is a crime against humanity,” Dr. Nthla said.

“The church in South Africa played a pivotal role in dismantling the apartheid system, and faith leaders in Kenya and across Africa have a moral duty to stand against the oppression of the Palestinian people.”

The coalition announced that Dr. Nthla will participate in a series of dialogues, conversations, and seminars aimed at shifting narratives that they claim have been used to justify violence in Palestine in the name of religion.

Public university seminars are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Nairobi to engage students and academics on the subject.

“We seek to address the reality of the divide on the Israel-Palestine question in churches across Africa,” Barasa said. “Through this engagement, we hope to foster a justice-driven perspective using biblical texts.”