Gaza Ceasefire Refusal Puts Emeryville City Council "On the Wrong Side of History" Says Local Catholic Priest
Reverend is "Shocked" at the City Council's Loss of Rectitude
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| The Reverend Aidan McAleenan of St. Columba Catholic Church "War leads to war and revenge to revenge. We must sit down, talk and listen. There is no other way. We are called to love, that's why we must call for a ceasefire in Gaza." |
The Saint Columba Church, located on San Pablo Avenue at 64th Street, one block from the Emeryville border, serves as Emeryville's Catholic church. As the Reverend explains, "Our parish encompasses all of Emeryville and a little of Oakland & Berkeley. So Emeryville is in our parish." And that is likely an extra reason why he is pained to see the City Council's recalcitrance on the issue of a Gaza ceasefire. "It shocks me to the high heaven that those who supposedly represent us all on the Emeryville City Council would vote against calling for a ceasefire [except Council member Kalimah Priforce], he told the Tattler.
St Columba Church, noteworthy for its quest for "radical inclusivity" as Father Aiden puts it, is unafraid of practicing what is preached. The church is identified with its yearly growing collection of wooden crosses alongside San Pablo Ave representing those killed by gunfire in Oakland, a large 'Racism is Sin' banner and now a banner calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Other churches in the Emeryville area have also loudly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, among them the Berkeley Methodist United Church on Carlton Street. That church, led by Emeryville resident Pastor Pamela Kurtz had, until recently, a banner out front proclaiming "Love Demands Permanent Ceasefire Now' (since vandalized).
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| Banner at the Berkeley Methodist Unified Church A few blocks from Emeryville. |
A moral counterweight to the overly circumspect Emeryville City Council majority, the Reverend McAleenan noted over 140 countries have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. "Speaking as a northern Irish man who grew up in war and was a second class citizen as a Roman Catholic, I hurt with those who hurt and those who are 'othered'. Ceasefire is the only way." he said. Suggesting the City Council majority may be too timid, the Reverend added, "Criticizing Israel is not anti semitic. We are called in our humanity to call out inhumanity everywhere. Israel is not the Jewish faith. All governments need to be held accountable, including our own."
Council member Priforce is an active parishioner at St Columba Church.
Council member Bauters is running for the position of Alameda County District 5 Supervisor in November and will give up his Emeryville City Council seat no matter the election outcome.
Mr Bauters and the other Council members against the ceasefire resolution discussion were asked but did not comment for this story.
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| Emeryville's St Columba Catholic Church Located at 6401 San Pablo Avenue in Oakland. |
I agree the city council should not take a position on issues outside of the State of California. Accurate information is just not available. Council members are elected to serve the local area and have no business being involved in issues outside of the country.
ReplyDeleteThat horse has left the barn. These Council members already voted for a City of Emeryville resolution supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression in 2023. Once that Rubicon was crossed, now they need to tell us why Palestinian children are not as worthy of Emeryville protection as Ukrainian children. Or be called out for their hypocrisy and/or their immorality.
DeleteThis refusal of our Council to call for a ceasefire in Gaza (as most other Bay Area cities have done) is actually quite informative as to showing us who they are. That is a form of disclosure citizens can find helpful now and at election time.
“Accurate information is just not available” how about loot listening to the International Court, The United Nations, UNICEF, The Red Cross, The AP Wire, Reuters and on and on - out children will study this - makes sure you’re on the right side of history.
DeleteCity Council passing a resolution on Ukraine was dumb and passing another on Gaza would only compound the silliness. Two wrongs
ReplyDeleteThat's a cogent argument but remember, the people who made those two decisions (the Council) don't think they were dumb or silly. And that's the point. That's why this is newsworthy. Emeryville's City Council majority thinks their Ukraine resolution was good and smart and their refusal to pass a Gaza resolution was also good and smart.
DeleteThis whole discussion is quite silly, as the premise is that if only Israel would stop the pressure on HAMAS then there would be this golden era of peace. Wake up folks, and take HAMAS at their own words -- they are committed to the violent destruction of Israel and aim to kill as many as possible. Should Emeryville City council carry water for these terrorists?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Emeryville council should carry water for terrorists anywhere but that's not what calling for a ceasefire in Gaza is. People having concern for babies being killed is not carrying water for terrorists. Where's your humanity? You need an injection of empathy.
DeleteEven the most rabid pro-istael types should understand that revenge killing 1,000 in exchange for each israeli killed will only assure that the babarism will continue. For each terrorist killed, israel is murdering 250 people. Those 250 have families. Congrats, you made more terrorists.
DeleteYou have no understanding of Islamic hatred towards infidels.
DeleteThey are taught to kill even if they weren't attacked. Just the mere existence of a Jewish state is cause for hatred.
The Germans didn't have such extreme hate. So when they lost they they learnt their lesson and most moved on.
The defeat of Nazi Germany didn't create more Nazis.
Kalimah just looking for publicity
ReplyDeleteAfter what went down in Berkeley and Oakland by the resolutions he wants to bring that to Emeryville
There's was no division regarding Ukraine and Russia
And why does the Irish Father think he has no anti Jewish bias to fix in himself.
Because our tax dollars are involved in supporting Israel's war in Gaza we have a duty to humanity not to speak out against supporting the uncontrolled slaughter of innocent lives. Stop all funding of Hamas as well as Israel.
ReplyDeleteSo you're not calling for a ceasefire.
DeleteYour calling for Israel to stop defending itself.
Thank you for showing your BS
The funny thing is that Hamas is not accepting the ceasefire deal.
I don't understand why the Emeryville city council can't do the right thing. Is it because Kalimah brought this up? Are they really willing to bring hatred from almost everybody just because they hate Kalimah? Why can't they understand Kalimah is also a council member? They need to respect us that voted for him. Maybe we can't get republicans in Washington to work with democrats but can't we get the politicians in Emeryville to stop being so childish?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not the right thing?
ReplyDeleteShould the city be calling for a ceasefire for every war in the world?
Do you even know how many wars are happening now?
Russia which unjustly invaded Ukraine is one of the 3 major superpowers
There was possibly good reason to call for a ceasefire.
Yes, that's the point of the story. The City Council majority agrees with you: the invasion of Ukraine and the killing of all those civilians is an outrage that must be countered. And they also agree with you that the invasion of Gaza and the killing of all those civilians is good and should not be countered. Barring an explanation from them, this much can be surmised. However, sometimes influential people in the community, people with moral authority disagree with what the government does and that's newsworthy. The priest of Emeryville is such an individual and his opinion on this is thus newsworthy.
DeleteThe Council majority is betting the majority of Emeryville residents is like you. They may be wrong. Polling data indicates they ARE wrong. This could be one of those times when the government gets it wrong. The council majority appeals to the citizens, as does Father Aiden but in the end, one side will have gotten it wrong (if journalism works).
First of all it's nice that you stopped saying there's an uncontrolled slaughter at least you admit that.
ReplyDeleteSecond there's no deliberate killing of civilians as can be implied by saying there's killing of all civilians.
Third it's funny to call father Aiden the priest of Emeryville do you like a theocracy??
It seems like kalima got you good on this one
Who are you talking to? Me? I assume you are. Next time, hit 'reply'.
DeleteI’ve never said there’s an uncontrolled slaughter. It’s a slaughter controlled by Israel (and to a lesser degree, Hamas).
Second, I didn't say 'there's killing of all civilians'. It looks like reading is not your strong suit. Please re-read it and strive for more accuracy.
RE Theocracy: America is not a theocracy (yet) thank god. There’s still a Constitutional separation of church and state. Because I’m an atheist, this is the way I like it… (actually I recently joined the Temple of Satan, a religion with tax free status according to the dictates of the federal government. But I joined it as one would join any club, like the Sierra Club. The Temple of Satan does good work. That’s the Temple of Satan NOT the Church of Satan who are run by a bunch of lunatic anti-Christians. Look the Temple of Satan up. You should join them as well).
What does Councilman Priforce have to do with this? I’m an atheist and he’s a theist. I do like some theists. As long as they don’t start messing with the government in the name of religion.
There is no slaughter of civilians controlled or uncontrolled and definitely not deliberate and it's definitely all Hamas's fault and all their supporters (which btw is a majority of Palestinian).
DeleteWhat's so funny about your article is that
6 months after the issue came up you publish this article about Father Aiden who Kalima. As is he's a moral authority and you consider yourself an atheist.
You call him emeryville's priest and the Church isn't even in Emeryville.
What about the other churches nearby?
What about the other religions nearby?
It makes sense Kalimah got you to write this Garbage piece.
And you publish this piece on the week that the world is calling for Hamas to accept the ceasefire deal that rejected
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sharing is caring!
DeleteTo answer your question about other churches nearby; I went to all of them and I interviewed the pastors/preachers. They all told me they hate Arabs and especially Palestinians. God hates them as well they all said. I would have put that in the story but Kalima says I can’t. Kalima says the Tattler can only report on liberal churches that think war is crummy.
Great way of deflecting.
ReplyDeleteWar is crummy when it's not you being attacked.
War is crummy only for the Jewish state.
Oh no! The Jews are defending themselves let's call a ceasefire.
Where are you calling for a ceasefire for the war in Sudan or Syria?
Maybe the Catholic priest is a Jew hater... And Kalima is just trying to get votes
Anyway if you don't have a good answer you should correct the wrongs in this article or at least show the side of truth.
OK got it. Jew haters are peaceniks. I’ll give you the last word:
DeleteYup, you're starting to learn.
DeleteJew haters come in all forms and usually use whatever is considered moral or the norm in the current time to use it against Jews..
Google the history of antisemitism and read and watch to understand more
If he's such a peacenik where is his big talk regarding other wars???
DeleteJew hate and bias comes in all form
Google the history of antisemitism
Please educate yourself
Do you become a peacenik by only calling for a ceasefire in one small war in the world and ignoring all other ones??
ReplyDeleteSmells like Jew hatred to me