Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, of the Diocese of Massachusetts, visited Harare, Zimbabwe, between May 26 and June 3, on behalf of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the invitation of Bishop Sebastian Bakare of Harare to witness the ongoing religious and political violence among the people of Zimbabwe. Shaw bore the Presiding Bishop's message of solidarity with Anglicans there who are suffering from oppression and human rights violations, including lockouts from their churches and physical violence.
Statement of the Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
June 5, 2008
On June 4, I returned from a one-week trip to Zimbabwe as the representative of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, and at the invitation of Bishop Sebastian Bakare of the Diocese of Harare.
What I have seen and experienced on this trip only magnifies my agreement with the call by church and political leaders around the world for far stronger international action to contain Zimbabwe's rapidly escalating political crisis.
You are undoubtedly aware of the ongoing political turmoil and violence in Zimbabwe, particularly now leading to the June 27 run-off election. You may be less aware of the suffering of the thousands of Anglicans there who have been physically assaulted while worshipping and their houses of worship locked. The government police forces considers them enemies of President Mugabe and are attacking them as they have human rights workers and others.
I was asked to travel to the Diocese of Harare to express the church's solidarity with our Anglican brothers and sisters who suffer under this profound oppression and to gather information for the Presiding Bishop about the political situation there. I interviewed some 50 priests, lay people and human rights lawyers in Harare over the course of my one-week stay. I also met with U.S. Embassy staff.
I can report that the situation in Zimbabwe is indeed grave. What we read and hear is true. There are widespread violations of human rights, daily reports of murder and torture and an economic and humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. The inflation rate is one million percent and unemployment ranges between 80-90%. I have seen the long lines for gas and at banks and experienced the limited electricity and clean water and virtually empty shelves in supermarkets. The judiciary has been compromised as members of the high courts and Supreme Court have directly benefited from President Mugabe's so-called "land reforms," fueling corruption and violations of civil liberties.
According to the Zimbabwe constitution, citizens are entitled to freedom of religious expression and conscience but these rights are being violated daily. Thousands of Anglican worshipers have been locked out of their churches, their church properties have been occupied by government-backed allies and their personal automobiles have been confiscated. One local priest must move from house to house every night to avoid possible arrest. A nine-year-old boy and a widowed mother of five children were beaten by police for failing to leave their church site.
On June 1, I preached to 400 people who could not worship in their locked church and had moved their service to the back yard of a house. Many told me of being randomly arrested on false charges.
In this period of heightened tensions prior to the June 27 runoff elections for president, an entire nation is at risk. We must all do our part to try to reduce that risk.
The Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop, the Archbishop of Cape Town and the Archbishop of Canterbury have all issued statements condemning the brutal attacks on Anglicans seeking to worship in peace and on the general citizenry. Our bishop in Durban, South Africa, helped persuade a judge to halt the delivery of Chinese-made ammunition to the military forces in Zimbabwe. Their call for international intervention must be answered positively. Because so many journalists and aid organizations have been banned from Zimbabwe or are under threat of prison under the oppressive Mugabe regime, it is important for me to share my observations and to urge our elected officials and diplomatic representatives to employ any and all efforts to restore human rights to Zimbabweans and to ensure fair elections on June 27.
Check out the Boston Globe's article here
'Greater Boston', a public TV news program on channel 2 in Boston, is scheduled to broadcast an interview with Bishop Tom Shaw, Thursday at 7:00pm. He will report on his recent visit to Zimbabwe, made at the invitation of Bishop Sebastian Bakare of the Diocese of Harare, and representing the Presiding Bishop.
For those not in Boston, the website for the program is:
http://wgbh.org/gb/
(Many of the programs are posted on the site a day or two after the broadcast).
Posted by: Joan Rasch | June 10, 2008 at 09:11 PM