"Religious leaders stand against assault on Gaza"

From www.indiancatholic.in

"More than 50 leaders of all major religions in Indonesia as well as politicians and academics have met the U.N. representative here to deliver a statement expressing concern over the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Din Syamsuddin, chairperson of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization, led the group of Buddhists, Catholics, Confucians, Hindus, Muslims and Protestants at the Jan. 7 meeting.

El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative, received the "Leaders of Indonesian Civil Society Organizations" delegation at his office.

"We strongly condemn the brutal and murderous attacks and bombardments on Gaza and the innocent people of Palestine nation. We believe that such is a gross violation of human rights and a naked crime against humanity," says the English-language statement, which Syamsuddin read out."

News links: I, II, III, IV, V, IV

Vatican: Gaza resembles a "concentration camp"

Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace (informally dubbed the 'Justice Minister' of the Holy See), has spoken out on the atrocities in Gaza in an interview in the Italian online newspaper Il Sussidiario. Martino stated "Defenceless populations are always the ones who pay. Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp."

"We Christians are not the only ones to call this land 'holy', Jews and Muslims do so too. The fact that this land is the scene of bloodshed seems a great tragedy," the Cardinal added.

The Israeli denials apparatus were, as usual, quick to react, with a government spokesperson stating that the Cardinal's comments were based on "Hamas propaganda". If they are so concerned with 'misinformation' being spread perhaps they could allow journalists to enter the Gaza strip, one might argue.

Reuters, News.com.au, The Australian