Violence Against Children and Human Dignity
The New Monthly Webinar Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches
Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: Let everyone who practices violence against a child, be it physical or verbal, know that he/ she is violating the will of the Creator and sowing in society a brick of hatred and resentment
The Middle East Council of Churches pursues its series of monthly seminars, and held a new webinar entitled “Violence Against Children and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 26 October 2023, with the participation of specialists, academicians, universities’ students and interested attendees in the topic at hand. Noting that this webinar comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.
The webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook Page, included three interventions, moderated by Dr. Chawki Attieh, who denounced in his opening speech all the scenes of violence in the world in light of the painful events that Gaza is witnessing, and spoke about the types of violence and their effects on children.
The webinar began with a speech by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr. Michel Abs, in which he condemned the phenomenon of violence against children, and said, “If we delve deeper into the phenomenon, violence against children, we will enter the world of childhood labour and all its disasters, which started with the industrial revolution... towards the children who are used by corporations which moved to countries where they exploit children labor, and forgot what their countries invented such as individual rights, children’s rights, and their derivatives... On the other side of the phenomenon, we must quickly stop the violence that children are exposed to at home, from their family members, from those who must protect them and help them grow.”
He continued, “Childhood in Christianity is classified as Holy, where the Incarnate Lord said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14. He also took the children in His arms and placed his Hands on their heads and blessed them. Let everyone who practices violence against a child, be it physical or verbal, know that he/ she is violating the will of the Creator and sowing in society hatred and resentment, and that the curse of harming this child will haunt him/ her until the Day of Judgment.
Dr. Michel Abs concluded “But in the absence of awareness and conscience, what is the deterrent? The law! And who is the deterrent? It is the combination between societal legislation and social development institutions, the natural stand of the government in protecting society from the killers of the body and the killers of the soul that people may not be aware of, as stated by Gibran Khalil Gibran.”
Afterwards, the first intervention started under the title “The Children of Gaza are the Target bank for the Occupying Army,” with Lawyer Khaled Kouzmar, General of the international movement of “Defense for Children International”. He highlighted his experience and expertise in working with children, mentioning the hardships they faced, as well as the crimes and occupation. He also said that what is happening today in Gaza is unprecedented, and they have lost hope in any change.
The second intervention was entitled “The Physical and Psychological Dangers of Violence Against Children in Lebanon,” with Dr. Jacqueline Issa, a Former Director and Current Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences, Fourth Branch, at the Lebanese University. She spoke from an academic and sociological perspective about the crises and sources that lead to violence against children as well as the phenomena that deepen this violence. She also provided a definition of violence against children, highlighting its types, forms and causes.
The third intervention was entitled “The Church’s View of the Concept of Violence Against Children,” with Father Dr. Charbel Chlala, a Specialist in Moral Theology and the Ethics of Life Sciences. He talked from a Church perspective about the issue of violence against children and the role of the Church towards it, and said that the Church is the voice of the voiceless. He also focused on education and the culture of ignorance, in addition to the Church’s position in protecting children, especially by strengthening the role of families...
The webinar ended with a session for questions and discussion between the participants during which they exchanged opinions and experiences, each on according to his and her specialization and field of work. Then, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches delivered a last word in which he emphasized the necessity of distinguishing the concept of violence against children from the concept of crime against childhood, and work must be done to enhance the latter. Dr. Abs also thanked everyone who participated, stressing the importance of cooperation and working together in order to overcome this difficult stage in our modern history.