The second week of November witnessed massive celebrations marking the silver jubilee of the demolition of the Berlin Wall which took place on November 9, 1989. The celebrations unveiled further determination to intensify efforts designed to demolish moral and cement walls.
On this anniversary, Pope Francis said from “his window” that overlooks the St. Peter Square: Today we mark the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the wall that partitioned Berlin for a long time as it was a symbol of the ideological division of Europe and the entire world. He said that although the demolition of the wall was taken by surprise, yet it was a crowning of several people’s efforts, commitment, struggle and payers. He concluded reiterating what his predecessors said, namely Pope John Paul II who contributed to the demolition of the wall: “There is a need to build bridges not walls, especially walls of discrimination, persecution as well as killing the innocent because of their religion." This was a reference to the displacement taking place in Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere.
We watched Arab TV stations transmitting the world’s celebrations marking the demolition of the wall which included flying of balloons with the size of the demolished wall. In the Arab heart there was pain; for at the time when the world marks this anniversary which became an annual event that emits joy and determination, the wall running in the heart of Palestine continues to sneak emitting its venom while the people within the wall still live in a large prison.
At the time when the regain is on the verge on new partitions based on political and racial considerations-- where large states will be partitioned into statelets with walls erected between one state and the other that deepen division among people-- the anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall is being celebrated. We look forward to the demolition of the saddening walls of separation.
The world celebrates the anniversary of the demolition of walls while we celebrate the erection of new walls between one country and the other, between the party and another, between one faction and the other, between one religion and the other, and between one “sect" and the other which is represented by the walls of hatred as well as the rejection of the other and attempting to eliminate the others entirely. It suffices us to go to the centers housing the displaced from Mosul to see how man erects high walls that separates him from his brother.
Moving away from political walls, there are within the one family cold walls, divorces, and divisions—some of which are undisclosed—and cement hearts void of love while crimes are being committed in cold blood by the closest people with neighbours unaware of at the time.
In memory of the demolition of the Berlin Wall, as we watch TV stations with hearts deeply pained, we say: O Lord have mercy on us!
