Hope Beyond the Ceasefire: A Call for Peace in the Middle East

Statement by Rev. Adv. Botrus Mansour- Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance:

The World Evangelical Alliance welcomes the two-week ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran, and we pray it can become a permanent peace deal. We also pray for our friends in Iran, in the Arab region, and in Israel who have been bearing the brunt of this six-week war. As faithful followers of Jesus, we constantly pray for peace and abhor war. We also pray for freedom of religion for all, including fellow Christian evangelicals in Iran, in the Arab region, and in Israel. The Bible calls Christians to pray for all people in authority, including kings, presidents, and government leaders, to ensure a peaceful, quiet, and godly life

Regardless of political agendas of any side of the conflict we believe that:

1. As followers of the Prince of Peace who are encouraged by Jesus to be peacemakers, we call for a halt to killing and destruction.
2. We believe that peaceful agreements between countries should be reached through dialogue that bring about    arrangements and resolutions under international law.
3. We believe that people of all countries around the world, including Iran, for adherence to human rights values as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4. We pray for Lebanon and for the ceasefire to include our brothers and sisters there especially those living in southern Lebanon.
5. We advocate for religious freedom in all the world, including all the countries involved in the latest violence.

In the gospel of Mathew, Jesus commands us saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God” (Mathew 5:9).