Service of Remembrance outside Foreign Office for those who have died in Gaza and Israel

Prayers in front of the Foreign Office

More than 80 people gathered outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall today, for a Christian service of remembrance, lamentation and repentance for the deaths in Gaza and Israel since 7 October 2023.

Several tourists passing by on their way to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, stopped to watch, as we read out just a few of the names and stories of the more than 58,000 people we know have been killed in Gaza. The data for these names was gathered by Professor John Slobada.

We prayed from the psalms and other scripture. Pat Gaffney read the Michael Rosen poem: Don't Mention the Children. (Michael wrote this poem after Israel banned a radio advert listing the names of children killed in Gaza.)

Don't name the dead children.
The people must not know the names of the dead children.
The names of the children must be hidden.
The children must be nameless.
The children must leave this world, having no names.
No one must know the names of the dead children, no one must say the names of the dead children.
No one must even think that the children have names.
People must understand that it would be dangerous to know the names of the children.
The people must be protected from knowing the names of the children.
The names of the children could spread like wildfire,
The people would not be safe if they knew the names of the children.
Don't name the dead children.
Don't remember the dead children.
Don't think of the dead children.
Don't say, "dead children".

We shared words of commitment to work for peace and a nonviolent solution to these many months of war and violence.

Rev Maggie Hindley, URC minister and member of the Community Peacemaker Teams gave a reflection in which she asked: "What are we doing here?" and said "What happens in and to and about Palestine matters for the Palestinian people, for Israel, for teh whole of the Middle East and for the whole human race."

She said: "What are we doing here? We are putting ourselves at God's disposal at this critical point in history, we are ptting ourselves firmly on the side of truth and compassion , of solidarity with the whole human race, of a fervent hope for a future of peace, prosperty and justice for all of us."

Fr Clive Lee read the final prayer, appealing for the intercession of two recently Palestinian saints: St Marian Bawardy, and St Marie Alphonsine Ghattas, together with all the Saints of Palestine and Our Lady of Palestine.

Pat Gaffney said: "The reading of the names is a most powerful act of remembrance and resistance for thousands whose names are NOT known to us, whose families have not had a chance to grieve."

The gathering was organised by London Catholic Worker, Pax Christi England and Wales, Westminster Justice & Peace and the Home Office Vigil Group.

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