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AN OPEN LETTER
Bishop Riah Abu El Assal
TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSIONER
The Bachelor of Divinity degree that I received in 1964 came from the first university ever built in India. It was founded in the city of Serampore, in 1818 by William Carey, a British shoe-maker and a Baptist missionary to that sub-continent (1793-1834). This same William Carey is noted for his call a day before he commenced his journey to a land he knew very little about:
‘EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD. ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.’
In following like-wise, the International Tribunal For Natural Justice resolved to take upon itself the task of addressing what maybe described as an ‘impossible mission,’ i.e. human trafficking and child sex abuse, both a crime against humanity, and a sin against God. The Tribunal’s attempt is not only for God’s sake, it is also on behalf of the millions of people created in His beautiful image... those who sufferer at the hands of traffickers and abusers every day.
The first step on this long and challenging journey has already been taken, and taken in the right direction. The Tribunal called for a three-day inquiry, April 16, 17, and 18, 2018, at Westminster Hall in London, England. The intention was to allow time and space for victims, and working with victims, to come forward and testify. To expose and target those engaging in this new form of modern slavery, forced labor, sexual exploitation, commercialization of new born babies, sexual abuse of women and children, creating a multi-billion dollar criminal industry. The ultimate goal is to track down all involved in this inhuman and barbaric business. Encouraging others of the same mind, people with dignity and guts, to join hands to put an end to this demonic exercise. In pursuing that goal, the Tribunal invited several people, many from different parts of the world, to come testify. The recording of their testimonies was and is simply for future action on their behalf.
The case and the cause of children under the age of consent was present on our hearts and minds. We were informed that tens of thousands of them are being brutally and sexually abused and left to live with fear and feelings of shame that many are unable to forget, and moreover, will never be ready to forgive.
We took notice of recent actions taken by Church leaders: His Holiness Pope Francis, reflecting on a child abuse case by a bishop in Chile, admitted ‘grave error’ in his judgement, adding: “I confess this caused me pain and shame.” He also invited the victims to come before him in Rome so he my beg their forgiveness. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, reflecting on cases of child abuse by church people, admitted failure: “We fully accept the failures of the Church of England in the area of safeguarding.”
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