BIR ZEIT, West Bank, November 30, 2005 — The Palestinian Bible Society's Living Stones Bible resource centre in Bir Zeit has been badly damaged in an arson attack. The incident happened just before dawn on November 18. No staff members were present at the time.
Two bottles of fuel - possibly petrol - were found at the scene, and the back window had been broken with a long wooden stick wrapped in fuel-soaked cloth. The upper floor was covered in black dust, whilst the downstairs floor had been set on fire. The office of the team leader suffered the worst damage, with equipment and furniture destroyed in the blaze. This kind of danger is ever-present in the region, although the threat level had been reduced from the previous month after talks with the police and Palestinian intelligence in the village. The security forces deny receiving any reports of the attack, but have promised to proceed with an investigation.
Opened in May of 2000 as a joint venture between the Bible Society and the Roman Catholic Church, and funded by Opportunity 21, the Living Stones (or "Beit Al Hajar" in Arabic) Student Centre is a popular multi-media Bible resource centre and café. It has become part of student life and attracts around 100 students every evening. Not only is it a popular meeting place and a key part of Bible ministry, but it is also a vibrant demonstration that being Christian and Palestinian can go together.
The attack is a challenge for the team, who strongly believe that the Society's ministry in this area is a lighthouse to many of the students who find comfort, joy and peace in the centre.
One sign of hope that the staff found was the discovery, among the blackened debris, of a shelf of Bibles and copies of the Jesus film untouched by the fire.
The estimate for repairing and replacing equipment and improving security measures at Bir Zeit comes to about $11,700 (all figures in Canadian dollars).
This is the second time in less than a year that the Palestinian Bible Society has been the victim of criminal activity.
In late December, 2004, the Bible Society suffered a break-in at its new premises in East Jerusalem. The robbery was reported to Israeli and to Palestinian authorities, each of which made their own investigations, although neither the thieves nor the stolen goods were ever found. The stolen goods included computers, printers, a photocopier, and audio-visual equipment, with a total replacement value of about $23,300. In the aftermath of the robbery, the Bible Society has reviewed and improved its security arrangements at its East Jerusalem location. Replacements for some of the stolen equipment were purchased in order to enable the work to continue.
In the wake of this most recent incident, Simon Azazian, the Society's Information Officer, asked for prayer for the staff in the difficult circumstances they face.
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