“Issue of Palestine, darkness in world all due to corrupt powers”

Father Dave Smith, parish priest from Sydney, Australia in an interview with Taqrib News Agency (TNA) rapped corrupt powers over the issue of Palestine, Syria war and the “darkness around the world.”

He counted two factors which familiarized him with the issue of Palestinian nation saying,” My knowledge of Israel Palestine started with friendship with Mordechai Vanunu in 1986, the man who told the world about Israeli nuclear weapons hidden under the Negev Desert who came to our church in 1996 and became a close friend of mine.”

Father Dave went continued to say,” In that stage he was still trying to decide what to do, torn spiritually over if it was betrayal of his country or if his parents would disassociate him that MOSSAD would try to kill him though finally he made his mind that he had to speak up for the sake of humanity and his sympathy and support for the Palestinians as well.”

He noted that the knowledge of Israel Palestine and his association with Vanunu helped him to see.
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think a lot of the people can’t see the oppression of the Palestinian people which I think is hidden off by so much propaganda in our culture.

Shia community in Australia was mentioned by Father Dave Smith to be the second reason to expand his knowledge of the Palestinian plight when he said, “I think the other side of the story is my increasing involvement with the Shia Islamic community in Sydney and my friendships there which have again further informed me and brought me to collaborative relationship with other activists working for Palestinian human rights.”

When asked on the way solidarity of Abrahamic religions could contribute to settlement of the Palestinian issue he said,” I do not know how we are going to do it but I see it as the only way to do it.”

“I think not just for the situation of Israel and Palestine but for the darkness we see around the world, in Syria and to this country from the west in many ways are due to corrupt powers” he said and added,” I think part of the problem is that when you become powerful you become corrupt.”

He slammed the US for its use of violence to settle the issues saying,” America has a terrible history of trying to solve the problems through violence but I think that we can’t combat this with

more violence. I think we have to find another way and then this is the religious people if we bound together I mean we can be corrupt too. The history of the church is not a good history. But there at the basis of our common identity we have ideas and beliefs which are standing bigger than the bottom line for money and power. So I think this is where our hopes lie, that the people of genuine faith come together to try to combat these powers not with more violence but with our weapons of power and self sacrifice.”

We have to have courage, believe in God Almighty because if we look at most of the things going on the ground, the political power seem to be unbeatable but we have to believe that there is a power greater than the powers of darkness, money and greed we see operating in our world. We have to believe all that the truth and God will triumph.

Fighting Father Dave, as he is dubbed by some because of his popularity as a professional boxing sport, is a parish Priest in Sydney Australia. Father Dave has worked predominantly with young people suffering substance abuse issues. Dave founded ‘Fighting Fathers Ministries’, with the goal of offering an alternate culture to young people, based on values of courage, integrity and teamwork. The fighting Father is also an author and has taken a firm stance in support of the Palestinian nation slamming the war in Syria announcing his opposition with all forms of western military intervention.

KD