Peacemaker Bob Holmes: the Basilian priest advises: 'If you stay in a first world country or a wealthy suburb, you'll never understand what's going on.'

Catholic New Times, Feb 13, 2005 by Christl Dabu

Armed with only their conscience and their conviction, Fr. Bob Holmes and other peace activists walked around the perilous, war-ravaged streets of Baghdad, talking to U.S. soldiers and handing them brochures about the Geneva Conventions. They were on a mission to protect the rights and well-being of anonymous Iraqi detainees and families victimized by the U.S.-led war and occupation, as well as the violent anti-American insurgency in Iraq.

Holmes says the leaflets would at least make American troops mindful of Iraqi's dignity and rights--and their own choice not to follow orders violating Geneva Conventions.

Ten months before the world knew of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, Holmes, a Basilian priest from Toronto, and the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) heard from Iraqi families and the Red Cross about the abhorrent conditions in the U.S.-run detention facilities. They listened to stories of human rights violations committed against Iraqi detainees.

A group formed by Mennonites, Brethren and Quakers in 1984, CPT told U.S. generals about the 18,000 people detained without charges or a trial--all considered war crimes, says Holmes, in addition to the alleged cases of physical, psychological and sexual abuse. But the pressure they put on the U.S. military to stop the violations and follow the Geneva Conventions repeatedly fell on deaf ears. Officials insisted that standard practices, such as violent house raids and mass detentions, would continue. Add to that the documented problem of U.S. soldiers illegally confiscating money and property from Iraqis, and the lack of information of detainees' whereabouts.

Sometimes, Holmes says, the Americans were cooperative, such as when U.S. official's gave CPT members in Baghdad access to a list of 6,000 Iraqi detainees--one-third of all prisoners at the time--so CPT could inform worried families, friends and faith leaders. However, even after last April's Abu Ghraib scandal, CPT members in Iraq have seen little improvement and are now hearing the same nightmarish stories from Iraqi detainees upon their release.

As news of suicide bombers, assaults, fire fights, bombings and assassinations in war zones like Iraq dominate the headlines worldwide, unsung peace activists like Holmes work to shine the spotlight on the atrocities and oppression suffered silently by the civilians caught in the crossfire. Twice in 2004, he spent time in Iraq with CPT's North American members. Their motto: "Get in the way of systems of domination and violence."

The teacher became the taught

Bob Holmes' interest in social justice and peace activism came from his days as a teacher in an all-black Catholic high school in Detroit, Mich. From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, he was deeply influenced by a bright, young African-American student, who made him confront his own racism. He first saw them as "poor, little black kids"--inferior people--in need of being saved. In fact, Holmes acknowledges the high school students actually saved him. The five black foster sons he adopted and helped raise in his 13 years, also "radicalized" him to see what he calls the "ugly backpack privilege" that white people carry around.

Holmes joined CPT in January 2000 and now serves as the pastor for Christian peacemakers, an ecumenical team of 200. Their objective is to actively strengthen the public witness of peacemaking, as called for by Jesus, by reducing or ending violence in conflict and war. Holmes had seen, with his own eyes, the same kind of violence or oppression repeated in other parts of the world, when he took part in CPT missions to Israel, Colombia and even Canada.

In the Occupied Territories, he and other CPT activists Walked hand-in-hand with Palestinian children, accompanying them to school. (CNT Oct. 24, 2004)

"The primary violence is the occupation," Holmes says, referring to the illegal occupation of the West Bank. On the other hand, Holmes makes it clear that the occupation can never justify suicide bombers. "The Israeli army has occupied the city of Hebron ... and all of the West Bank and Gaza, and that's caused great hardship on the people. So we try to find some ways to alleviate that hardship a little bit."

Holmes doesn't see that peace is fully attainable in the region until those with power enact change. In this case, he says the onus is on Israel to ceases its "oppressive actions" against the Palestinians, whom he sees as the primary victims.

He remains cautiously optimistic about the new Palestinian leadership.

CPT members had been arrested, roughed up and had tear gas, grenades and death threats thrown at them during their peaceful defiance. Holmes, who has been arrested three times for his peace activities, admits they often risked their lives, although their objective of peace was far from achievable. But he says their efforts at least got the wheels turning. "It's just so our presence there keeps shining a spotlight on the injustice of the situation," Holmes says.

After two CPT colleagues were beaten by Israelis, he says outrage against the targeting of peace advocates spilled over Israeli people and the international community--a collective voice that was loud enough to pressure the Israeli government to have its military escort the Palestinians to school everyday. The settlers still harass them, however, according to Holmes.