Christian leaders have expressed their condolences and called for prayer in the wake of news that a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people including 37Australian citizens and residents.
Flight MH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down at 11.15am local time. The Boeing 777 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile near Grabovo. Most of the passengers were Dutch; others killed included people from from Malaysia, Indonesia and Britain.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday it appeared the plane had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile which seemed to have been fired by Russian-backed rebels using what may turn out to be Russian-supplied heavy weaponry.
He said the initial Russian response that Ukraine were to blame was “deeply, deeply unsatisfactory”. “It is not an accident, it’s a crime…so there has to be a full impartial, international investigation…”
Mr Abbott described the response from Russia as a “test”. “Russia has to realise that their whole standing in the world is at risk here.”
Earlier Mr Abbott told the Australian Parliament it was a “grim day for our country and it’s a grim day for the world”. He said the incident looked “less like an accident than a crime”. “And if so the perpetrators must be brought to justice”.
He added later that “we grieve for all but we particularly grieve and pray for the Australians who have lost their lives.”
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the attack was a “violation of the rules of civilisation”.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he would seek justice. “Ladies and gentleman let me make it crystal clear,” Rutte told reporters. “We will leave no stone unturned. And if it becomes clear that this was indeed an attack I will personally dedicate myself to ensuring that those responsible for this crime will be found and face justice. Earlier we will not rest. That’s the least we can do for these innocent and their relatives.”
President Obama has expressed his sorrow over the accident. “Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken – men, women, children, infants — who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine. Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.”
He noted that “by far, the country that lost the most people on board the plane was the Netherlands. From the days of our founding, the Dutch have been close friends and stalwart allies of the United States of America. And today, I want the Dutch people to know that we stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in our grief and in our absolute determination to get to the bottom of what happened.”
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko believes the crash shows the war between government forces and Russia-backed separatists is escalating into a wider conflict. “Today the war went outside the Ukrainian borders,” he said, adding that the “war now touches the whole world.”
World Evangelical Alliance General Secretary Geoff Tunnicliffe offered his condolences to all who have lost loved ones and called for people to pray.
“And once again we renew our call for prayer for Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in this region, that there will be a peaceful and lasting solution.”
“This situation is a reminder that we must all work together to promote a peaceful approach to resolving conflict no matter how complicated.”
World Council of Churches’ General Secretary Dr Olav Fyske Tveit said the incident was “a profound tragedy that shocks and worries all of us; but especially for those who have lost their loved ones including our neighbors and partners at the World Health Organization (WHO) here in Geneva and groups with HIV and AIDS workers, researchers and others”.
“The thoughts and prayers of the world community are with you. We sincerely hope for the eventual healing of your minds and spirits,” he said in a statement issued on Friday.
“This tragedy taking place in a highly sensitive location and situation that remains poised on the brink of terrible violence, reminds us of the fragility and sacredness of life and the need for peace in this region. Our sympathy also goes to the people of Malaysia who are now experiencing a second airline tragedy within a few months.”
Meanwhile, in a statement obtained by BosNewsLife, the Vatican said Pope Francis is praying for the victims and their relatives. Pope Francis “has learned with dismay of the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft downed in east Ukraine, a region marked by high tensions,” the statement said.
“He raises prayers for the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives, and renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict to seek peace and solutions through dialogue, in order to avoid further loss of innocent human lives.”
As well as 28 Australian citizens, some nine permanent Australian residents also died while a large number of passengers killed were on their way to an AIDS conference in Melbourne.
Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, the WCC associate general secretary for public witness and diakonia, knew and had worked with some of those who died.
“It is in this context that the WCC is seriously affected by these deaths. It is painful to realise that the deaths will have a negative impact on progress that was being made in the area of HIV and AIDS research at a global level. My own relatives whose lives depend on new discoveries in HIV and AIDS research will be affected by the deaths of these people.”
Dr Phiri said the incident was a “clear demonstration that any war in any part of the world affects us all.”
The Anglican Primate of Australia, Archbishop Philip Freier, said the tragic loss of lives was a poignant reminder of of conflicts in distant places can impact places like Australia without warning.
“Our sympathies and prayers are with the thousands of people who are grieving the loss of family members,” he said.
– with STEFAN J BOS, BosNewsLife
