Riah Abu El-Assal
{{short description|Israeli Palestinian Anglican bishop (born 1937)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Abu El-Assal|lang=Arabic}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type =
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal
| honorific-suffix =
| bishop_of = Jerusalem
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| image = Riah Abu El-Assal, 2005 (cropped).JPG
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| caption = Riah Abu El-Assal in 2005.
| church = Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
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| diocese = Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem
| see = Jerusalem
| elected = 1997
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| quashed =
| term_end = 31 March 2007
| predecessor = Samir Kafity
| opposed =
| successor = Suheil Salman Ibrahim Dawani
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1937|11|6}}
| birth_place = Nazareth, British Mandate of Palestine
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| nationality = Palestinian, Israeli
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| residence = Jerusalem
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| alma_mater = Nazareth Baptist School
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| native_name = رياح حنا أبو العسل
| native_name_lang = ar
}}
Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal ({{langx|ar|رياح حنا أبو العسل}}, {{Transliteration|ar|Riyāḥ Ḥannā abū 'l-ʿAsal}}, {{langx|he|ריאח אבו אלעסל}}; born 6 November 1937 in Nazareth) is an Israeli Palestinian Anglican bishop, who was the Bishop in Jerusalem from 1997 to 2007.
History
Abu El-Assal graduated from Nazareth Baptist school where he also taught. While at Nazareth he was a member of the PLP, the Progressive List for Peace – a joint Jewish-Arab political party which, while existing only for eight years (1984–1992) is considered to have broken many previously sacrosanct taboos and profoundly influenced subsequent Israeli politics.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} During his time in Nazareth he was vicar of Christ Church, Nazareth.
In 1997, Abu El-Assal became the thirteenth Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem and head of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East until his retirement on 31 March 2007 at the prescribed retirement age of 70 years, though he was only seven and a half months short of his 70th birthday.[http://www.j-diocese.org/about_history?th=2 History of the Episcopal Church in the Holy Land, The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808220124/http://www.j-diocese.org/about_history?th=2 |date=2009-08-08 }}
Since retirement, Abu El-Assal has been engaged in a legal dispute with his successor and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem over the ownership of the Bishop Riah Educational Campus, a school established by him when he was bishop.{{cite web |url=http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_97428_ENG_HTM.htm |title=ruling favors Jerusalem diocese, not former bishop, in dispute over school's ownership, Episcopal News Service |accessdate=2008-11-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113064030/http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_97428_ENG_HTM.htm |archivedate=November 13, 2008 |df= }}
Ministry
File:129. Meeting with Mordechai Vanunu and Bishop Riah Abu Assal in Jerusalem 2005.JPG and Mordechai Vanunu in Jerusalem, 2005]]
Abu El-Assal has traveled widely, raising support and finances for the Bishop Riah Educational Campus and other community programmes with a vision of peace in The Holy Land.
Abu El-Assal traveled to Australia in 2006 where he attended the Black Stump Music and Arts Festival.
Family
Riah Abu El-Assal is married to a niece of Emile Habibi. His grandfather started the first modern pilgrim service in 1893 and opened branches in Jaffa, Jerusalem, Nazareth and Tiberias. His son Hanna is currently principal of the Bishop Riah Educational Campus in Nazareth.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{Cite book | author=Riah Abu El-Assal | title=Caught In Between | publisher=Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge | year=1999| isbn=0-281-05223-9}} (Autobiography)
External links
- [http://trushare.com/14JUL96/JY96LOWI.htm Robbie Low interviews Riah Abu el-Assal]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4621457.stm Church urges action over Israel]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu El-Assal, Riah Hanna}}
Category:Anglican bishops of Jerusalem
Category:Palestinian Anglican priests