Political Crossfire Forums

[Duchifas]

Quote: Moslem Terror Chasing Out 1,000 Christian Arabs a Year
14:05 Apr 12, '06 / 14 Nisan 5766

(IsraelNN.com) About 1,000 Christian Arabs flee Arab-dominated areas because of Arab terrorism and harassment, according to Reuters News Agency. Examples were cited of Moslems beating up Christians, uprooting their olive trees and scrawling graffiti that show nuns being raped.

Hardest hit has been the Christian community of Bethlehem where tourism has declined since Arabs began the Oslo War attack against Israel. "If the situation continues, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity will become cold, empty museums," said Samir Qumsieh, a Palestinian-Christian businessman.

http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=101940

For more information:

http://www.theprismgroup.org/articles/palestinian_treatment_of_christian_arabs.html

http://www.theprismgroup.org/TreatmentChristianArabs.htm

[psholtz]

*yawn*

Duchi, "Muslim" terror is just soooooo not a threat to Christianity.. :roll:

[LetsGetReal]

Don't mind Psholtz thanks for the info, I'll definitely have to look up some more info.

[connermt]

Duchifas wrote: Quote: Moslem Terror Chasing Out 1,000 Christian Arabs a Year
14:05 Apr 12, '06 / 14 Nisan 5766

(IsraelNN.com) About 1,000 Christian Arabs flee Arab-dominated areas because of Arab terrorism and harassment, according to Reuters News Agency. Examples were cited of Moslems beating up Christians, uprooting their olive trees and scrawling graffiti that show nuns being raped.

Hardest hit has been the Christian community of Bethlehem where tourism has declined since Arabs began the Oslo War attack against Israel. "If the situation continues, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity will become cold, empty museums," said Samir Qumsieh, a Palestinian-Christian businessman.

http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=101940

For more information:

http://www.theprismgroup.org/articles/palestinian_treatment_of_christian_arabs.html

http://www.theprismgroup.org/TreatmentChristianArabs.htm

So what happened that caused all this?

[psholtz]

connermt wrote: Duchifas wrote: Quote: Moslem Terror Chasing Out 1,000 Christian Arabs a Year
14:05 Apr 12, '06 / 14 Nisan 5766

(IsraelNN.com) About 1,000 Christian Arabs flee Arab-dominated areas because of Arab terrorism and harassment, according to Reuters News Agency. Examples were cited of Moslems beating up Christians, uprooting their olive trees and scrawling graffiti that show nuns being raped.

Hardest hit has been the Christian community of Bethlehem where tourism has declined since Arabs began the Oslo War attack against Israel. "If the situation continues, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity will become cold, empty museums," said Samir Qumsieh, a Palestinian-Christian businessman.

http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=101940

For more information:

http://www.theprismgroup.org/articles/palestinian_treatment_of_christian_arabs.html

http://www.theprismgroup.org/TreatmentChristianArabs.htm

So what happened that caused all this?
Bear in mind that the news source "reporting" this story is clearly Zionist..

[LetsGetReal]

Beware that Psholtz is a lunatic...

[psholtz]

LetsGetReal wrote: Beware that Psholtz is a lunatic...
Still not ignoring my posts, are you? :rotf:

That's twice in this thread alone, my friend.. :wink:

[John]

Duchifas wrote: Quote: Moslem Terror Chasing Out 1,000 Christian Arabs a Year
14:05 Apr 12, '06 / 14 Nisan 5766

(IsraelNN.com) About 1,000 Christian Arabs flee Arab-dominated areas because of Arab terrorism and harassment, according to Reuters News Agency. Examples were cited of Moslems beating up Christians, uprooting their olive trees and scrawling graffiti that show nuns being raped.

Hardest hit has been the Christian community of Bethlehem where tourism has declined since Arabs began the Oslo War attack against Israel. "If the situation continues, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity will become cold, empty museums," said Samir Qumsieh, a Palestinian-Christian businessman.

http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=101940

For more information:

http://www.theprismgroup.org/articles/palestinian_treatment_of_christian_arabs.html

http://www.theprismgroup.org/TreatmentChristianArabs.htm

Don't worry. I read the book. I know how this all ends. :wink:

[Saracen]

Yawwwn... Thanks for putting this up, Duchifas.

Rifat Odeh Kassis wrote: Introduction:

It is no longer possible to take for granted the Christian presence in the Holy Land. In fact, now more than ever before, the actual existence of indigenous Christians is at stake. The threat comes not from the Muslim community, as some would lead us to believe, but from the Israeli military occupation and the double standards used by the West.

It is no secret that Palestinians live within a tribal culture. This reality implies that personal security and protection depend exclusively on the tribe in all sectors of society. Very frequently, even the most "democratic" political parties are based on this very concept. A cursory glance at the names of leaders of specific parties reveals that many members and leaders have the same family names. People sometimes join a particular party not because they are convinced by it's ideology but because it fits into the system of tribal support and protection. The same is true of religious affiliation. A consequence of this reality is that one may become an easy target if the tribe or political party or religion to which he/she belongs is considered weak. It is indeed unfortunate that in certain cases, especially now as the Palestinian Authority lacks real authority and as many people are questioning the role of law, the only protection available is that of the tribe or political party.

The emigration of Palestinian Christians:

Many Palestinian Christian families have emigrated. Unfortunately there are no concrete and reliable figures available. Regardless of the reasons, this reality has weakened the Christian community as a whole and has made them extremely vulnerable. Very often, those who are strong and enjoy the support and protection of a powerful tribe or political party are unable to understand the vulnerability of those who lack this type of support or to recognize the consequences of their actions. Within Palestinian culture, people tend to side with those who are strong even if it brings harm to those who are weak. In this regard, Christians have two options, either they become themselves active in the political and social life to become more involved in changing this reality and building a democratic state, or to become isolated and marginalized and support those elements within society they consider strong.

The Islamic Fundamentalism:

Another concern for Christians is the emergence of Islamic fundamentalist movements, although the concern has no correlation to security of Christians. In general, the members of these movements are not even aware of the existence of Palestinian Christians. They are as ignorant as many Western Christians in this regard! Most of the members of these movements are ordinary people who know nothing of bigotry or prejudice. Unfortunately, however, they are frequently led astray by the harmful teaching of a few dubious leaders or activists. It is important to mention that these teachings are often directed against democratic or liberal ideas in general, including Christian ideas and their ways of life, though not against Christians as such. As Christians we must neither fear nor ignore fundamentalists. Rather our energies must be directed to creation of a new society where democratic rights are respected and harmful traditions are challenged. Muslim fundamentalism, as a religious revival, must be able to accommodate non-Muslims fully if it is to become a revolutionary revival as opposed to a reactionary one. This occurred once at the end of the 19th century and there are signs of the same thing happening within the Hizbollah Party in Lebanon. It is still too soon to make a judgment until; of course, these movements end up becoming primary ruling powers. In order to understand the fundamentalism of Islam we need to study and understand the fundamentalism of Jews represented by the extremists' settlers and many of their political and religious parties and the fundamentalism of Christians represented by the Christian Zionists because I really believe that the Muslim fundamentalism is a reaction and response to these movements. It is also founded on a sense of humiliation and helplessness.

>>Obviously, Muslim fundamentalists are not targeting Palestinian Christians. The underlined part is an interesting point, though...

The long and short of this is this: Arab Muslims have a big challenge because they must be able to look upon their Arab Christian neighbors as compatriots; and Christians must reciprocate but also a reflection of the principles and values of Christ and Mohammed.

The Christian Fundamentalism:

There are many external factors that influence the relations between Christians and Muslims. Local Christians have little or nothing to do with these factors but they have created much damage. The actions of Christian fundamentalists in USA and Europe who use the name of Christ to justify their wars on the Arab World and on Islam itself are major factors that create cleavages between Christians and Muslims. Local church leaders have long been aware of the importance of enhancing relations with Muslim clergy and this is an important thing. Dialogue that takes place among leaders is obviously significant, but dialogue at the grassroots level of society is equally vital. Any dialogue that is initiated, however, must take place within an atmosphere of tolerance - a concept not often found these days in the world including our society. The fear of difference, of the "other" is rooted deeply in the Palestinian psyche. It is precisely this fact that must be challenged if fruitful dialogue and principles of tolerance are to be integrated into society. The spirit of tolerance in our land, under this extreme political and cultural situation, is being eroded. Dialogue and normalizing programs between Christian and Muslims prove to be inadequate because these programs operate outside the context of the ordinary person and center on high-ranking officials who shake hands in front of cameras but never touch the reality of the people.

The War on Iraq and before that on Afghanistan, blind Western support for Israel, and factors emanating from such positions and policies combine to jeorpadise the Christians presence in the Middle East and threaten their very existence. On the other side, the recent position of churches everywhere in the world taking sides against the war on Iraq was a very good step to help the local Christians getting their message through. One still hopes that the churches in the west will take more progressive positions in relation to the Palestinians and their cause for a just peace. But all these good steps are not going to suffice; these relations should be manifested in joint work and activities. We should encourage and motivate our youth to be together, we should open our schools, institutions, and clubs to accommodate both. Above all we should quickly abandon the double-face, two-discourse attitude that has no value except as a public relations exercise. In their essence, such attitude is simply the exertion of isolationism and racism.

The Israeli military occupation:

Muslims and Christians alike live under the same Israeli military occupation. They both suffer from the daily harassment, the killing, confiscation of lands, destruction of infrastructure and properties, and above all the demolishing of their hopes and aspirations. Since its creation in 1948, Israel has deposited severe pressures on the Palestinians designed to frustrate their dreams and prompt them to quit their land. The influx of refugees at that time changed the demographic fabric in the country and in the neighboring countries as well. The Jews grew rapidly in numbers, while the Palestinians contracted and became a minority, whose rights are violated and abused. And as in any military occupation, the occupier's adopted the classical "divide and rule" policy to conquer and maintain their stranglehold on power. While Israel's role in dividing Muslims and Christians cannot be minimized, as the latest incident in Nazareth shows, we must be careful not to place all the blame on the occupation. We need to open our eyes to important facts and happenings in our area starting from the Gulf War right through to the phenomenon of Bin Laden. The Israeli occupation of Palestine has proven to be one of the most significant contributing factors to problems in general for Christians, not least of all, the problem of emigration. Christians have been subjected to harsh measures because they are often more capable of advocating in the West on behalf of Palestinians.

The Role of the Palestinian Christians:

The volatility of the political situation is played out in a variety of arenas within the region. The powers involved, whether they are external or internal, have contributed in various ways to war in the region and untold suffering for countless people. Britain, France, Germany, and Italy are some examples. However, the creation of Israel is the most significant factor in regional instability and violence. Arabs Christians are in the forefront of the defense of their countries and societies. At the beginning of the last century, Christians were pioneers in introducing new ideas and, in fact, had a role in leading the Arab World. This, however, is no longer the case. Christians have lost their historical role in the Arab National Movement and have lost the ideological war on this front. Nationalism and Socialism - created out of Christian initiatives have been lost. In other words, our fundamental projects have been lost. Christian role as a bridge between West and East has proven to be an empty dream - one that was visualized in detail, but never carried forward to its logical conclusion. It seems to Christians have in fact even lost their capacity to play this role. Whether or not this role should be a Christian one is open to question. Why? Simply, because Christians have got stranded in rhetoric discourses and dreams and never actually sought out the wherewithal to actualize them. The reason for this is that there has never been a solid ground from which to work. Christians remained torn apart in our divided enclaves of church divisions led and/or funded mainly by the West. Theological formulations remained stagnated in meditative ways rather than in transformative ones. Thus, Christians never really rooted themselves in the cultural ethos of the region and to understand and claim their identity. The bride role between the East and West was far too superficial and devoid of substance to give the Christian an identity. Instead, it seemed as if Christians were more concerned about and involved in the external environment rather than in the internal social and cultural formations. Perhaps this is why ordinary people are confused. To whom do Christians belong? Do they belong to the Vatican, Germany, England, Greece, Russia, the US, or Palestine? Christians have relinquished their responsibility for this mission and instead allowed other structures to take over this precious space. This is nothing short of an abdication of responsibility, which Christians have carried out with efficiency and integrity in the past and gained recognition for. This is a loss of a role and function through which Christians made a contribution to social advancement and, thus, attained a place and recognition.


Lest it be misunderstood that Christians are alone in misunderstanding their identity, it is crucial to point out that many Muslims as well, through their experience of colonialism, imperialism, and neo-imperialism, have equated Christianity with the tyrant or the occupier. This is certainly unfortunate, but a fact that must be addressed if anything is to change.


Christians in Palestine lack leaders and have suffered long years as a consequence of this reality. Whether as a result of emigration or of lack of interest, Christians have ceased to develop new leadership. The dilemma is best described by Christians themselves thus: "Either we have good church leaders who lack a base within the local community, or we have strong Christian leaders totally unconnected with the church". This fact has been instrumental in creating an embarrassingly weak church that has little or no decision-making capacity. What adds to the misery is the Quota system, which was followed in the first and the only Legislative Council election. By contrast, Egypt's Copts, for instance, have refused this system and emphasized the notion of a co-equal citizenship. The quota based election system brought a good number of Christians into the council. These members can barely claim to be the legitimate representatives of the Christians. It is shocking to know that most of them have almost never held any meetings with what are supposed to be their constituencies. This system only goes to reveal the bankruptcy of the claim that Christians are truly Palestinian. Indeed, Christians have floundered in the political wilderness because they look like people who are anything but integral to the community. Rather, they have chosen to be a group with a minority complex. Christians should have chosen to be represented either by political parties or by individuals. Palestinian Christians must never internalize the attitude of a religious minority and tend to leave political life to others; on the contrary we should be active and involved in the political and social life of our community.

The role of the Church:


In this regard, the role of the church has often been criticized for its weakness. While it is true that the church is weak, we need to realize that the church is simply a microcosm of the people as a whole. A major factor in its weakness is the lack of value placed on the role of Christians in public life. Authentic faith leads one to participate in the political life of society. It is worth mentioning that Christian participation in the Arab societies of the region is a reflection of the general lack of political participation in the Arab World at large.
The weakness of the church is reflected in some of its mistakes over the years. For example, while there is an abundance of respected church literature available in English or German, there is next to nothing in Arabic. This literature could be a clear message in itself not only for Christians, but for Muslims as well. The church has failed in its mission to strengthen the sense of unity and confidence within its communities and to help its communities understand more deeply their faith and witness in society. It has also failed in finding ways to encourage its people to remain in the region and make a positive contribution in the creation of a new and better future for all Palestinians.

The church has often been afraid to provide any special services to Christians for fear of being labeled biased against Muslims. The presupposition is that we are guilty until proven innocent. Rather than addressing this issue directly through initiatives that build mutual respect and understanding between Christians and Muslims, the church has remained aloof and has engaged in dialogue only at hierarchical levels, excluding the common people. This neglect has left grassroots endeavors to a few church-related organizations - a tremendous loss for the church and its mission here.

The potential for the church to act as a real bridge between people of different faiths has been greatly diminished. Even when the meeting between a number of church leaders and the spiritual leader of Hamas, Ahmad Yasin, happens, Christians suspiciously ask if it merely a public relations ploy. Ordinary church community members were not even aware that this historic meeting neither took place nor was there any follow-up to the meeting- another in a series of missed opportunities for the church.

Until very recently, the church failed to play a major role in Palestinian political life or even in standing up for issues of justice and peace. Its message to the international community was not communicated well locally, especially when the message was one of reconciliation and peace. The church has become more "professional" and less people-oriented. Now and in the midst of talking about negotiations and the Road Map or whatsoever, there is a golden opportunity for the church to play a vital role in this struggle. The church needs to be there not to defend the Christians interests but to participate in defending the national cause and national home.

Conclusions:

Based on all this, there are some expectations in relation to the Palestinian Christian presence and role in this area. Some of these expectations are realistic but some are not. Palestinian Christians need to increase their analysis capacity in order to learn from their history and the history of the region to draw up their vision and directions in life.

The expectations of the Palestinian Christians:

1. from Palestinian Muslims:
a) Palestinian Christians want to be recognized as blood brothers and sisters and not as a protected minority or 'ahl el thimma'. We should have the same rights and obligations as any other citizen. Religion affiliation should not make a difference.
b) Palestinian Christians need to be recognized as important contributors to past and present Arabic history.
c) Palestinian Christians must be helped to overcome their fears and anxieties. This could be done through creating an open joint forum to tackle various and important topics which affect their lives.
d) Palestinian Christians must be trusted as an integral part of society.
2. from their sisters and brothers in the West:
a. Change the colonial-missionary-evangelistic mindset toward Palestinian Christians.
b. Help strengthening the churches structures and help them fulfilling their mission.
c. Offer moral and financial support and encouragement to Christians with the aim of helping them remain in their home country and become authentic witnesses within society.
d. Stop making erroneous accusations that Muslims persecutes Palestinian Christians.
e. Participate in the struggle to end the Israeli occupation.
f. Visit Palestinian Christians to learn about their problems and to help them find solutions.
g. Work alongside Palestinian Christians in their attempt to rectify the misinterpretations of the Bible, especially on the part of so-called Zionist Christians.
h. Initiate and strengthen various levels of partnership with Palestinian Christians.
I. Try to understand the reality and the strength that Palestinian Christians are Arabs and they have been living in an Islamic culture for about 1,500 years.

3. from the Church:
a. Support in being united as Christians in front of the Israeli occupation.
b. Greater involvement in Palestinian political and social life.
c. Greater efforts to improve relationships between the different congregations and to work more on Christian unity.
d. Greater efforts to strengthen the alliance with Muslims in order to support the national leadership.
e. A commitment to stop selling or renting Christian properties that could be used as a tool to strengthen the Israeli occupation.

4. from themselves:
a. Be more involved in the political and social life.
b. Get involved and participate in the church life.
c. Create a strong network between the Churches and the Churches related organizations in the framework of the Palestinian context; this will influence progressively the Christian message to the World and help the Palestinians achieving their national goals.

"Salvation for a race, nation, or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted. Freedom and justice must be struggled for by the oppressed ... and the struggle must be continuous."

Quote from Mr. A. Phillip Randoph (1889-1979), African American, Civil Rights leader, and one who inspired Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr

What an amazing article. I have to say that I absolutely agree with it, and must say that indeed Christians are suffering more from the Israelis, and that the blanket accusations at the Palestinians accusing the Christians is nothing but a pack of lies used to strengthen the pro-Israeli side. It's really funny, though, that many Christian Zionists support Israel without addressing the fact that even Palestinian Christians and their churches are being attacked by the Israelis.

adnkronosinternational wrote: Ramallah, 28 June (AKI) - Hamas will include Christian candidates on its lists for Palestinian Authority (PA) legislative elections, a senior member of the radical Islamist group said on Tuesday. Mahmud al-Zahar said the move was part of the group's strategy to elect Hamas members to the PA parliament to "serve the final objective of the movement, the liberation of the land of Palestine."

Al-Zahar made the announcement at a news conference held near the Ezzeddine al-Qassam mosque in the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Nusayrat, where he also outlined some of the social, economic and educational policies that will form part of Hamas' electoral manifesto. Hamas would appeal to Palestinian expatriates to bring into the territories money deposited in foreign bank accounts, saying that if Hamas were to win the election it would create a climate favourable for this return of capital. Hamas would halt the practices of extorsion and racketeering which he said had prompted people to take their money out of the territories. As for education, al-Zahar condemned what he said was the lack of importance given to Islam as a school subject - which is not taken into account when students' final results are calculated. Hamas would change this situation, he said. Turning to relations with Israel, al-Zahar said the Jewish state's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and some West Bank settlements was the "natural result of the sacrifice and resistance that has inspired Hamas and all the other factions of the resistance." PA elections were initially scheduled for July, but have been postponed by PA president Mahmoud Abbas, who has yet to set a new date.

Definitely, the Christians are under the protection of Hamas as of now. If they were persecuted in the past, they won't be anymore. Moreover...

Arabic News wrote: Israeli racism against Palestinian Christians

Israel, Religion, 12/4/1997

"Israeli occupation authorities treat Christians with racism and seek to forbid them from practicing their religious rituals," said the representative of the Latin Patriarch in Occupied Jerusalem, Giasento Paul Markozo. In a statement to the AP, Makrkozo said that Israel, since September, had forbidden the transmission of a monthly, one-hour Catholic Church program and decreased the frequency of religious programs as a first step toward canceling them completely. Meanwhile, about 200 Palestinians demonstrated in the occupied town of Nablus, demanding the release of Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails. The demonstrators, mostly women and children, asked in a letter they handed to the representative of the International Red Cross Commission for pressure on Israel to release the detainees. So far the Israeli forces have arrested 4,000 Palestinians, including 880 without trial or any charge.

I know the article is outdated but it still shows how the Christians suffered under Israeli occupation. As for the intifada, it was a Palestinian one, not Muslim or Christian. Also, this article speaks of the excellent CHristian-Muslim relations in the Holy Lands. Guess that negates your arguments of the petty crimes that both Christians and Muslims did towards each other, intraspecifically and interspecifically.

So in short, dear Duchifas, trying to paint the situation towards the favor of Israel won't work... buddy. Don't divert the blame from who it really falls on.

Also, during the harshest of times on the Palestinian people, pre-partition and post-partition, Palestinian Muslim imams and sheiks met up with Palestinian Christian priests and bishops frequently to discuss matters on the totalitarian terrorist state of Israel and its upcomings.

Sorry to break your heart, Duchifas, sweetie, but You Lose.

This is why I believe that Christians should not support Israel: Christians should not support apartheid and totalitarianism. If you want to support Israel, support it when it stops being like this. Until then, you can count out Christians like Spartan and psholtz from supporting this terrorist state that itself has driven many Christians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Quote: About 1,000 Christian Arabs flee Arab-dominated areas because of Arab terrorism and harassment, according to Reuters News Agency. Examples were cited of Moslems beating up Christians, uprooting their olive trees and scrawling graffiti that show nuns being raped.

They fled from Israeli terrorism and harassment, and Israelis beating up Christians and uprooting olive trees. If anything, Israelis also uprooted trees of Muslim farmers as well, not just Christian farmers. I have a video you should watch.

John wrote: Don't worry. I read the book. I know how this all ends.

It will end with the Palestinians getting their land back and will end with the totalitarian state of Israel being wiped off the map (literally) and a one state for all religions and backgrounds. I've been to the west bank and am sad to say that the Christians are undergoing worse treatment by Israeli soldiers. Isolated incidents like this won't work. Also, Arafat sanctioned a lot of groups, even suicide bombers and Christian organizations. Hamas promised that it would end this. However, there is no persecution of Christian Palestinians whatsoever. If there is, then it's only minority groups. Other than that, Palestinian Christians are suffering more from the Israelis, not the Palestinian Muslims.

[Saracen]

Also, contrary to Duchifas's false claims...

Khalid Amayreh wrote: The Israeli policy of divide and conquer has not split Christian and Muslim Palestinians despite attempts to sow discord between the two communities. According to Palestinian Christian leaders, Israeli military authorities have tried repeatedly to foster an atmosphere of mistrust between the two communities, for the purpose of eroding Palestinian national unity and crushing Palestinian aspirations for freedom and liberation.

Christians, though a minority, have always been an integral part of the Palestinian social, cultural and political fabric. As Talal Sidr, a Hebron community leader and a religious affairs adviser to President Yasir Arafat, points out, the Christian community in Palestine predates Islam by several centuries. They were here first, this is a historical fact. They belong here as much as we do, says Sidr.

United in conflict

Sidr reminds people that Palestinian Christians, like many Christians of the Near East, fought the Franks or Crusaders alongside their Muslim countrymen. In modern times, especially since the Nakba or catastrophe in 1948, when the bulk of the Palestinian people were uprooted from their ancestral homeland in what is now Israel, Christians as well as Muslims suffered the agony of homelessness and exile.

Moreover, like other Palestinians, Christians have actively joined the national struggle against the Israeli occupation, with some occupying leading positions in the various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Christian figures as George Habash, Nayif Hawatmah, Edward Said, to mention a few, have loomed large in the web of Palestinian National struggle.

Today, Christian Palestinian figures such as Dr Hanan Ashrawi continue to speak eloquently in defence of the Palestinian national cause. Moreover, Christian religious leaders such Archimandrite Ata Allah Hanna, spokesman of the Orthodox Patriarchy in Jerusalem, use every opportunity to condemn and expose the Israeli oppression, often inviting Israel's anger, pressure and occasionally threats of expulsion.

Common goal

Unlike other countries in the region, such as Lebanon, Palestinian Christians and Muslims have always acted as one community rather than two sects, according to Professor Hanna Issa, an expert on international law. Issa, a Christian, says it is a taboo even to ask Palestinians if they are Muslim or Christian.

If you go to a Palestinian village where Muslims and Christians live and ask people in the street what religion they adhere to, they will look strangely at you. Issa does not like to ascribe the term "national unity" to Christian-Muslim relations in the West Bank. "We're one people; it's a timeless fraternity that has proved itself throughout history."Issa does not seem to be exaggerating. In Bethlehem, the traditional birth place of Jesus, it would be difficult to distinguish between Muslims and Christians by appearance.

Interfaith celebrations

Moreover, many Muslims share with Christians their Christmas holiday and many Christians celebrate with Muslims the joy of occasions such Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Symbolically, the Mosque of Umar ibn al-Khattab (named after the second caliph or successor of the Prophet Muhammad) stands on the western side of the Manger Square, embracing the Church of the Nativity in a solemn harmony unseen and unfelt in many other lands.

Here the mutual respect is neither superficial nor artificial. It comes from the heart and is the result of deep conviction, says Hanna al-Bandak, a Christian shopkeeper. In the villages of Beit Arik near Ram Allah, this harmony takes on a cordial partnership. According to Hanna Issa, when the Muslim community at the village sought to build a larger mosque to accommodate the growing number of worshipers, Christians at the village insisted on paying our share of the costs. Eventually, the two communities shared equally the costs of the new mosque, a testimony and example of inter-religious harmony.

Dwindling community

But against this rosy picture of Christian-Muslim harmony stands a community dwindling because of steady emigration to South and Central America, Australia and, increasingly, Sweden. According to Bernard Sabella, Professor of Sociology at Bethlehem University, Christians in Palestine now make up less than 2% of the population. In 1893, Christians made up 13% of Palestinians. Sabella says the trend toward emigration among indigenous Christians poses special challenges at a time when their skills, knowledge and perspective are needed in the efforts of state and institution building.

He calls on the Churches of Palestine to formulate a common strategy to ensure that Palestinian Christians will not end up forming expatriate communities in such distant lands as Australia, Chile, USA, and Canada. It is indeed sad when there are more Palestinian Christians from Jerusalem celebrating Easter in Sydney than in Jerusalem. This break-up spells the possible end of community life as it has been known and experienced in the Holy Land for countless generations.

'No Muslim harassment'

According to Bishara Awad, dean of the Bible College in Bethlehem, Israeli persecution is first and foremost to blame for Christian (and Muslim) emigration. We, Muslims and Christians alike, have been on the receiving end of oppression since 1967. The occupation is the root cause of economic deterioration. Some people can?t live under constant pressure for a long time; so they emigrate when they are no longer able or willing to withstand oppression. Awad denies Israeli allegations that many Christians leave because of harassment by Muslims. "I haven't seen any attack on our churches or institutions. We're like brothers here. We share and attend each others social occasions. We're one people", he told Aljazeera.net.

Education

Awad, whose five brothers emigrated, believes the key to stemming the tide of Christian emigration to the holy land lies in education. He cites recent statistics showing that young people with a university degree were less likely to emigrate. We noticed only 20% of college graduates showed an inclination to emigrate while as many as 80% of people with a high school diploma or below showed a desire to emigrate. Awad points out the Bethlehem and Beir Zeit Universities were playing a significant role in reducing Christian emigration. Most educated people don’t leave

No matter how much you and the Israelis and pro-Israelis try, you will never break the bond between Palestinian Christians and Muslims.

Face it: we're Palestinian. We're in Palestine to stay. And we're NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

[psholtz]

I was wondering when you'd pick up this thread, Saracen.. :tu: :-D

[Saracen]

psholtz wrote: I was wondering when you'd pick up this thread, Saracen.. :tu: :-D

<<<Check under handle<<<

That's what I'm here for: Duchifas's misinformation needed a bit of decimating, considering that his sources were radically pro-Israeli. Then, there's also the fact that Israelis are really trying to divide the Christians and Muslims apart, but in face of many trials, they still stand together. Thank God for that. And thank God that they will stay with us and struggle against this terrorist menace. And it's good to see Christians like yourself supporting the Palestinian cause, psholtz. :)

[John]

Quote: It will end with the Palestinians getting their land back and will end with the totalitarian state of Israel being wiped off the map (literally) and a one state for all religions and backgrounds. I've been to the west bank and am sad to say that the Christians are undergoing worse treatment by Israeli soldiers. Isolated incidents like this won't work. Also, Arafat sanctioned a lot of groups, even suicide bombers and Christian organizations. Hamas promised that it would end this. However, there is no persecution of Christian Palestinians whatsoever. If there is, then it's only minority groups. Other than that, Palestinian Christians are suffering more from the Israelis, not the Palestinian Muslims.

Time will tell....and I don't think it will be really long.

[Saracen]

John wrote: Time will tell....and I don't think it will be really long.

Yep, it won't be very long. Even ol' Duchifas agrees with me, but you guys seem to disagree over the issue of the Messiah. ;)

[LetsGetReal]

Your source isn't pro-wipe Israel off the map?? And don't show me a couple pro-jewish articles that come from them, because even the ACLU has been pro-christians like 3-4 times.

[John]

Saracen wrote: John wrote: Time will tell....and I don't think it will be really long.

Yep, it won't be very long. Even ol' Duchifas agrees with me, but you guys seem to disagree over the issue of the Messiah. ;)

We will. :-D

[Saracen]

LetsGetReal wrote: Your source isn't pro-wipe Israel off the map??

Not at all! Why? Not all pro-Palestinian sources are calling for the destruction of Israel.

Quote: And don't show me a couple pro-jewish articles that come from them, because even the ACLU has been pro-christians like 3-4 times.

Um... Christian Zionists are pro-Israeli. I can get you an article from the Christian Science Monitor, though.

John wrote: We will.

I highly doubt that.

[John]

Quote: I highly doubt that.

I matters not what you think.

We will. :-D

[Saracen]

John wrote: Quote: I highly doubt that.

I matters not what you think.

We will. :-D

Whatever. Just know that the Palestinian Christians are under Israeli oppression.

[psholtz]

Saracen wrote: Then, there's also the fact that Israelis are really trying to divide the Christians and Muslims apart, but in face of many trials, they still stand together. Thank God for that. And thank God that they will stay with us and struggle against this terrorist menace.
Yes, I agree completely..

There's no reason for the Christian and Muslim communities to be divided.. Christians and Muslims have so much more in common, than there is that which differs between them.