Islamic Tolerance Alert from the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to JS:
Palestinian educator Dr. Maria Khoury geared up for the winter chill with what was at the time a meaningless purchase: a black silk scarf with silver stripes to drape around her neck.But now, on her daily excursions from the West Bank's Taiba to nearby Ramallah, the scarf serves as a political symbol of the changing times.
"Since Hamas took over, I cover my head in Ramallah," she says. "I don't feel comfortable."
In the largely cosmopolitan Ramallah, though they comprise some 10 percent of the population, Christians are becoming less and less visible.
The first time that Khoury ran into her local parish priest there with her head covered, he raised his eyebrows and laughed.
"I see more and more women covered up," Khoury says, explaining that for now, it's preferable to play it safe and assimilate on the street, even if she would never choose to cover her head otherwise.
"Years ago I even used to go in short sleeves," she says. "You'd have to put a gun to my head to get me to wear short sleeves now."
With fear of government-supported religious coercion on the rise since Hamas's unexpected win in January's Palestinian elections, Christians across the West Bank and Gaza Strip are keeping a low profile, with eyes wide open.
Read it all.
these same Christians in Muslim lands also blame Isreal. seems they are protected better by the Jews!
but... but... but... Islam is peace and tolerance... "there is no compulsion in religion..."
che merda
Serves them right for being on the wrong side.
Let them go to Israel for protection, oh wait they have been such an important part of demonizing Israel that the Maronite Refugees don't want them next door!
They had warning, and plenty of opportunities to debunk the Arab Myths that have made them the victims today, along with ample opportunity to become a friend rather then enemies of Israel.
The christians in the area are not the only people in history to have placed themselves on the wrong side of a war, and so cause their own destruction.
Sorry for the double post but when I said the Maronite Refugees don't want them next door I meant not even the Maronites want them next door, which is why I used !.
Harumph! If she's so damned uncomfortable, let her gather a group of like-minded people about her and protest. Get elected to the new hamas authority and make changes from the inside out. For heavens sake, don't let her add to the riots and bloodshed already in place and, whatever she does, DON'T support Israel. sarc/on
Mark Steyn -Needing to wake up, West just closes its eyes
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn26.html
Oh well, it's just Christians being intimidated. If it were "palestinians" it would be the cause for leftists everywhere to demonstrate in support of the "oppressed".
So, Dr. Maria Khoury doesn't want to live under Islamic rule, believes that Hamas will be more reasonable by summer so she doesn't have to wear hijab and wants everyone to have the same rights. Dr. Khoury, it ain't gonna happen! The whole article is amazing. The Palestinian Christians are the ultimate dhimmis. The fears of the Palestinian Christians are real and yet most of those interviewed don't seem to have a firm grasp of reality. No, Dr. Khoury, Hamas is not going to moderate by summer. If anything, they will have consolidated their powers. She and her family will be living in an Iranian-style society. And, for heavens sake, I hope that she isn't stopped at a checkpoint, whether in hijab or burqa (which she probably will be forced to wear by summer). Her papers will give her away, no matter how many layers of clothes she is wearing. Her name says Christian, her first name and surname; Khoury means priest.
Christians in muslim nations have and are in a tough spot. If they had at any time complained of their predicament, or anything else except praising their islamic masters, they would have been slaughtered. They had no real choice.
It is difficult for us to imagine the physical and mental pressure they are under. Unlike Jews, they have had no nation such as Isreal that unreservedly supported them. On the contrary, the "Christian" West has gone out of its way to ignore them, just to "prove" that it is not bigotted. You will never find an islamic nation doing such a thing as ignoring muslim calls for help.
What we yet to learn from this is, that in any conflict where muslims are in opposotion to non-muslims, we must support non-muslims. If we OTH support muslims, as in the Bosnia and Kosovo wars, then we inevitably strengthen islam and thus the Jihad, which soon enough will affect us. Ditto supporting palestinian arabs.
I'm sure have_mercy will have something to say on this.
Unfortunately, while I understand Dr. Khoury's decision not to rock the boat, wearing the scarf is the beginning of her own personal dhimmitude and as she floats in the pot the water is beginning to get warmer.
Who will come to her rescue? Even here at D Watch and J Watch there are those who try to shush Christians into not expressing their opinions because this is not a "Christian - Muslim" war. The hell it isn't.
I wonder what Dr. Khoury would say if asked if she thinks this is a "Christian - Muslim" war.
Isabellathecrusader
What else can she do in the position she is? She and Christians in muslim nations have no support from any Western nation or leader. Not even the churches in the West support Christians in muslim nations. Only the Barnabus Fund has consistently highlighted their plight.
Idea: how about a kind of 'prisoner exchange' programme? Western countries with too many muslims agree with Islamist nations to swap muslims who want to live under sharia law for christians who don't.
Lilith
You mean an exchange of populations? Most JW/DWers know that I have advocated this as the sanest, most benign and least bloody option of all.
DP111,
Probably her only option is to leave the country, which just sucks. But to wear the scarf is really, to lie. Wearing the scarf says that she believes that Islam is the true religion and she supports it. What will the next step be, not working and staying inside all day? I understand the intimidation must be unbearable. But giving into that intimidation and fear is what has allowed Islam to flourish for 1400 years.
And there is an even bigger consideration. For those of us who value the Holy Land, are we going to have to wear scarves that say we are in solidarity with Islam when I reject and spit upon Islam, in order to visit a place that has great personal meaning to me as a Christian? Do I have to pretend that I'm a Moslem so I can visit the most important Christian area on the earth? This is the reason the Crusades came about in the first place, regardless of what revisionist history the Moslems and useful idiots who support them have said about it.
I feel no empathy or sympathy for "Arab" Christians.
They are Arab first (re: Michel Aflaq), and Arab is Islam and Islam is Arab...they had a word in al Andalusa for these people mozarabs..Arabizing Christians.
Caught between two worlds, they vote with their feet for the artificial and imposed identity of Arab.
I would love to see a scholarly deconstruction of the Arab Identity.. in as much as it is an artificial identity based solely on one's "mother" tongue and having the misfortune of being born in a society and land that has been brought to heel and suborned by Arab conquerors.
I wonder how many true Arabs exist in the world?
What is an Arab anyway? It isn't a race, since Arabs are mixed race, at least a miscenegated cross between Abyssinians and whatever caucasoids once inhabitated the region, not to mention the million or so slaves that were the booty of Arab ghazi (raiders).
There has been a radical shift in the position (and outlook) of Palestinian Christians over the last few years. Last Wednesday, I listened as a group of Palestinians living in exile in the United States confronted our bishop about the current situation, asking him to speak out for their families still in Ramallah.
One woman, who just got back from Palestine almost shouted at the bishop, "the Jews are not our enemies, Siedna, the Muslims are!"
Others, told the bishop that the only reason they feel safe visiting home, is because they have Israeli citizenship.
Another woman talked about how her little daughter got sick while in Ramallah and she went to the P.A. run clinic. "It was filthy" she said, "and the Christian doctor said there were no antibiotics or other medicines because the Muslims stole them." Since her little girl was critical, the doctor took them by ambulance to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem.
"Now, we only trust the Jews" her husband insisted. "If it hadn't been for them, our daughter would be dead." Listening to them, I got the distinct impression that their experiences are not uncommon.
Unfortunately, neither the Western nor Israeli media is giving much coverage to this overwhelming Palestinian Christian "silent majority" and instead focuses on self-appointed media hogs like Hanan Ashrawi.
Ramallah was a wholly Christian village circa 1868 when Quaker missionaries set up shop there. Now, they are only 10%. What role did Britain and the US State Dept play in undermining the status of the Christians in Ramallah and elsewhere in the country?
Eliyahu,
You're absolutely correct about Ramallah. In fact, one Ramallahi told me that when he left in 1967, the only Muslims there were guest-workers from Jordan employed by Christians.
Now it seems that these outsiders are the majority and are the Hamas voters when they can't even claim to be real Palestinians. Their families have only been there less than 50 years. If Israel were to adopt a truly just policy toward Judea and Samaria, she would humanely transfer these immigrants (invaders?) back across the Jordan River and return Ramallah, Bethlehem, etc. to its original Christian owners. "Palestinian" should be a term for Christians, Jews, and Samaritans in the "territories", while the Muslims should simply be called "Arabs".
A Christian majority state of Palestine in federation with the Jewish majority state of Israel could be a just framework for security and prosperity. Both Christians and Jews need to recognize their common heritage and common predicament and make common cause. Both need to realize that there is no possibility of lasting peace with the Muslims.