Hard times for the dhimmis in the West Bank. This article attempts to portray the Christians as suffering equally at the hands of Muslims and Jews; however, it is not Jews who are beating up monks, uprooting trees, and painting obscene graffiti on monastery walls. "Holy Land's Christians caught in midst of conflict," from Reuters, with thanks to Clark:
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - A 76-year-old Greek Orthodox monk is beaten up by villagers, his carefully tended olive trees are uprooted and his isolated West Bank monastery is defaced with graffiti depicting nuns being raped.The land of Jesus's birth is not always an easy place for Christians to live in 2006.
The population of Christians in the Holy Land, particularly in the Palestinian territories, is dwindling as more and more leave for a better life abroad, turning the community into a tiny minority squeezed between Muslims and Jews....
Caught in the midst of conflict, Churches have sought to help local Christians quietly by not rocking the boat and being careful over criticizing the Palestinian Authority, which might be seen by some as tantamount to supporting Israel....
Exasperated at the failure of the Palestinian Authority to act and the reticence of churches to speak up, a group of Christians in Bethlehem drew up a list of grievances that included theft of their land by Muslims, attacks and desecration of Church property.
The Christians passed the list to Church leaders, saying local authorities had done little to help.
These days Christians face extra uncertainty from the rise of the militant Islamist Hamas group, whose charter calls for the establishment of an Islamic, rather than a secular, state -- a goal that causes many Christians to have misgivings about remaining.
There are a lot of stories on DW about persecuted Christians today, I believe that aggression is stepped up over Easter, which is this week for the western churches, and next week for the eastern.
There is a new publication from the Barnabas Fund. I have not read it yet but previous works have been very useful.
“Islam the Challenge to the Church” is the latest title from Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund.
http://www.barnabasfund.org/archivenews/article.php?ID_news_items=153
Of course we will see mass protests over this, NOT.
Probably just more post-Cartoon syndrone.
Aren't Muslim males brave?
These dudes musta been reading that infamous hadith about how Mohammed ordered his first murder (pbuh). Kill the 100-yr old Jew for daring to criticize Islam. In his sleep so that he couldn't defend himself. And so it was that Abu Afak was gutted.
First blood. Not the last blood. Allahu akhbar.
Now, where is NBC Waste of Time? Instead of hanging out at NASCAR race tracks, they should be looking into the Muslim hatered towards Christians. What can a 76-yar old monk taking care of fig trees do to Muslims and Islam? Nothing but what he was doing.
But yet, This is not news to NBC Waste of Time news magazine. If it were Americans beating up a 76-year old Muslim cleric, they'd be all over this story. Fanning the flames of rioting by Muslims in the streets of every American city.
Only thing is, unlike the French, "We the People" shoot to protect our families and our properties. Mohammad would catch a Beretta 40 cal. round inbetween the halfmoons for his effort to burn, pillage, murder, and/or rape our daughters!
Good ole' 2nd Amendment, scourge of the liberals and jihadists every where!!!
Mohammad wouldn't have to worry about the police. With all of the p.c. laws keeping them from properly doing their job, "We the People" will handle the duty of keeping the enemy at bay. And if need be, santioning them! "We the People" only need the police to notify the coroner to pick up Mohammad's Islimic corpse.
When Christians can't even live in the hometown of our Lord and Savior without being attacked by Islamofeces, it's time to dig in!
Freedom, it mat be free,
But it ain't cheap!!!
Doesn't the Bible say something like " An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth"?
If it does it seems to me that islam has some hefty optometrist and dental bills on the way.
I hope the greek orthodox that it´s now member of parliament for HAMAS, be ashamed of their mates, and he resigns.
The brave soldiers of Allah did it again.
Time to ban "Oh come, all Ye faithful" in churches everywhere.
Christians in Turkey aren't doing much better than those in the West Bank:
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,411043,00.html
Just to add as it's Holy Week: the collections on Good Friday (at least in Catholic churches) traditionally go towards the upkeep of Christian shrines in the Holy Land. Now more than ever is a time at which charity and support is needed.
Just to add as it's Holy Week: the collections on Good Friday (at least in Catholic churches) traditionally go towards the upkeep of Christian shrines in the Holy Land. Now more than ever is a time at which charity and support is needed.
While the Muslims must be judged for this, such crimes are simply part of their nature. The harsher judgement must fall on Israel and the and the Christians of the West for doing nothing to protect these people.
When Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem his policies were to take Christian land with the attitude that they could always go to the West. Even today, his Kadima party wants to live under the fantasy that Israel can forge a peace with Muslims and that the local Christians are irrelevant to Israel's security. Meanwhile no western nation is willing to tie future foreign aid to the protection of the rights of this oppressed minority.
Israel must realize that the fate of the Christians today may be the fate of the Jews tommorow. I only hope that Olmert's government will be short-lived. Perhaps if the rise of Avigdor Liberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party continues to a victory in the next Knesset elections, both Jews and Christians might have a chance of survival. Unforunately, the self-deluded left seems as strong in Israel as in the formerly Christian West.
Proloslavni these Christians need to help themselves first. How many "Palestinian Christians" have you met that wouldn't agree with the KKK about Jews?
L . A . P. ,
While it is true that in the Catholic Churches in the USA, there has always been this special collection, in my home archdiocesse, that special collection has not been done for a number of years. Instead, each year early in Lent, there is what is called the Archbishop's yearly appeal and a percent of the money collected goes to help the Shrines in the Holy Land.
Folks, got to remember that when it is the Christian Holy Week, leading up to Easter, it is not going to be suprising that there will be more Muslim based attacks on Christians. They know that the Christian faith is growing more then ever with new members coming in this coming holy weekend. Also a sad sign of the times that we live in.
Why would anyone even attempt to live
with muslim neibors..
Especially when we all know what the Koran says about how mohammed deals with
infidels and jews...
I really believe it is becomming time to
Expunge ALL muslims from the usa
and allow only Christians and Jews entry..
At least we wont have islamic terrorism here if we send them all back to iran...
While all the free donors for the betterment of Palestenians are all from Christian countries,the benefactors are only the Muslim Palestenions.They illtreatthe Christians,and vandalise their sacred sites.It is agood thing the Western countries stop funding them one by one. Helping a Muslim nation is just like watering a thistle plant,which is of no use for anybody. USA is just pouring billions of dollors into Irag and Afghanisthan,for whode benfit? After swolloing these huge amounts,these people cry out"death to America",and "Death to Chritians".
Istead of immigrating these people into Western countries,we must immigrate the suffering Christian Palestenions,as well as the persecuted Chjristians in Muslim lands like Pakisthan,Egypt,and Labanon. At least they will be grateful to you,and will not harm you after eating from your hands.
NicephorusPhocas asked "How many "Palestinian Christians" have you met that wouldn't agree with the KKK about Jews?"
Very, very few if any. The several hundred I know are quite patriotic to their homeland and Christian culture as they should be, yet I have never heard any hatred of Jews or Judaism since that is contrary to the Christian Faith which they have carefully maintained for 1400 years of persecution.
They rightly criticize Israeli policies that discriminate against Christians but are quick to assert that Jews and Christians have more in common with each other than either have with the Muslims. What is not understood is why so many Israelis fail to distinguish between Muslims and Christians, lumping them all together simply as Arabs. Those who have Israeli citizenship value it and would like to see it extended to all local Christians.
What is most interesting are comments that Muslims aren't real Palestinians. They point out that cities like Ramallah were founded by Christians and were almost exclusively Christian until this century. This is basically true. Jews, Christians, and Samaritans all have ancient roots in Israel/Palestine while the Muslims are nothing but invaders and occupiers.
Perhaps the day will come when an Israeli government will have the wisdom to recognize this fact and act on it. It is past time to expell the Islamic squatters back across the Jordan. Israel can live in peace with a Christian Palestinian state but never with a Muslim one.
Let us bear in mind the deliberate misreporting that is going on here. Most of the MSM is trying to tie Israeli behaviour into Palestinian behaviour as if the two are the same. Palestinian moslems beat this monk. They and they alone are responsible. I have never heard of a Jew, in modern times, who has beaten up on a Christian be he or she lay or cleric. Look to the media, people, for they are undermining our civilisation to further their own prejudices and agenda.
Isn't merely surviving as a Christian for 76 years in that area provocation enough to a Muslim?
Let's be reasonable...
Christ said let's turn the other cheek, again and again and again and again but he didn't say for ever. They attacked his olive trees. That is really serious s--t in that part of the world, worse even than attacking him in their eyes.
I don't know what this monk would want us to do but I'm sure that he would want us to see how really serious this attack is. The attackers are rabid and the olive trees should give the clue to all of us. I back-packed through Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine just four years ago and I can tell you that attacking the olive trees is real, real personal. Nobody would ever do this but they have done it.
It might seem like a small and isolated incident to all of you but believe me this is really, really bad. In its own tiny way this should be a wake up call for everyone. In almost all the countries around the Home Sea attacking an olive tree is punishable severely under law. These guys got away with it. That should tell us something, surely.
They attacked his olive trees. That is really serious s--t in that part of the world, worse even than attacking him in their eyes.
Yes, and in the West Bank the Israelis have uprooted around a million of them now, including many belonging to Christians. This was done ostensibly "for security" but I've seen some of the larger sites where this has happened, and it is obvious there was no security threat being addressed.
And I also know one Christian family personally who very recently lost a large portion of their olive grove -- their sole source of income -- to the Israeli wall which is cutting very deeply into parts of the West Bank in what can only be seen as a massive land grab.
Robert's statement that " it is not Jews who are ... uprooting trees" is, sadly, inaccurate.
"...Isn't merely surviving as a Christian for 76 years in that area provocation enough to a Muslim?
Let's be reasonable..."
Posted by: profitsbeard
Your comment nailed it! Good on you, mate...
Jfkar:
You imply that the Israelis uproot trees maliciously?
I doubt it. If it saves lives, so be it.
The wall is important. You say 'land-grab." Really? Who would have stopped Israel from taking what is rightly theirs, especially if it is needed for defense?
What about 'giving back' Gaza?
Why does Israel still put up with over a million Arabs in their midst that wish them harm, why does Israel not expel them all and annex the 'west-bank?'
What they should have done long ago?
Rightfully theirs, Sheik Yer'mami? Says who?
jfkar:
Jews can trace their roots in Israel more than 5000 years, long before Arabs and Mohammedans (even Romans) invaded.
What do you want to know?
A few million people, a tiny spick of land, mostly desert, surrounded by 350 million hateful, brainwashed zombies, fanatical, brainwashed lunatics, stooges for greater Arabia, that want to 'wipe them from the face of the earth'...
The Jews have EVERYTHING to prove their claim, Mohammedans have nothing but this ridiculous, preposterous 'Al Aqsa mosque' which should have been blown from the temple mount long ago.
Stick around, you'll find enlightenment if youre looking for it...
Prosolovani:
If you haven't run into any of Israel's Christian population, then I guess you've missed out on the likes of Michael Saba or Noam Attik of the Sabeal Instute.
As for jfkar:
Here's the URL to some historic facts and demography of the Holy Land as opposed to the Palestinian "narrative" that claims sole and uncontested ownership from Islamic times until now: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21997
waterdragon52,
Actually, about have of the Palestinians I know are Israelis. I'm talking about the normal, hard-working Christian businessmen and women NOT paid propagandists like Attik, Ashrawi (both of whom I know personally) or Saba. These people are still mentally in the 1960s when Islam was weak and Christians were more concerned with Israeli discrimination (which was very real, especially under people like Olmert in Jerusalem).
But now the situation has entirely changed. Islam is back as an overwhelming threat while Israel and Palestinian Christians are gaining maturity to realize that they should have always been natural allies.
Those who are still in the mindset of dhimmitude like Saba, Attik and... Olmert need to be gently pushed aside so that new leaders can emerge among Jews and Christians who will not be bound to the prejudices of the past. These new leader will hopefully be able to forge an alliance that can stand firm against the Islamic treat, both jihadist and also demographic.
Typo: should read "HALF of the Palestinians I know"
jfkar and sheik yer'mami,
You are both partially correct and also missing the central point. It is true that Israeli policy failed to distinguish between Christians and Muslims, lumping them all together as Arabs. This caused many Christians to lose their homes to Israeli bulldozers and created much bad bloood on the Christian side, even driving many into the arms of the Muslim terrorists. This was wrong and Israel needs to right these mistakes in the interests of justice.
Christians are also guilty of having adopted many of the cultural attitutes of their Muslim neighbors. This was tragic and has contributed to their plight. Of this they must repent.
Now is the time to end the acrimony of the past and for Palestinian Christians and Israelis to forge a strong alliance. With the rise of Hamas, most Palestinian Christians are ready for this. Let's hope that both they and the Israelis have the wisdom to act on this new opportunity.
A group of villagers beat up a 76 year old Man. Once again, why are they not picking on a group of 260 pound line backers? I know, because they are brain washed, mentally ill, uneducated cowards. I literally mean it. I will bring this point up any chance I get. Thoughs who pick on anyone smaller and weaker than them selves, are (in code) of the feline persuation.
Pravoslavni,
I hope you remember what I am going to post now, since I've said it before. If you don't agree, please provide evidence. As to Bethlehem, talks were going on between Israeli govt officials and Christian political leaders in and around Bethlehem in the early 1970s. The object was to annex Bethlehem to Jerusalem and thereby to indirectly annex it to Israel, with the population becoming Israeli citizens. Bear in mind, by the way, that Bethlehem, Beyt Sahour and Beyt Jala [two adjacent Christian villages] were part of the Jerusalem corpus separatum recommended by the UN General Assembly on 11-29-1947, as part of the recommended Partition Plan. This corpus separatum was to be internationally governed [most folks here understand what "international govt" means when both Muslims and non-Muslims are under the same regime]. Back to Bethlehem in the early 1970s. The talks between Bethlehem Christian leaders, I believe that Elias Freij was one of them, and Israeli officials, were reported in the Jerusalem Post. After these talks were reported, they were shot down by the US State Department. So Pravo should stop blaming Israel. Apparently, the State Dept did not want Israel and the Bethlehem Christians to cooperate.
A useful web site that can encourage dhimmis to resist such abuse is http://www.westernresistance.com
Eliyahu,
I'm not blaming Israel but do critique shortsighted policies by the Israeli government just as I criticize the stupid and suicidal attitudes of many Palestinian Christians. I also believe that Israel would be far better off if she could wean herself from dependency on the United States.
You are absolutely right about the lost opportunity to accept the proposal by Elias Freij.
I've been advocating at a minimum, the division of the "West Bank" with the historically Christian areas such as Bethlehem becoming self-governing areas in federation with Israel. Correct me if I'm wrong but that seems far more likely if someone like Liberman were Prime Minister than with Olmert and his ilk.
Olmert is widely considered to be sleazy here in Israel. His shady financial dealings are notorious. For instance, in order to get around laws forbidding campaign funding above a certain amount, Olmert's friend, Daniel Abrahams, a misguided American who follows the State Department "peace process" line, bought Olmert's expensive house in a wealthy, fashionable neighborhood of Jerusalem for more than the market value. Then, Abrahams rented the house back to Olmert at a monthly rental below market rental rates. Despite his notorious shady dealings, which go back years, despite the widespread contempt for him by both "rightists" and "leftists," Olmert is being treated lightly by the judicial system, including the attorney general, Mazoz, and the Supreme Court, dominated by chief judge, Aharon Baraq [or Barak]. These two are less interested in clean government than in promoting certain diplomatic-political-territorial-ideological agendas. And the press, dominated by pro-EU morons, goes along with the cover up, despite what is so widely known. Yo'av Yits'haq, a journalist who has gone against the stream to report Olmert's misdeeds, has been smeared for his troubles by those in the press who wish to protect Olmert.
Eliyahu,
Thanks for confirming that my negative view of Olmert is validated. My opinion was shaped by his land policies when he was mayor of Jerusalem, but obviously that was just part of a generally corrupt career.
An Israeli "Arab" Christian friend of mine from Tel Aviv, another from Jerusalem, and several non-Israelis originally from Ramallah all seem to have a positive attitude toward Liberman. At first I found this suprising but they insist that his proposal to redraw to green line will be best for the Christians. Very few would reject taking a loyalty oath to Israel to escape the oppression of Hamas.
What's your take on Liberman and does he stand any chance of gaining enough support outside the Russian immigrant community to become Prime Minister?