Posted on 07/03/2003 11:08:42 AM PDT by Tamar1973
“YOU MEAN, there are Palestinian Christians?” I am often asked, incredulously and with a renewed sense of interest in the Middle East. I understand the confusion. All Arabs are Muslims and all Muslims are Arabs — isn't that the popular belief? So it's not surprising that many view the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict as Muslims vs Jews. Unfortunately, there are those who strategically exploit this lack of knowledge for political gain or to realise “prophecy,” like Christian Conservative Gary Bauer who organised a letter of warning to President George Bush.
Twenty-two evangelical leaders stated in the May 19 letter that any attempt to be “evenhanded” between Israel and the Palestinians would be “morally reprehensible”.
A few weeks ago, Rev. Pat Robertson accused Bush of imperilling Israel with the roadmap, citing the Bible “which speaks very harshly of those who divide the “Promised Land.”
How many potential Americans believe this? “There are 70 million of us” Reverend Jerry Falwell explained to CBS' Bob Simon on June 8, 2003, in a segment called “Zion's Christian Soldiers:. “If there's one thing that brings us together quickly, it's whenever we begin to detect our government becoming a little anti-Israel.”
Falwell certainly proved his allegiance to Israel when he promised Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu in 1998 that he and others would mobilise evangelical churches to oppose steps involving territorial concessions to the Palestinians. Palestinian evangelical pastors and theologians later responded to Falwell in a Feb. 1, 1998, letter: “Our task of sharing the love of Christ in this region is becoming increasingly difficult as our brothers and sisters in the West openly express sentiments and endorse policies that produce greater injustice and aggression against Palestinian Christians and Muslims.
Ultimately, Falwell can't speak for all evangelical Christians, but many believe the Bible promised the Jews the entire Holy Land, including the occupied territories. And some evangelicals also believe the Second Coming of Christ is contingent upon the full return of Jews to Jerusalem.
However, the fact that Palestinian Christians are united with Muslims in the goal for liberation proves that the conflict isn't so much religious as it is nationalistic and human. Palestinian Christians have been among the most fervent players in the battle against Israeli occupation.
Consider spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi; the award-winning literary critic Edward Said; Jerusalem Latin Patriarchate Michel Sabbah; Melkite Reverend/Author Elias Chacour; and revolutionary, George Habash.
The reality is that 15 per cent of the world's Palestinians are Christian. Palestinian Christians, also referred to as “the living stones” for having been witness to Jesus and the Resurrection, are a vibrant community who has experienced suffering no less than Palestinian Muslims. From the bloody Crusades to the dispossession of Palestine's inhabitants in 1948, discrimination has never known religion.
In the latest uprising for freedom, Palestinian Christians have not only been killed, but many have been maimed for life by Israeli bullets. Christians have also suffered under the inhumane siege by not being able to leave their towns, go to their jobs, seek medical care and attend schools.
Among the hardest hit by Israeli F-16 bombardment is the Palestinian Christian city of Beit Jala. And few Palestinian Christians will ever forget Palestinian altar boy Johnny Thalgieh who was killed by Israeli gunfire in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Cars flattened indiscriminately by Israeli Merkava tanks and blown-out windows, as well as confinement of the populations, have left the Palestinian Christian population reeling under the Israeli government.
I can understand the PR value for Israelis who try to exclude Palestinian Christians from the Middle East equation. With the unfair vilification of Islam, who would Western public opinion favour? But those who insist on painting this conflict in religious terms are fooling themselves if they think my relatives desire freedom any less than the Muslims.
And while evangelical leaders who warned Bush not to be “even-handed” in peace negotiations believe they are speeding up the Second Coming of Christ, it was Christ who said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Which is it?
But not as many as there used to be, and maybe sone there will be none. Its's interesting that the article writer says 15% "worldwide," because the last time I looked it was down to 2% in "Palestine."
ML/NJ
I would guess so and a lot of them have fled to places like Lebanon, America, etc. However, they shouldn't have to. Those who claim to call themselves followers of Y-shua should be defending these "Living stones" against persecution. If they all flee, the holy sites, like the Church of the Nativity will become museums.
I hear a lot of talk about defending Israel, which is wonderful, but I hear next to nothing from those who claim to belong to Y-shua about their bretheren over there stuck in the middle of this terrible situation.
No, these places will all become mosques.
Be careful about equating Zionism with Christianity. Dispensationalism and Replacement Theology are heretical, unbiblical. The fact that Arab Christians, for the most part, don't buy into the Pat Robertson version of Christianity is not a bad thing.
Could you authenticate your claim that Israeli citizens do not have the right to practice their faith. I understand if their right to proselytize would be somewhat restricted. While liberally practiced, it is also restricted in the United States. There are limits.
Not that I'm complaining too loudly. I think the penalties are pretty light and the number of likely converts unreached is pretty small, relative to Arab countries, China, India, etc.
In Israel, perhaps the most serious consequence for a Jew who professes to be a Christian is that you may lose the right to be treated as a Jew in civil law (marriage, burial plots, etc.) and other people may shun you. There is no civil marriage in Israel. Each religion handles it. This is obviously inconvenient and difficult for family relations, children, etc. if you want a mixed marriage.
As for the concrete human rights situation of converts in Islamic countries
Riddah, turning from Islam, is not specifically mentioned in the constitution of Muslim countries. However, punishment for Riddah is clearly defined in the criminal law. In countries like Mauritania (art. 306 of the Criminal Code), Sudan (art. 126 of the Criminal Code), Iran, Afghanistan und Saudi Arabia provide for the death penalty as punishment for Riddah. Early February 2000 in Iran, three Bahais were condemened to death for renouncing Islam.
In Egypt a special provision has been in force since 1981 (state of emergency after the murder for President Sadat) according to which damaging public security is punishable. As conversions cause public unrest, they can be punished according to the above provision (two years' imprisonment). Cases of this are known, and some converts have been imprisoned without trial for up to three months.
In the Maldives there is a law to punish renouncing from Islam with loss of citizenship. In 1998 several native converts to Christianity are imprisoned for several months for renouncing Islam. In 1998 and 1999 in Comoros (Anjouan island) police-like forces attacked converts in attempts to reconvert them to Islam.
The consequences on civil rights of renouncing Islam are drastic, for example enforced divorce, removal of custody of your children and denial of inheritance rights. For example, in a Muslim country, a non-Muslim is legally not entitled to inherit from a Muslim. In Pakistan, for example, because of the Hwood Ordinance of 1982, non-Muslims have a significantly less credible status as witnesses in court.
In commercial terms, persecution (from either the extended family or radical Muslim groups and individuals) can take the form of loss of job, overt ostracism, discrimination and harm, and in extreme cases murder.
Pastor Mehedi Dibaj, a convert to Protestantism, was murdered in July 1997 in Iran. 22-year-old Rahila Khanum was killed by her brother on 16.7.1997 in Lahore (Pakistan) for her interest in the Christian faith. These two cases testify to the very real risk of death for converts. In Bangladesh in 1998, almost one hundred converts were forced to leave the country becaues of death threats. Houses and businesses belonging to converts are often plundered and set fire to. The demands of Muslim reformers are worthy of attention. They see a pluralist society as an unavoidable fact, like globalisation. Several Muslim reformers therefore demand recognition of the right to religious freedom. The Tunisian lawyer Mohamed Charfi for instance defines this as ‚the rights to choose ones own religion, the rights to practise, semi-practise or not to practise religion and finally the right to change ones religion."(J.Schwartländer/Heiner Bielefeld "Christen und Muslime vor der Herausforderung der Menschenerchte", Bonn 1992, S.29f.) According to reformist thinkers, the Koran itself forbids any limitation of religious freedom. They quote Sure2,256: "There is no pressure in religion ". This is a potential starting point for a human rights dialogue with the Islamic world, which should be wholeheartedly encouraged and employed by international human rights forums.
This reformist Muslim current is important for modern human rights work.
This short presentation of the situation of converts in Islamic countries can only be representative and not comprehensive.
Problems also exist for converts in the realm of Hindu culture. Hinduism is the national religion of Nepal. Conversion and missionary work are forbidden. Prevention of conversion also occurs in several Indian states e.g. Orissa. This stands in contradition to the fact that both India and Nepal have signed the 'Covenant on Civil and Political Rights'.
Be careful about equating the doctrine of Baalam with Christianity.
Do you seriously consider these people to be Christians by a biblical definition ?
Do you also consider Hitler to have been a Christian ?
I thought it was only illegal to induce someone to convert by means of money. If they are adults and interested I don't think it is illegal. If they are not interested it may be illegal harassment. You have to consider proseltytizing in the context of the history of the Jews. Many were coerced, martyred, or exiled by so-called Christians.
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