Palestinian columnist Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar makes a bold statement about Arab persecution of Christians, especially by Palestinians. Translation from Memri:
Let us be honest with ourselves and courageously say out loud that Palestinian Christians are taking many severe blows, yet are suffering in silence so as not to attract attention. I do not refer here to the suffering caused by the occupation . . .
but to actions of the past 20 years at least – that is, since the beginning of the occupation in 1967 – involving the confiscation of Christian property, especially in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Al-Birah . . . .
Furthermore, there has been an attempt to marginalize Christian culture in Palestine, even though it is rich and deeply rooted [there]. This began with [accusations] of unbelief [against Christians] – a move that ultimately harmed Palestinian society as a whole . . .
But the most fundamental problem here may be related to culture. We continue to instill a horrific culture in our children, one that sees Christians as infidels. . . and as 'the other.' We need an injection of humanistic and national awakening; we must raise an outcry and stand up to restore the Christians' rights, of which they have been deprived – [and we must do this] in order to preserve the demographic balance, which will safeguard the unity of our homeland and the justness the Palestinian cause.
Justus Reid Weiner further elaborates on the injustices and also on how they're manipulated to shift blame on Israel. Al-Najjar's bravery is particularly appropro: we're approaching the Christmas season, the only time of the year the MSM bothers to examining the declining status of Christians in the Holy Land. Guess who is blamed.
(Hat tip: Martin Peretz)
