December 24, 2007

Remember Christians In Gaza This Christmas

Please don't forget that in Hamas controlled Gaza, many Christians don't feel safe enough to openly celebrate their faith. Hamas promises justice. But has done nothing.

AP via Yahoo News:GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile this Christmas, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist in the wake of Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory.

Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the moderate-controlled West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza.

"We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere.

About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim territory of 1.5 million people. It has been virtually cut off from the world and its residents driven deeper into poverty since the June takeover by Hamas,...

...At the Baptist Church on Sunday, just 10 people attended the regular weekly prayer service, down from an average of 70. There was no Christmas tree in sight.

More here. I link that as a reminder that there are issues that should cross political lines. That freedom is in all our interests. We should fight to bring it to those who don't have it, rather than fighting each other.

By Howie at 12:16 PM | |