Hamas Marks Christmas (Has the Planet Gone Mad ALERT!!)

Islamonline.net ^ | December 26, 2003 | Yasser Al-Banna

[PeaceCorpsGuy]

Hamas Members Mark Christmas, Santa Style --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, December 26 2003 @ 04:58 PM EST

Arafat's Kefiyeh marks his empty chair at the Midnight Mass in Bethlehem (AFP) "It is a humanitarian national initiative that we really appreciate," Atallah Hannah of the Greek Orthodox Church in occupied Jerusalem told IslamOnline.net.

By YASSER AL BANNA

GAZA CITY - A group of Islamic resistance movement Hamas in Bethlehem put on the famous red and white fur Santa hats and Santa suits, dropping gifts on Christian orphans, in a token of religious tolerance where the Christian tradition has it Jesus was born on December 25.

As Christmas in the Palestinian areas this year saw no much difference from earlier years – the same dampened atmosphere of festivity hijacked by long-standing occupation prevails - relations between Muslims and Christians turned further closer.

"It is a humanitarian national initiative that we really appreciate," Atallah Hannah of the Greek Orthodox Church in occupied Jerusalem told IslamOnline.net.

Hannah added that the move sends a clear message to the effect that all festivals and holidays there would be marked by real happiness only after the end of Israeli occupation.

For Hamas leaders, the initiative - that was taken on an individual spontaneous basis by some of the group members – sharing the joy with Christians came as no surprise.

"We are keeping continuous contacts with Christians. Hamas represents all Palestinians," the group's spokesman Mohamed Ghazal said.

"We are living with the same concerns. We even acted in once voice even at the times of the Crusades," Ghazal said.

Reciprocated

And Christians have always acted in no different manner.

Worshippers headed to Bethlehem Wednesday for the traditional Christmas midnight mass with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat once again absent from the festivities due to his confinement by Israeli occupation forces.

Arafat was a regular guest at midnight mass after his return to the Palestinian territories in 1994 but he has been unable to attend since he was confined to his offices in the West Bank town of Ramallah by the Israeli army in early December 2001.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Monsignor Michel Sabbah, who presided over the mass service, paid a visit to Arafat on Tuesday during which he appealed for an end to the siege.

"We came here to say to President Arafat Happy New Year and to ask God to grant you liberty and to grant liberty for this land," Sabbah had said in a brief address at Arafat's headquarters.

As Sabbah began his traditional procession from the holy city to Jesus Christ's birthplace, crowds of Christians and Muslims were gathering in Manger Square to mark the occasion.

Noticeably, the strong relations were boosted by Israeli occupation forces, also extending their aggressions to Christians and Muslims alike.

"Ties between Muslims and Christians are time-honored, and our hearts move towards the Rafah massacre," said Bethlehem mayor Hannah Nasser.

Nasser was referring to the massive Israeli incursion into southern Gaza Strip one day earlier, where 10 people were slain and more, 40 injured and many others displaced.

He said that decorations in celebration of the Christian festival would be “limited” because the Israeli siege of the city is still in place.

Christians from the Gaza Strip had not been given permission to travel to Bethlehem since the start of the Intifada against occupation in September 2000, and Israel also denied access also to Muslims into the holy city.

"When the Israeli warplanes hit Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, they drew no distinction between Muslims and Christians," said Nasser.

No wonder, the two faiths have move together in parallel and against one threat, as had been clearly manifested in a traditional religious march against Israeli attempts to build a barrier isolating Bethlehem from occupied Jerusalem and taking over a mosque under Israeli authority.

Source: IslamOnline.net

[PeaceCorpsGuy]

Speechless from Peace Corps-Philippines!

[McGavin999]

It would appear that Hamas has figured out that the American Christian community is Israel's strongest supporters and they want to get some of that. What they don't understand is that we know the difference between murder and self defense. We have been observing for a very long time. We also recognize hatred and know where that hatred comes from.

You want us on your side? Stop killing people, stop strapping explosives on your children and making them into murderers. Pandering won't help, changing will.

[VOA]

A group of Islamic resistance movement Hamas in Bethlehem put on the famous red
and white fur Santa hats and Santa suits, dropping gifts on Christian orphans...

Well, at least those very nice "Men from Hamas" won't wear themselves out as they
won't have to lug too many toys in their Santa bags...
seeing how the Palestinian Authority/Arafat has persecuted the Christians
Arabs in place like Bethlehem so much that the place is now almost ethincally-cleasnsed
of Christians.

IIRC, a recent article said that the PA/Arafat was trying to staunch the outflow
of Christians from PA areas by...denying them use of buses.

I can't help but wonder if any of the orphans are the children of the Arab Christian
whose death-by-sniper was mentioned in the Los Angeles Times article about the
decay of Bethlehem. (Of course the LA Times couldn't even speculate on whether
the sniper had was a...shh, don't tell anyone...a Muslim.)

One thought that never passes between the ears of these jackals:
"Why do the Christians dislike us so much?"

PeaceCorpsGuy...hope you don't have any encounters with those adherents of
"The Religion of Peace" over in the Philippines.

[VOA]

I've wanted to go to Bethlehem for historical/religional reasons.

I would enumerate what it would take for me to go there now...
but that would reveal that not all my thoughts are peaceful.

[SouthernFreebird]

They don't fool us.... Jesus was a Jew, he'd be tops on their bombing list. How those 'supposed' Christians can align themselves with fanatics who bomb babies simply because they are jewish is beyond me.... they would willingly kill those Christians also if they didn't benefit from them.

[Atomic Vomit]

"A group of Islamic resistance movement Hamas in Bethlehem put on the famous red and white fur Santa hats and Santa suits, dropping gifts on Christian orphans,..."

And how heavy were these gifts? Or were they perhaps shoes? Most importantly- I wonder how many of the Christian orphans owe their current status to other gifts hamas has dropped in the past?

Mr. Atomic Vomit

[Free ThinkerNY]

Hamas members spreading Christmas cheer

[Calpernia]

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas. See you children in Summer Camp!

[VOA]

They don't fool us.... Jesus was a Jew, he'd be tops on their bombing list.

Mr. Arafat begs to differ.
He claims that Jesus was a Palestinian and a Jew.
And we all know that a winner of a Nobel Peace Prize wouldn't lie.

(end sarcasm)

[Volunteer]

Do you remember the "gift" the members of Hamas gave our Marines in Lebanon?
I agree with you, Nobel Prizes aside, the man is a lying criminal.

[VOA]

I agree with you, Nobel Prizes aside, the man is a lying criminal.

I'll tell you, it was a day of rejoicing when Andrea Mitchell (aka, Mrs. Alan Greenspan)
reported on NBC Nightly News that Arafat speaks peace in English and
war until the Israelis are pushed into the sea in Arabic...on the same day.

Of course, I'd known that for a couple of months...because I read about
it at www.freerepublic.com.

[oceanperch]

Where in PI?

I went to Samar as a teen.

[xp38]

I was there in 1996. What surprised me most besides the triangular plastic pennants with Arafats picture on it strung above and across streets (oh yeah that really put me in a Christmas mood) is that it is a town set on a hill. You never get that from Christmas card scenes.

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

Resembles John Candy on Aikins.

[scannell]

Wasn't it the Palestinians that stormed and occupied the Greek Orthodox Church a year or two ago. What do you think they would say if us infidels stormed and occupied under force of weapons their holy Mosque.

[Jordan Vandenberg]

There are quite a few Palestinian Christians; they're known as the Living Stones of the Church because they're directly descended from the first followers of Christ. I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land several years ago- it was an eye-opening experience and I learned a lot I'd never known before.

Here's the google link for them: http://www.google.com/search?q=Living+stones+%22Palestinian+Christians%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
(Hope this works because I don't post much- mostly read but while I'm posting, thanks for all the posts here)

[VOA]

thanks for the tip on Living Stones of the Church...