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Palestinians passionate about Christ film (Aljazeera)
Aljazeera ^ | 4-2-04

Posted on 04/02/2004 5:27:11 AM PST by truthandlife

Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" is all the rage among Palestinians, curious about complaints by Jews that it is anti-Semitic.

Meanwhile, local distributors in Israel are shunning the film, which Jewish groups say demonises Jews by depicting them as pressuring the Romans into crucifying Jesus.

The film has banked more than $315 million since its release in February.

Only one percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are Christians while the other 99% are Muslims, who revere Jesus as a prophet but do not believe he was crucified.

The portrayal of a prophet in a film is forbidden under Islam.

Pirated copies

"People are calling me from everywhere in the West Bank –from Bethlehem, Hebron, Ram Allah and Nablus- to ask for copies of the movie," said the owner of a Gaza city video shop, which sells pirated copies of new release movies.

"The Passion of the Christ" has outsold other Hollywood blockbusters in Gaza and the West Bank's pirated video market, including "Matrix Revolutions" and "The Last Samurai."

Israel cold

In Israel, the local agent for the film's international distributor Icon Entertainment said it passed on its option to show "The Passion of the Christ," but declined to specify its reasons other than to say the movie was "sensitive."

Industry insiders in Israel say local distributors are not interested in the film because of allegations it is anti-Semitic and for expected lukewarm audience response.

Jewish groups and some Roman Catholic clerics have expressed concern the film could foment anti-Jewish attacks.

Palestinian President Yasir Arafat watched a preview of the film at his West Bank headquarters earlier this month. Aides said he found the film "moving."


TOPICS: Extended News
KEYWORDS: christ; gibson; palestinians; passion
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To: truthandlife
Muslims see this movie and look for any opportunity to indict the people they hate most
(today)
Tomorrow if they recognize their dream of killing every Jew on the planet.....they will turn to their next most hated enemy....Christians....

They would see the very same movie and declare Jesus was really a muslim and that Mel Gibson and all Evangelicals have lied about who Jesus REALLY is....

What their god and prophet have proclaimed Him to be....regardless of thousands of witnesses to the contrary...

Jesus is God and no muslim on the face of this earth will ever admit this....and this is what condemns them and all the rest of us...

For Jesus Himself told us who he is....and those who have ears hear and those that dont...
cannot..

imo
21 posted on 04/02/2004 6:38:10 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: truthandlife
Only one percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are Christians while the other 99% are Muslims, who revere Jesus as a prophet but do not believe he was crucified.

1 percent?! That can't be right! I know the percentage of Arab Christians on the West Bank has been on the decline, but I can't imagine that it has been reduced that far.

Anybody know the current breakdown?

22 posted on 04/02/2004 6:38:33 AM PST by Tallguy (Cannot rate this Reserve Freepers fitness: Not observed on this thread.)
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To: 2banana
I guess to the individuals directly concerned with occupying lands...they would all be considered unique.
23 posted on 04/02/2004 6:40:55 AM PST by stuartcr
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To: truthandlife
"Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" is all the rage among Palestinians, curious about complaints by Jews that it is anti-Semitic."


Interesting reason to want to see a movie, "curious about complaints by Jews that it is anti-Semitic. Now of course what will "Christians" be expected to do and say? Christians sure did not promote this movie as anti-Semitic.

24 posted on 04/02/2004 6:43:18 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: reasonseeker
You have it exactly backwards. It's the suicide bomber who's sentimental. Nothing's more down-to-earth and realistic than "Christian ideals".
25 posted on 04/02/2004 6:44:19 AM PST by Romulus ("Behold, I make all things new")
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To: truthandlife
The portrayal of a prophet in a film is forbidden under Islam.

No Problemo.....since JESUS IS NOT A PROPHET...in FACT

Jesus Christ is God the Son....The Word Made Flesh.....

JESUS WROTE THE BIBLE both old and new Testaments....

He is the one who gave the prophecies to the prophets..

He is the author and finisher of our faith....

26 posted on 04/02/2004 6:44:26 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: truthandlife
I understand some Episcopalians in NH were excited by the film; but the version they watched was called The Passion of the Bishop.
27 posted on 04/02/2004 6:45:52 AM PST by genefromjersey (So little time - so many FLAMES to light !!)
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To: samtheman
2. There were no Palestinians in the movie. They did not exist at the time of Jesus. There were only Romans and Jews in this area. So who has claims to Jerusalem

This seems a rather convoluted argument to me. There were no Americans, Canadians or Mexicans in North America, either. Does that negate our claims? In fact, there were no French, no British, no Italians in Europe.

Land claims derive from victory at war, period. The Israelis and Palestinians are at war to settle the matter. We can hope for, even subsidize, Israeli success, but the idea that somehow they are entitled because they were there 2000 years ago is ludicrous.

There were indigenous peoples in the Middle East prior to the Israelis. They were ethnically-cleansed by the Jews. Read the Old Testament. If we are to listen to the Muslims, their claims should prevail.

If history has taught us anything it is that land, and sovereignty over it, is ultimately purchased with blood.

28 posted on 04/02/2004 6:46:03 AM PST by massadvj
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Comment #29 Removed by Moderator

To: massadvj
"There were indigenous peoples in the Middle East prior to the Israelis. They were ethnically-cleansed by the Jews. Read the Old Testament. If we are to listen to the Muslims, their claims should prevail."


According to the OLD Testament, the success of land taking depended on whether or not it was in our Heavenly Father's WILL!

When those children of the House of Israel refused to "OBEY" they got sent into captivity by the Assyrian King to the north. And the children of the House of Judah were sent into captivity unto the King of Babylon.

And according to as it is WRITTEN these TWO HOUSES will not be rejoined until the TRUE Christ returns. TOOOOO many ignore what is WRITTEN and make stuff up as they go along.
30 posted on 04/02/2004 7:06:02 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: LoudRepublicangirl
Hopefully if Mulsims are truly Passionate about the movie, I hope they will come away with one thing Jesus said:

"Love one another as I have loved you"
31 posted on 04/02/2004 7:22:56 AM PST by missyme
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Where did the name Palestine come from?

Excerpt: The name Palestine refers to a region of the eastern Mediterranean coast from the sea to the Jordan valley and from the southern Negev desert to the Galilee lake region in the north. The word itself derives from "Plesheth", a name that appears frequently in the Bible and has come into English as "Philistine". Plesheth, (root palash) was a general term meaning rolling or migratory. This referred to the Philistine's invasion and conquest of the coast from the sea. The Philistines were not Arabs nor even Semites, they were most closely related to the Greeks originating from Asia Minor and Greek localities. They did not speak Arabic. They had no connection, ethnic, linguistic or historical with Arabia or Arabs. The Philistines reached the southern coast of Israel in several waves. One group arrived in the pre-patriarchal period and settled south of Beersheba in Gerar where they came into conflict with Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Another group, coming from Crete after being repulsed from an attempted invasion of Egypt by Rameses III in 1194 BCE, seized the southern coastal area, where they founded five settlements (Gaza, Ascalon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gat). In the Persian and Greek periods, foreign settlers - chiefly from the Mediterranean islands - overran the Philistine districts. From the fifth century BC, following the historian Herodotus, Greeks called the eastern coast of the Mediterranean "the Philistine Syria" using the Greek language form of the name. In AD 135, after putting down the Bar Kochba revolt, the second major Jewish revolt against Rome, the Emperor Hadrian wanted to blot out the name of the Roman "Provincia Judaea" and so renamed it "Provincia Syria Palaestina", the Latin version of the Greek name and the first use of the name as an administrative unit. The name "Provincia Syria Palaestina" was later shortened to Palaestina, from which the modern, anglicized "Palestine" is derived.....

32 posted on 04/02/2004 8:40:47 AM PST by GigaDittos ("Vote Democrat, it's easier than getting a job")
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
There are no "Palestinians" now, either, so far as that goes. There is not (nor has there ever been) any such fairy tale land as "Palestine": ergo, no "Palestinians."

Where do you get that? I have stamps from Palestine.

33 posted on 04/02/2004 8:41:16 AM PST by Dataman
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To: massadvj
There were no Americans, Canadians or Mexicans in North America, either. Does that negate our claims? In fact, there were no French, no British, no Italians in Europe.
Entirely different matter altogether. The Palestinians themselves wouldn't agree with your argument. Because what they are saying is that the Palestinian state goes way back and that the Jews are the newcomers. So the original point --- that there were in fact no Palestinians in Palestine during the Roman era (except for the Jews themselves, the true Palestinians) is an important point and does matter greatly.
34 posted on 04/02/2004 8:45:18 AM PST by samtheman
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: samtheman
I refer you to my post.
36 posted on 04/02/2004 9:04:31 AM PST by GigaDittos ("Vote Democrat, it's easier than getting a job")
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To: joesnuffy
I wonder what kind of reaction one would elicit by driving around Dearborn, Michigan with a "JESUS IS ALLAH (GOD)" bumper sticker??
37 posted on 04/02/2004 9:33:19 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Another vote here for Bush, only IF Congress ends up defeating his illegal immigration amnesty law)
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To: truthandlife

Maybe>

Could!?

Industry insiders in Israel say local distributors are not interested in the film because of allegations it is anti-Semitic and for expected lukewarm audience response.

Let the PEOPLE decide!!

38 posted on 04/02/2004 10:04:31 AM PST by Elsie (Truth is violated by falsehood, but it is outraged by silence.)
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To: samtheman
(And I'm an agnostic.)

But, it appears you are open-minded about it....

39 posted on 04/02/2004 10:06:24 AM PST by Elsie (Truth is violated by falsehood, but it is outraged by silence.)
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To: Ingtar
These people worship Death.

Don't forget that St. Paul got HIS start by killing Jews......

 

Acts 9
1.  Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
 2.  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

 
For a conversion from Islam is a death sentence.
 
Staying IN Islam is an ETERNALLY worse sentence!!

40 posted on 04/02/2004 10:13:18 AM PST by Elsie (Truth is violated by falsehood, but it is outraged by silence.)
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