PALESTINE is a land where for generations Christians, Muslims and Jews have lived together in peace and harmony. Never before has such barbarity and genocide been perpetrated upon Palestinians, as has been unleashed by IDF, except for when it has been under occupation. A pastor who heads a Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Father Munther Ishaq and many Christian families of Palestine have decided to cancel usual celebrations associated with Christmas “because there is a massacre, a genocide taking place in Gaza with our people. The idea was to send a message to the whole world and also to ourselves, that this is what Christmas looks like in Palestine; this is what Christmas looks like in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, children are being pulled from under the rubble and families being displaced from their homes, destroyed, while the world is celebrating Christmas.
At the birthplace of Christ this is what Christmas looks like”. He states “We hope this message gets to the world that we are united in Palestine that “Our only source of hope is our faith in a just God, and in our solidarity with one another and I hope this message gets to the world”. “The Christmas story actually gives us hope, the fact that Jesus was born among the occupied; this is what happened over 2000 years ago”. Speaking to Aljazeera TV with Nida Ibrahim (available on YouTube “war on Gaza/ impact on Christmas), he states we want to show to the whole world that “We are united” in condemning the massacre of babies by Israeli bombing. Instead of the usual depiction of a Christmas Tree decorated with ornaments with Baby Jesus on a manger, surrounded by Holy Family, shepherds and angels they have shown Baby Christ wrapped in a Palestinian Kafia placed in a manger under the rubble surrounded by angels.
He states that “what we see on our screens, children being pulled out of the rubble, and people coming and searching under the rubble, to find any signs of life, any signs of hope. These images have broken us and we want to bring them to the church and usually the typical manger would have Baby Jesus in the middle, and then the Holy Family with shepherds surrounding him”. Referring to the symbolic manger setting “We want to send a message that Baby Jesus is in solidarity with those who are suffering, with those who are oppressed”. This image of the Gospel narrative being adjusted to what is happening in Palestine is symbolic of “If Jesus Christ was to be born today, he would be born under the rubble” and the shepherds would be searching for him under the rubble.
An orthodox and devout Jewish Rabbi Yisopel David Wiess has publicly condemned the atrocious and “immoral” killings of Palestinians, with whom Jews have lived in peace for “over 2000 years” in Arab lands, by a movement of “100 odd years” group of political nationalist nonreligious Zionists, who are right-wing extremists. According to Rabbi Yisopel, Judaism does not allow occupation by force or killings of neighbours. He cites 10 Commandments which were given by Almighty SWT to Prophet Moses (PBUH).
The land of Palestine is the birthplace of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) who was born in Jerusalem, located in the West Bank, in an area called Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was a Palestinian by birth. For centuries Bettelheim has been the epicentre of Christmas celebrations and devout Christian pilgrims visit this city to offer their prayers in the “Church of the Nativity” or the “Basilica of the Nativity” where Jesus Christ (PBUH) was born in the month of December. The whole town is lit up and decorated for celebrations in the oldest site, continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity. Hotels located there are heavily booked to provide accommodation to thousands of pilgrims who come annually on charter flights, to visit what is considered to be the most revered and holiest place by followers of the Christ.
It is a historical fact that Jesus Christ and his mother, born in Nazareth, were Palestinians. It is a land where the three Monotheistic faiths, Muslims, Christians and Jews have lived in harmony and coexisted for centuries. Jerusalem is revered by all three religions that believe in one Almighty Allah and hold Prophet Abraham in high esteem. It is incumbent on all devout peace-loving Christians, Muslims and Jews to uphold the dignity of Palestine in particular and Arabian lands in general, where the prophets were born. Unfortunately, since 1949, this land has witnessed many wars, but never before have Christmas celebrations been toned down as is this year.
We must never forget that Palestinian Christians and Muslims have unitedly fought for liberation of Palestine. PLO leader Yasir Arafat was married to a Christian lady, Suha Arafat and together they struggled to fight against the extremist Zionists, who are obsessed with hatred, devoid of any humanity in pursuit of greater Israel. Gaza was never a part of the kingdom of David or Solomon. Today the Zionists want to occupy Gaza, West Bank and parts of Jordan and Syria. Historically, the Evangelical Christians are associated with Lutherans, the same church whose pastor in Bethlehem is Father Munther Ishaq, a Palestinian by birth who shows solidarity with his brothers and sisters suffering humiliation, killings and misery, deprived even of basic needs like water, food, medicine etc. Their hospitals have been bombed and almost 80% of their houses have been destroyed, including schools and refugee camps.
What more will it take for Christians in Europe to heed appeals of Pastor Munther and revive Jesus Christ’s message of peace and tranquility, instead of the horrendous massacre being unleashed by a powerful army equipped with lethal weapons upon innocent civilians living under their occupation. This is not a war between two armies but a massacre taking place. As long as occupation exists there will be armed resistance, similar to the French and Polish Resistance against Nazi Germany which occupied their country. Violence will only breed more violence. Images of Palestinian citizens being stripped naked down to their underwear in the cold winter, by IDF troops reminds us of innocent Jews huddled in concentration camps, subjected to similar brutalities. Nature has its own ways, Nazi Germany lost and so did Hitler’s Nazi ideology. Zionists and their supporters need to learn lessons from history.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
