Christian Population Falls in Holy Land

The number of Christians who live in the area where their religion began is in decline. Growing numbers of Christians are leaving the lands where their religion began. Their reasons are different; varying sometimes by sect, sometimes by nationality–but the change is unmistakable. A hundred years ago, Christians made up 25 percent of the population in the Middle East. Today, estimates put that number at about six percent and falling. Call it part of a modern mass departure, the steady flight of the tiny Palestinian Christian minority that could lead, some predict, to the faith being virtually extinct in its birthplace within several generations. The protection of Christians in Islamic-majority countries is one of the most delicate problems facing the Church. So question is Vatican’s top foreign policy official are listening about this “particularly unhappy” situation of the decline of Christians in the Middle East?

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — The death threat came on simple white fliers blowing down the streets at dawn. A group calling itself “Friends of Muhammad” accused a local Palestinian Christian of selling mobile phones carrying offensive sketches of the Muslim prophet.

The message went on to curse all Arab Christians and Pope Benedict XVI, still struggling to calm Muslim outrage from his remarks on Islam.

While neighbors defended the merchant – saying the charges in the flier were bogus – the frightened phone dealer went into hiding, feeling less than satisfied with authorities’ conclusion that the Oct. 19 note was probably a harmless rant.

technorati tags: Christian, Religion, Jesus, Church, Vatican, Christianity, Faith, Bible, Middle East, Islam, Islamic, Islamism

Palestinians teeter on edge of civil war

This is what can happen when citizen choose Terrorist organization (Hamas) to lead the country.

A BLUNT warning that the West Bank and Gaza are on the brink of civil war was issued this weekend by the head of Palestinian intelligence.

Brigadier-General Tawfik Tirawi predicted a bloody clash between Hamas, the Islamist movement headed by Ismail Haniyah, the Palestinian prime minister, and Fatah, its secular rival led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

“We are already at the beginning of a civil war, no doubt about it. They (Hamas) are accumulating weapons and a full-scale civil war can break out at any moment,” said Tirawi.

Abbas’s attempts to form a coalition between the two Palestinian groups collapsed last week after he insisted Hamas must recognise Israel and give up violence. Abbas believes recognising Israel is the only way to secure the release of millions of pounds of European Union and US aid frozen since Hamas won elections in January.

Tirawi believes Hamas will never accept the existence of Israel and said a violent showdown was inevitable. “No way can they agree. They are preparing for a war against us,” he said. Last week 12 people were killed as fighting between the two groups escalated.

According to Palestinian sources, Abbas has notified the US, Jordan and Egypt that he is preparing to take action against Hamas. Egypt has already indicated it would support him, the sources claim.

Tirawi is determined not to let Hamas ruin the faint chance of a peace agreement with Israel. While Hamas is believed to have 8,000 fighters, Fatah sources claim 20,000. Tirawi forecasts that the violence would begin in Gaza and spread to the West Bank.

 

technorati tags: Palestine, Hamas, Terrorist, MIddleEast, Israel, News