You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Israel-Palestine-Jordan
O, Muslim town of Bethlehem...
2006-12-18
All is quiet in Bethlehem. On Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity stands in the pale gloom of dusk, its doors open to passing pilgrims. But inside, the nave is empty of visitors and the collection boxes depleted of coins. In the candlelit grotto downstairs, a silver star marks the spot where Jesus is supposed to have been born.

It is one of the most sacred sites in Christendom, but there are no tourists queuing to see it. Just 500 yards down the road, Joseph Canawati is not looking forward to Christmas. The expansive lobby of his 77-room Hotel Alexander is empty and he says: "There is no hope for the future of the Christian community. We don't think things are going to get better. For us, it is finished."

Life for Palestinian Christians such as 50-year-old Joseph has become increasingly difficult in Bethlehem - and many of them are leaving. The town's Christian population has dwindled from more than 85 per cent in 1948 to 12 per cent of its 60,000 inhabitants in 2006. There are reports of religious persecution, in the form of murders, beatings and land grabs.
Posted by:.com

#13  Hope it doesn't end up like past troubles in Indonesia and parts of South Asia, where local Muslims = Muslim Gubmints used or condoned force and violence to PREVENT NON-MUSLIMS FROM LEAVING BECUZ 'TWAS THE ONLY ECONOMY THEY HAD.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-12-18 21:46  

#12  Two months ago, he was beaten up by a gang of Muslims who were visiting Bethlehem from nearby Hebron and who had spotted the crucifix hanging on his windscreen.

Kinda puts a nail in the old time religion's view of Jesus being a "good prophet," eh? Now, we see what they truly feel about Him.

On a side note, Mrs. BA and I went to see "The Nativity Story" this weekend. Very well done, but I couldn't help but think about the very thing described...last year's raid on The Church of the Nativity. How the Paleos acted like animals in a religious structure, but we can't even return fire when they use it as an ammo-dump and weapons cache. My, oh my, how the Savior must weep over what's become of his "hometown."
Posted by: BA   2006-12-18 15:20  

#11  "religious persecution, in the form of murders, beatings and land grabs."

Ah, the Religion of Peace at work.

Hey dimwits in State and the Presidnets office, wake up!
Posted by: OldSpook   2006-12-18 13:50  

#10  Kick all muslims out of Israel. Kahane was right.
Posted by: mcsegeek1   2006-12-18 10:00  

#9  Every time I hear Muslims bleat in the press about their religion being insulted by the West, I think of Palestinians thugs crapping in the Church of the Nativity. It is time that the rest of the world realizes that Islam is a scourge. Muslims cannot and will not coexist with their fellow men. Given that, we should realize there are no good muslims and they should be eradicated root and branch.

Israel should deal with Gaza and West Bank the way Stalin dealt with the Kulaks in the Ukraine. Seal it off. Shut off the water, food, and electricity. Come back in the Spring to clean up the mess. It is not a particularly Christian sentiment, but the Crusaders should have have dealt with the Muslims the way the cavalry dealt with the Indians. These goat abusers should have been and should be wiped off the face of the earth.
Posted by: Random Thoughts   2006-12-18 09:43  

#8  The West won't wake up until there's a mushroom cloud on our soil. And we won't be able to strike back definitively because: a.> we won't know whodunnit; b.> we can't stop smoking from the crack pipe that is oil dependence.
Posted by: Jump Wheatch9614   2006-12-18 09:13  

#7  The sense of a creeping Islamic fundamentalism is all around in Bethlehem.

Make that, "all over the world". And supported by ever Christian hating liberal. Why?

Because Islam hates Jews and Christians and so do liberals. If they weren't already, the Pig skin bound quran turns arabs into animals, liberals love animals...

And where is the UN outrage?! Personally I'm waiting for this whole thing to turn into a much needed Crusade. Cause folks that's what the Kaaba rounding Meccans are doing to us.

Time to Cowboy up!
Posted by: Icerigger   2006-12-18 08:44  

#6  The West continues to bend to Muslim pressure. Again, while we are allowing those vulgar savages into our countries, they exclude and persecute Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc.
Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550   2006-12-18 06:02  

#5  So, the sensitive word is Ca ... akkkkk!!!
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-18 04:14  

#4  Race track (to use another less sensitive adjective). [Got it.]

For those of you who think that I am anti-Christian, please know that the above is a position that I have maintained for many years before arriving here at Rantburg. One only need examine how Muslim “archaeological” activity is threatening to devastate the entire Temple Mount, al Aqsa Mosque’s Dome of the Rock and all.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-18 04:13  

#3  Part III:

This is too strange. Evidently my reference to a particular baseball player is getting me RSA'd ... or evidently not.

Muslims are no more qualified to govern an historic religious zone than Charlie Hustle is suited to manage a ...
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-18 04:11  

#2  Part II:

Hookay, we're onto something here. Evidently, the next passage contains something extremely sensitive:

JerusalemÂ’s only hope lie in one of two places. Either it is subjected to multinational government, just as post-war Berlin was, or it must remain under Israeli control. Previous Palestinian treatment of the Church of the Nativity proved for once and all what awaits Islamic rule of a location containing so many Christian shrines. Anyone who doubts this should refer to how the Palestinians turned the Wailing Wall into a urinal.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-18 03:55  

#1  Part I:

For some reason, a submission utterly devoid of any long URL's got RSAÂ’d. Therefore, I'm going to try and post this in two or three separate parts (all due respect to Rantburg), to avoid any such further inconvenience.

Life for Palestinian Christians such as 50-year-old Joseph has become increasingly difficult in Bethlehem - and many of them are leaving. The town's Christian population has dwindled from more than 85 per cent in 1948 to 12 per cent of its 60,000 inhabitants in 2006. There are reports of religious persecution, in the form of murders, beatings and land grabs.

[continued]
Posted by: Zenster   2006-12-18 03:51  

00:00