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Beleaguered Christians in the PA

(IMRA) David Raab - There are numerous signs of the beleaguered position of the Christian population in the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. In August 1997, Palestinian policemen in Beit Sahur opened fire on a crowd of Christian Arabs, wounding six. The PA covered up the incident. In February 2002, Palestinian Moslems rampaged against Christians in Ramallah, and the Palestinian Authority failed to intervene. As reported by the Boston Globe, "Hundreds of men poured out of the refugee camp and went to Ramallah, where they burned Hanna Salameh's house and store. They then burned his brother's store, damaged several businesses owned by Christians not related to the Salamehs, and torched the exercise room and terrorized more than 100 children at Sariya, a scouting and youth center." A Palestinian convert to Christianity living near Nablus was arrested by the Palestinian police. A Muslim preacher was brought in, who attempted to convince the man to return to Islam. When he refused, he was brought before a Palestinian court and sentenced to prison for insulting the religious leader. The exile of 39 hard-core Palestinian militants from Bethlehem - 13 to Europe and 26 to Gaza - after the siege at the Church of the Nativity, ended a two-year reign of terror for local residents that included rape, extortion, and executions. Palestinians who live near the church described the group as a criminal gang that preyed especially on Palestinian Christians.
2002-10-14 00:00:00
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