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July 17, 2012
Gaza Christians Protest Alleged Forced Conversions
Remnant community of 1,500 worries about how conversion and emigration might further lessen its numbers.
A group of Gaza Christians protested Monday against what they believe to be the forced conversions of two members of their community, according to the Associated Press.
Police claim the man and woman seem to have freely converted to Islam but, fearing reprisals from their families, have been staying with a Muslim religious official, the AP reported.
An estimated 1,500 Christians remain among the 1.7 million Muslims living in the crowded coastal strip.
CT has regularly reported on Gaza's Christians, including how reconciliation efforts continued during the region's worst violence since the 1967 war. CT also went to Gaza to profile Hanna Massad and his many challenges as pastor of the coastal strip's only Baptist church.
Other key events include the seizure of Gaza's Baptist church by Fatah, as well as the bombing of Gaza's only Christian bookstore and martyrdom of its manager.
Comments
I think the US government is insane. It provides financial aids to Gaza while Christians in Gaza are persecuted. The US invaded Iraq where no weapons of mass destruction were found. Saddam Hussein’s regime was overthrown while Christians in Iraqi were annihilated. The US help toppling the Gaddafi regime while Libyan weapons were smuggled to north Nigeria for whacking out Christians and bombing churches. If the Syrian is overthrown, what would happen to the world's biggest stockpile of chemical weapons ? On 13 July, The US Senate voted to burn the“made-in-China” Olympic uniforms. Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney blamed China for most of the US problems and promulgated hatred for China and “China Threat” while uttered not a single word regarding the human rights problems in the Middle East and the atrocity inflicted on the Christians living there. The US stokes conflicts in Asia because that opens an opportunity for the US to exert its influence on Asian affairs. It is selfish. The US keeps emphasizing American interest which outranks other countries’ interests, the rights of Christians and justices.
We need to pray for the Christians in the Middle East and for the peace in Asia.
Posted By: Clara | July 22, 2012 10:09 AM
When I watched Harry Reid billowed out that the Chinese made uniforms should be burned, scenes of protestors from Pakistan, Iraq, Gaza and West Bank chanting anti-American slogans rose to my mind. After all, the US Congress and these protestors are the same breed.
Posted By: Amy | July 22, 2012 9:17 PM
Except Israel, all of the US allies in the Middle East are Islamic countries. In Asia, the major US ally is Japan which indigenous religion is Shinto. Most of the Japanese today practice Shinto and Japanese Buddhism. Why did the US government establish strong ties with these countries? If there is a war between South Korea and Japan over territorial dispute, I think the US will surly ditch South Korea where 33% of its total population is Christian. Like the Falkland War in 1982, the US ditched Argentina. Many times when these countries committed injustices the US not only turn a blind eye to these wrongs, but also offer stronger protection to these regimes. By the way, is God’s kingdom democratic?
Posted By: Eric | July 24, 2012 10:37 PM
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