12-08-09 Palestinians must change their strategies to fight for statehood

Old ways of fighting for rights must change
By Ray Hanania – This week, we’ve seen a perfect example of how the rejectionists over-press their support for Palestinian rights in Europe and end up creating disasters that harm the Palestinian cause. The activists have been pressing European Union officials to declare that Jerusalem is to be a shared city. A proposal condemning Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem and declared the city the capital of a future Palestinian State was drafted by Sweden, which currently holds the presidency of the EU. But while the leaked draft was praised as further proof that world opinion is turning up pressure on Israel to change its ways, the Israelis responded with their own counter pressure and the draft was dramatically changed to include the usual rhetoric condemning Israel but dropping the call to make East Jerusalem Palestine’s capital in a two-state solution.

08-05-09 Holy Days in Holy Land turning into fury

Holy Days Turning into Fury
Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. — It is such a special month in the Holy Land especially for the Orthodox Church, although we start the fast thirteen days later, we turn our eyes and heart onto honoring the Most Holy Mother of God in this special 14 day Dormition Fast.

07-17-09 Aljazeera kicked out of West Bank exposes issues

Aljazeera Arabic under siege in West Bank and in its editorial offices
By Ray Hanania — Aljazeera Arabic became the first television station to broadcast balanced news about the Middle East, but over the years its editorial staff has expanded to include several people who are less about journalism and more about partisan political activism, mainly supporting Hamas and the growing Islamic extremist movement. The biggest complaint has been about its coverage, which critics have called biased and supporters have said does not advocate pro-Palestinian and Islamic views enough.

Easter behind the wall 04-18-09

Celebrating Miracle of Holy Fire Behind the Wall
Maria C. Khoury – (Taybeh, Occupied Palestine) It was an amazing and extraordinary day in Ramallah and then in Taybeh receiving the Holy Fire following the miracle at Christ’s Holy Life-Giving Tomb in Jerusalem on this Great and Holy Saturday afternoon. I decided not to argue with the soldiers and the policemen in Jerusalem like last year where my husband David and I could not get anywhere near the Holy Sepulchre.

Also, I decided to take the advise of the Greek monk during my first time to witness the Miracle of the Holy Fire (2002) when he kicked me out of the front row near the Life-Giving-Tomb and said in Greek: “My child it is not only with the eyes that we see.” I think he desperately needed the space for the Greek Consul and Greek dignitaries that attend this special miracle but his wise words never left my thoughts.

I had a wonderful day waiting for the Holy Fire to go through the checkpoints and arrive in Ramallah for all those who do not have permits to enter Jerusalem. Since on top of the security permits, we also need additional passes to go by further checkpoints to get to the Holy Sepulchre. To access holy places and pray on holy days should be a basic human right not needing any permits or passes but we live a bizarre life under Israeli occupation. Don’t ever take your religious freedom for granted, we suffer to achieve it.

It was an incredible two-hour parade in Ramallah which included the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts from Taybeh and all of the surrounding cities, villages and refugee camps with the largest Scouts group being Sireyt Ramallah which was the first group to initiate the parade and the last group of scouts leading over thirty altar boys from the Ramallah Orthodox Church marching with icons and crosses. The streets were filled with thousands of Christians and Muslims watching Father Galation, along with the Mayor of Ramallah, the Honorable Jennet Michael, who is a devote Orthodox Christian herself receiving the flame from the miracle of the Holy Fire and marching throughout the main street in Ramallah until they reached the Holy Transfiguration Church with the president of the parish council, Mr. Salem Hanania also accompanying. Fr. Yacoub, Fr. Nicola, Fr. Emanuel were all present along with Fr. Aktham the Latin priest and the Episcopalian minister. The Ramallah governor was also present in the procession with many prominent Palestinian Christians along with Mr. Moheeb Awad who represents the only Christian vote in the Palestinian Legislative Council beside Dr. Gazi Hanania, former council member and David Khoury, Mayor of Taybeh. My good friend, attorney Maher Hanania, reflected upon this unbelievable day the best: “By far this is the most emotional day for Christians.”

There were people in the balconies, on the roof tops and hanging out of windows trying to catch all of the colors and sounds of the many drums and bagpipes of over twelve different scout groups with the Ramallah Islamic Scouts, Ramallah Orthodox Club, Jifna, Birzeit, Aboud and Kadoura Refugee Camp to name a few. My favorite scouts were the two year old boys and girls who needed an adult to keep them marching in a straight line. I specifically noticed the teenager among the scouts wearing the t-shirt, “Our time Has Come,” and immediately I thought it meant our time has come to have a normal life like the rest of the world since nine years there has been no change in the Holy Land and conditions continue to get worse than the day before. Atrocity after atrocity there has only been violence and darkness while the world watches and does nothing to help end the occupation.

A group passed out chocolates to the crowds that had a typewritten note: “Love one another.” And if you have ever personally asked me about Muslim-Christian relationships in Palestine, I offer the example of this Holy Saturday reflecting a beautiful day of cooperation and celebration as Christians witness the Miracle of the Holy Fire. If you have ever personally asked me why Palestinian people do not practice non-violent resistance, I experienced this day in Ramallah and Taybeh as peaceful and non-violent resistance. People trying to live normal lives and celebrate ancient centuries’ old traditions while locked up within a wall and open prison. Israeli Occupation forces brutally killed Bssem Abu Rahmeh from Bilin, 30 years old while participation in a non-violent demonstration on Friday and the Israeli settlers from Bet El viciously killed a young boy from Jalazon Refugee camp the same day. It is a struggle to stay peaceful while you are being stripped of your dignity and humanity on a daily basis.

After the Holy Fire has been received in Ramallah with this fantastic parade each Scouts group is responsible to carry the flame to their home village to prepare for the Midnight Resurrection service continuing yet another parade and marching to the local Orthodox Church in an ecumenical parade where all Christian faiths participate. Thus the Taybeh Scouts including our seven year old cousin, Philip, who learned from his dad Ibrahim to carry the flame in the lantern, insisted on holding the sign, “Light of Christ” and riding on top of the tiny white car while entering Taybeh before sunset while the whole community was anxiously waiting chanting hymn giving glory to God.

Christian people filled the streets of Ramallah and Taybeh today as witnesses to the true Light. In Luke 16:15 we read that Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” We witness the truth and His Beatitude the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, received the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday in Jerusalem so that all who are not living in the land of Christ’s Holy Resurrection can believe that Christ is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9) Christ is Risen!

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KHOURY: OktoberFest in Taybeh, Palestine, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 9-7-08

Taybeh Oktoberfest in Palestine  

Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. – Everything related to Taybeh is extremely revolutionary if not extraordinary in the last few years.  In the middle of intense violence and conflict you find a community striving to be normal and trying to cry out to the world for the need to do astonishing things like festivals in the middle of oppressed conditions like complete closure and Israeli occupation. In response to harsh conditions, Taybeh responds with peaceful resolutions of celebrating its existence to boost the economy and hosted the first and only Oktoberfest that had ever taken place in Palestine (1995). 

SHILLO: Remembering that we will never forget, For Immediate Release, May 27, 2008

Remembering that we will never forget.
By Saffiya Shillo – Long after the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is settled, the Palestinian people will never forget the catastrophe that befell them during the establishment of the State of Israel—Al Nakba. At the 60-year marker, the daily struggle to survive under Israeli occupation is worse. Compounding that misery the Palestinians are experiencing internal ideological and political divisions that have caused bloodletting.

HANANIA: Facebook defines a policy of fairness in an unfair world, For Immediate Release, March 16, 2008

Facebook defines a policy of fairness in an unfair world
By Ray Hanania – In this age of Israeli domination of the news media, and most of the political debate in the American dominated world, it is refreshing to find an objective face in the crowd. That objective face is Facebook, the popular Internet social networking site that began as a place for college students to gather in Cyber Space, but that has fast transformed into one of the most popular of online gathering places for people of all ages, even surpassing the more political MySpace. No longer restricted to college students, Facebook is open to the entire world. As a result, the “entire world” now has a say in terms of how that “entire world” should be portrayed on the Internet.

SHILLO: Crying for Yee Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, For Immediate Release, 12-24-07

Crying for Yee Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
By Saffiya Shillo – We all know the song about Bethlehem. It is sung all over the U.S. in schools, churches, and gatherings of every kind during the Christmas season. “O little town of Bethlehem; how still we see thee lie… The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight…” The song was written by Rector Phillips Brooks (1835-1903) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He wrote the song in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is said that he was inspired by the view of Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine. He rode by horseback at night from Jerusalem to assist in Bethlehem’s midnight mass in 1865. He is quoted as saying, “I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Savior’s birth.”

HANANIA: Ashamed of American Christian abandonment of their faith, For Immediate Release, 12-24-07

Ashamed of American Christian abandonment of their faithBy Ray Hanania — Does your mother have to be from Bethlehem before you can even bother to care for the fate of that holy city? My mother and her family are from Bethlehem. She was born down the street from the Holy Manger where Jesus was cradled more than 2,000 years ago.  Down the street from the Church of the Nativity built many centuries ago to mark that site which is revered by hundreds of millions of true Christians around the world. And now, down the street from one of the most offensive, disturbing constructions, the 26 foot tall “barrier” that Israel’s government declares is a “fence.” This “fence” is 24 feet tall and is made of concrete. It is a Wall, as even former President Jimmy Carter has said in disgust, and it snakes up and down the streets of Jesus’ Birthplace. This Wall is not constructed to protect Israelis from Bethlehem terrorism, or from terrorism from any other place in a conflict that has raged unending since 1947, but rather it is being built by Israel so Israel can steal more land from Palestinians who are Christian and Muslim.