Christmas under Hamas rule
ICC Note
Christians in Gaza are getting ready to celebrate their first Christmas under the Islamist party Hamas. This article describes the challenges the Christians are facing as well as strength of their faith in the midst of challenges.
By Katya Adler
BBC News, Gaza City
December 22, 2007 Gaza City (BBC News)-Earlier this year, the Islamist Hamas party took control of Gaza , home to a thriving Christian community now preparing to celebrate their first Christmas under Hamas rule.
I have come to his office to ask how Christians in Gaza were faring on this, their first Christmas under the full internal control of Hamas.
"You media people!" Father Musallam boomed at me when I first poked my head around his door.
"Hamas this, Hamas that. You think we Christians are shaking in our ghettos in Gaza ? That we're going to beg you British or the Americans or the Vatican to rescue us?" he asked.
"Rescue us from what? From where? This is our home."
Extended family
Nativity play
"They have a special word for us, the Christians of Palestine. They call us Nasserine - the people of Nazareth . They recognise that we have always been here.
"Even the more extreme Muslims see a difference between us and other Christians they regard as enemies and call Crusaders."
There is no evidence to suggest the Hamas government here officially discriminates against Christians but its takeover in Gaza - its military wing's leading role in armed resistance against Israel, along with the Islamic Jihad faction - have all led to the increasing Islamisation of Gazan society.
And that has encouraged some extremist Muslims to take action.
A Christian bookshop owner was killed here a couple of months ago.
There was a kidnap attempt on another Christian recently.
And a number of Christian families we spoke to say they had received death threats.
They question Hamas' willingness to take action to protect them.
'God's creatures'
In previous years, the Patriarch's Christmas sermon has concentrated on the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli military occupation but this year he preached steadfastness in the face of intimidation by Islamist fanatics.
Christians have lived alongside Islam in Palestine since its beginnings
"They forget we are all God's creatures," he told a concerned-looking congregation.
"But nobody can tell us Christians how to dress, how to live or how to pray".
The patriarch called on the Hamas government to take responsibility and to protect the Christian citizens of Gaza , along with everyone else.
