Palestinian Muslims Praying in Gaza Churches

[doremon]

For Gaza resident Mahmud Khalaf, it was a bizarre new experience, prostrating himself for his daily Muslim prayers beneath the gaze of an icon of Jesus Christ.

But since the war in Gaza began, he has had no choice but to worship in a Christian house of God, where he took refuge after Israeli air strikes pummelled his neighbourhood in the north of the Palestinian territory.

“They let us pray. It’s changed my view of Christians — I didn’t really know any before, but they’ve become our brothers,” said Khalaf, 27, who admitted he never expected to perform his evening prayers in a church.

“We (Muslims) prayed all together last night,” he said. “Here, the love between Muslims and Christians has grown.”

Walking into the St Porphyrius Church courtyard in Gaza City, visitors are greeted with a “marhaban” by Christian helpers, but with a decidedly more Islamic “peace be upon you” (Arabic: al-salamu aleikum) by most of its current residents — displaced Gazans who have made it their shelter for almost two weeks.

Khalaf, who fled his home in Shaaf after the area became a target for Israeli warplanes, twirls his prayer beads anxiously, but is relieved to have found sanctuary alongside some 500 other displaced Muslims.

“The Christians took us in. We thank them for that, for standing by our side,” he said.

Khalaf has now grown accustomed to worshipping on the premises of an alien religion — a particularly acute contrast during the fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“Jesus said, love your neighbour, not just your family but your colleague, your classmate — Muslim, Shiite, Hindu, Jewish,” said Christian volunteer Tawfiq Khader.

“We open our doors to all people.“

Displaced Palestinian gather of Iftar meal at a Greek Orthodox church where many Palestinians are taking shelter.

- See more at: Palestinian Muslims Praying in Gaza Churches

 

[gtrr]

Nice

 

[bdslph]

A big Thanks to the Christians there for provide what we need most

 

[RAMPAGE]

 

[flamer84]

Meanwhile ,also in the ME Christians are rewarded for this by the righteous soldiers of the Islamic Caliphate that Hazzy,our Palestinian likes to praise so much,with...

Michael described how a statue of the Virgin Mary had been destroyed from outside one of Mosul's churches, and a black flag put in its place. At the time he said he felt like "we are in the quiet before the storm".

On Thursday, that storm arrived when militants issued their decree to the Christians of Mosul.

The last remaining Christians now have fled Mosul after Islamic State militants issued an ultimatum giving them until noon on July 19, the option to convert to Islam, pay a tax, leave, or be killed if they stayed.

The ultimatum triggered a wave of criticism internationally, but also among Muslim scholars.

Last remaining Christians flee Iraq's Mosul - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

 

[jammersat]

There's nothing sweeter than breaking a fast , and having Iftar in a church

 

[sarthak]

Meanwhile , a Christian trying a similar adventure in a mosque would be lynched to death.

 

[hussain0216]

Meanwhile ,also in the ME Christians are rewarded for this by the righteous soldiers of the Islamic Caliphate that Hazzy,our Palestinian likes to praise so much,with...


Last remaining Christians flee Iraq's Mosul - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

It was the USA and George Bush who put the final nail in iraqi Christian coffins when they invaded iraq

it was only going to be a matter of time before the consequences of attacking iraq would fall on its various populations including Christians

 

[jammersat]

It was the USA and George Bush who put the final nail in iraqi Christian coffins when they invaded iraq

it was only going to be a matter of time before the consequences of attacking iraq would fall on its various populations including Christians

That's a myth going hand to hand on the media and the internet , the christians in iraq are 10X more christianized thanks to the US and they are now running liquor stores in northern iraq , not even ISIS can stop them , how is that worse than what it was before the US invasion?

 

[hussain0216]

That's a myth going hand to hand on the media and the internet , the christians in iraq are 10X more christianized thanks to the US and they are now running liquor stores in northern iraq , not even ISIS can stop them , how is that worse than what it was before the US invasion?

Great!!!! Nothing to worry about then the future of the xtians is in safe hands they are not being killed or expelled

 

[flamer84]

It was the USA and George Bush who put the final nail in iraqi Christian coffins when they invaded iraq

it was only going to be a matter of time before the consequences of attacking iraq would fall on its various populations including Christians

Yes,the Assyrian Christians of Irak who are the original natives even before muslims have to be massacred for what the Texan idiot did.Islamofascist stupidity at its highest level

That's a myth going hand to hand on the media and the internet , the christians in iraq are 10X more christianized thanks to the US and they are now running liquor stores in northern iraq , not even ISIS can stop them , how is that worse than what it was before the US invasion?

Oh yes,evil Christians running things,they even got ISIS fleeing for the hills....you're a nutjob.

 

[hussain0216]

Yes,the Assyrian Christians of Irak who are the original natives even before muslims have to be massacred for what the Texan idiot did.Islamofascist stupidity at its highest level




Oh yes,evil Christians running things,they even got ISIS fleeing for the hills....you're a nutjob.

hey im not saying its right im just saying how it is

is it right millions of European jews turn up in the middle east to claim Palestine, ,, NO
but you will get people supporting their murder and occupation

iraqi christians shouldn't suffer for thr USA, but the US is a largely xtian nation and it was only a matter of time before the iraqi xtians would become target No 1

the USA screwed up the existing stability and left the xtians high and dry

 

[jammersat]

Great!!!! Nothing to worry about then the future of the xtians is in safe hands they are not being killed or expelled

or raped , for all i can care

Oh yes,evil Christians running things,they even got ISIS fleeing for the hills....you're a nutjob.

nutjob? i suggest you google "christian girls who have converted to islam and then go to syria to do a Nikkah with a Mujahid" or maybe you watch your own european news channels more , they have a great coverage of white girls who convert to islam for a Nikkah in syria

The white 'saviours' of the Arabs - Features - Al Jazeera English

 

[flamer84]

hey im not saying its right im just saying how it is

is it right millions of European jews turn up in the middle east to claim Palestine, ,, NO
but you will get people supporting their murder and occupation

iraqi christians shouldn't suffer for thr USA, but the US is a largely xtian nation and it was only a matter of time before the iraqi xtians would become target No 1

the USA screwed up the existing stability and left the xtians high and dry

You're right on this.Christians in the ME or the rest of the Islamic world have been betrayed by Western goverments.

 

[RFS_Br]

Yes,the Assyrian Christians of Irak who are the original natives even before muslims have to be massacred for what the Texan idiot did.Islamofascist stupidity at its highest level

You're hopelessly misinformed. There've not been much population replacement in the Middle East - Islam and the Arabic culture spread by means of culture diffusion, not ethnic cleansing or settler colonization. I know it's hard to comprehend that for you since genocide and ethnic cleansing are staples of European history -- but this is less the case in the Middle East. Arab Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, Egypt etc. are just as native as the Christians; they're just natives who happened to convert to Islam, that's all.