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Palestinian Christians praying at mass in Gaza on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 23/12/2007
Gaza's Christians keep low Christmas profile after activist slain
By The Associated Press
Tags: Christmas, Gaza Strip 

Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile during Christmas this year, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist after Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory.

Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza.

"We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere.
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About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim society of 1.5 million people. The two religions have generally had cordial relations over the years.

That relationship has been shaken since Hamas seized control of Gaza last June and especially following the recent death of 32-year-old Rami Ayyad.

Ayyad, a member of the Baptist Church, managed Gaza's only Christian bookstore and was involved in many charitable activities. He was found shot in the head, his body thrown on a Gaza street in early October, 10 hours after he was kidnapped from the store.

He regularly received death threats from people angry about his perceived missionary work ? a rarity among Gaza's Christians ? and the store was firebombed six months before the kidnapping.

No group claimed responsibility for the killing, and no one has openly accused Hamas of persecution. But Christians fear that the Hamas takeover, along with the lack of progress in finding Ayyad's killers, has emboldened Islamic extremists.

Hamas has tried to calm jittery Christians with reassuring handshakes and official visits promising justice.

"Hamas will not spare any effort to find the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. He insisted the killing was simply a crime and not religiously motivated.

At the Baptist Church on Sunday, just 10 people attended the regular weekly prayer service, down from an average of 70. There was no Christmas tree in sight.

Farah said the church's full-time pastor, along with his family and 12 employees of Ayyad's store relocated to the West Bank to wait out the tense atmosphere. Farah said he prayed for forgiveness and love among Muslims and Christians.

Community leaders say an unprecedented number of Christian families are already migrating from Gaza - rattled by the religious tensions and tough economic sanctions Israel imposed on the area after the Hamas takeover.

While no official statistics were available, signs of the flight are evident. Rev.
Manuel Musallem, head of Gaza's Roman Catholic Church, said he alone knows of seven families that sold their properties and left the area, and 15 more that are preparing to do the same.

Musallem blamed Israeli sanctions and excessive violence in Gaza for the flight.

"In previous years we didn't see this rate of migration," Musallem said. "Now, exit is not on individual basis. Whole families are leaving, selling their cars, homes and all their properties."

The signs of despair are evident at Ayyad's home. Posters declaring him a martyr of Jesus hang on the walls. There is no Christmas tree this year.

Ayyad's older brother, 35-year old Ibrahim, said his 6-year old son, Khedr, was nagged in school about his uncle's murder. Muslim schoolmates call him infidel.

Ayyad's wife, Pauline, 29, left for Bethlehem a month ago with her two children. She said their 3-year-old son, George, has been shattered by his father's death.

"I tell him Papa Noel (Santa Claus) is coming to see you, and he tells me he wants Papa Rami," she said tearfully during a telephone interview.

Pauline, who is seven months pregnant, said she plans to come back to Gaza for the birth.

But many Christians privately said they would use their travel permits to leave Gaza for good, even if that means remaining in the West Bank as illegal residents. Israeli security officials said they were permitting 400 Gaza Christians to travel through Israel to Bethlehem for Christmas.

A family of four, refusing to be identified for fear their permits would be revoked, have sold their house and car and packed their bags. The wife has transferred her job to the West Bank and enrolled her son and daughter in school there. "We fear what is to come," said the husband.

A distant relative of Ayyad, Fouad, said he also is packing up. He said his father, a guard at a local church, was stopped recently by unknown bearded men who put a gun to his head before he was rescued by passers-by.

"We don't know why it happened," the 20-year-old police officer said. "We can't be sure how they (Muslims) think anymore."

Those who are staying are trying to limit the risks. Nazek Surri, a Roman Catholic, walked out from Sunday's service with a Muslim-style scarf covering her head.

"We have to respect the atmosphere we are living in. We have to go with the trend," she said.

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      1.   What a shame 21:25  |  KUTW 23/12/07
      2.   This is so sad.... 21:32  |  Lynn 23/12/07
      3.   Poor people, I pity them 21:44  |  Yonatan 23/12/07
      4.   Ironic 22:01  |  Colin Wright 23/12/07
      5.   What they do to Christians is what they want to do to Jews 22:05  |  Chick 23/12/07
      6.   CHRISTIAN Activists have been killed in several Moslem countries 22:12  |  PETER SM 23/12/07
      7.   Moslem killers 22:18  |  Gregor 23/12/07
      8.   The anti-Christ... 22:34  |  Maureen Ann 23/12/07
      9.   American Christians 22:34  |  Gina 23/12/07
      10.   Colin Wright 22:47  |  Sol 23/12/07
      11.   kutw- you seem surprised ? 23:24  |  alan 23/12/07
      12.   Christain Palestinian 23:37  |  tony 23/12/07
      13.   Great Journalism From Haaretz 23:37  |  Paulo 23/12/07
      14.   Dutch look whom you are supporting 23:40  |  Gil 23/12/07
      15.   Gaza is better for Christians than America for Muslims 23:42  |  Christian in Gaza 23/12/07
      16.   Hypocrisy 00:05  |  An american 24/12/07
      17.   God helps 00:35  |  Mourner 24/12/07
      18.   EVIL 00:47  |  SAM 24/12/07
      19.   Soon They Will Be Israelis 00:51  |  Slibovitz 24/12/07
      20.   christian in gaza,you really need to get out a little more 00:53  |  terrornator 24/12/07
      21.   To Christian in Gaza -- you are dead wrong 00:57  |  Jew in America 24/12/07
      22.   israel`s lies 00:59  |  donnie 24/12/07
      23.   #13, You lie 00:59  |  mea 24/12/07
      24.   Response to #13 01:00  |  PK 24/12/07
      25.   Christian in Gaza - Hypocrite 01:02  |  Sam 24/12/07
      26.   Christians in Gaza celebrate w/ hallucinogens? 01:02  |  MaryRose 24/12/07
      27.   Tony, I am so sorry for your family 01:12  |  MaryRose 24/12/07
      28.   #15 christian in gaza 01:47  |  danny 24/12/07
      29.   Mourner -- thanks for sharing your story 02:12  |  Gina 24/12/07
      30.   To PK and Non Muslim 02:18  |  Sam 24/12/07
      31.   Try facts "Christian" 02:25  |  MaryRose 24/12/07
      32.   "Christian" in Gaza is Khalid the Muslim 02:26  |  Gina 24/12/07
      33.   MaryRose 02:32  |  Gina 24/12/07
      34.   Mosques/fire/US 02:35  |  MaryRose 24/12/07
      35.   Tony.... 02:39  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 24/12/07
      36.   Jew in America #21 02:50  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 24/12/07
      37.   Gina, I prefer kosher or halal meat... 03:00  |  MaryRose 24/12/07
      38.   Where is Dutch when you need her? 04:03  |  Mu 24/12/07
      39.   To Peter Sam, why not the jews are the ones who is killing them 04:07  |  Zaki 24/12/07
      40.   MaryRose 04:22  |  Gina 24/12/07
      41.   # 15 Christian in Gaza....that is really a piece of major 04:36  |  Lynn 24/12/07
      42.   BEST WISHES 05:17  |  TOBIA 24/12/07
      43.   Christian in Gaza #15 05:19  |  Nechama 24/12/07
      44.   It really touches my heart 05:24  |  Zaki 24/12/07
      45.   " Christian " in Gaza 09:09  |  real Christian 24/12/07
      46.   The so called "Christian in Gaza"=A Jihadi Hamas member disguise 09:50  |  Genuine Tosefta 24/12/07
      47.   Hatred are every where,who is responsible? 10:07  |  Zaki 24/12/07
      48.   Christian in Gaza #15 10:13  |  S 24/12/07
      49.   11.alan 10:22  |  KUTW 24/12/07
      50.   KEEPING THINGS EVEN: Comments On This Article & Pal Christians! 12:16  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/12/07
      51.   BRAVO Christian In Gaza (#15)! You`re RIGHT. ...Houses/Hypocrisy. 13:20  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/12/07
      52.   # 15 Christian remember 9-11? 14:02  |  Petra 24/12/07
      53.   Israel always to blame according to this article, never Hamas ! 15:11  |  Benjamina 24/12/07
      54.   MERRY CHRISTMAS to all Christians on this forum 15:18  |  Benjamina 24/12/07
      55.   REAL PICTURE: Christmas/Christians In Israel/Gaza/Palestine & ME. 15:45  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/12/07
      56.   THE TRUTH: Muslims AND Christians Have Been Targeted/Killed! 15:56  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/12/07
      57.   BEST Christmas Gift To Give Christians Is PEACE! #54 16:25  |  Proud Pal Defender 24/12/07
      58.   Benjamina, Merry Christmas, to all friends of Israel. 16:31  |  Petra 24/12/07
      59.   And for the Christians in Bethlehem? 16:32  |  Petra 24/12/07
      60.   # 13 And the dead and persecuted Christians 16:44  |  Petra 24/12/07
      61.   # 8 Anti Christs And ISLAM? 16:47  |  Petra 24/12/07
      62.   Christian? In Gaza? 16:52  |  Petra 24/12/07
      63.   Where`s Sabbah? 16:53  |  howiej 24/12/07
      64.   Palestinian Christians 16:58  |  Nephtaly 24/12/07
      65.   KTUW interesting 17:08  |  Petra 24/12/07
      66.   # 42 Best Wishes Tobias 17:12  |  Petra 24/12/07
      67.   Petra, my friend, Shalom and bracha to you and your loved ones 17:56  |  Benjamina 24/12/07
      68.   Friday Night Butchers? 19:26  |  Nephtaly 24/12/07
      69.   Proud Pal -- O Wise One 21:07  |  Gina 24/12/07
      70.   you are a US citizen advocating terrorism 01:00  |  Zaki 25/12/07
      71.   to #66 the sick petra 01:11  |  Zaki 25/12/07
      72.   @ 15 One fool easily makes thousand new fools... 01:51  |  Karl 25/12/07
      73.   Benjamina (54), how may Christmas may be called merry if.. 02:19  |  Karl 25/12/07
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      75.   #69--Gina. STOP MAKING UP LIES And Then Posting Them. 09:25  |  Proud Pal Defender 25/12/07
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