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A church in Bethlehem, historically acknowledged because the birthplace of Christ, has determined to commemorate Christmas in another way this yr, in recognition of the struggling of kids in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing indiscriminate battle.
As Christmas approaches and Israel’s brutal onslaught on the Palestinian enclave continues, the standard nativity scene, a child in a manger surrounded by livestock attended by the three sensible males with a star overhead, as an alternative presents the child Jesus wrapped within the conventional Palestinian scarf or keffiyeh, positioned among the many destruction, particles and rubble of battle.
Following on from the initiative of the municipalities and church buildings in Bethlehem and Ramallah to cancel Christmas celebrations within the occupied West Financial institution, in solidarity with the besieged folks of Gaza, Reverend Physician Munther Isaac got here up with the thought.
With the toy child Jesus representing the 1000’s of kids buried beneath the rubble in Gaza, Reverend Isaac mentioned, when he shared his concept together with his congregation, “Church households met final week and constructed it collectively. It was a transferring expertise for our households. Through the service on Sunday, some folks have been in tears,” he mentioned.
“Pilgrims are usually not coming to Bethlehem this yr due to battle,” Rev. Isaac mentioned. “However we have been stunned and overwhelmed by the eye and response this Manger obtained via social media and media typically. We’re happy our message has reached the world. That is what Christmas seems to be like in Palestine this yr, the origin of Christmas,” he instructed The New Arab.
Whereas Western Christian church buildings have fun Christmas on December 25, Orthodox church buildings and different Christian denominations observe the vacation in January, solely a small variety of Palestinian Christians stay in Gaza and the West Financial institution at the moment, most having left as a consequence of Israeli occupation, seige and financial hardship.
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