Are Christian Palestinians the forgotten minority of the Middle East?
For eight decades, the Israeli occupation of Palestine has been starring in news headlines all over the world, becoming a household name, much to the despair of Palestinians everywhere. The ongoing argument is about religion; is this a fight between Islam and Judaism? What the world fails to note is the immense presence of Christianity in Palestine; a holy land to all three monolithic religions. “Historically Christianity and Palestine are intertwined inextricably. Whenever I read names of places in biblical passages, it’s names that I recognise and have seen and studied,” says Bayan Dahdah, a Christian Palestinian living in diaspora.
Every Palestinian living in diaspora struggles with preserving our identity and religion while being away from the homeland. For Christians, Dahdah states, “the harder question is trying to maintain a tie with Palestine as a second generation diaspora, regardless of religion.” Yet she also comments on how she tries to remain connected as a Christian specifically, “On certain religious holidays, our traditions differ from the Western versions of Christianity. We make foods that have ties to the land and to the bible simultaneously, such as eating Burbara on St Barbara’s Day,” suggesting the deep rooted importance of the land to their religion.
Bayan talks of the ways diaspora affects the Christian community outside of Palestine and says she wishes for the world to know that Christian Palestinians do exist, “It’s important that everyone is educated on this. We need to look past religion and let our love for Palestine bond us, so we can co-exist like the past.” Western media consistently diminishes the identity of Palestinians in general, and they create a minority within a minority by refusing to recognise the indigenous Christians of Palestine. Palestinians are made to feel we have little more importance than being numbers on a death toll, and while this applies to us all, the argument that Muslim Palestinians gather more recognition around the world is valid. It is important to differentiate between Palestinians, not in a marginalising way, but rather in a way that helps to reinforce who lives there and what their individual stories are.
Whilst those living in diaspora yearn for life in the land, those living there may choose differently. Lina Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian born and raised in occupied East Jerusalem, recalls the issues she faced with the occupation. “My earliest memories are marked by the challenges of simply trying to practice my faith. From childhood, I remember how Israel routinely imposed restrictions on our access to churches; during Easter; or traveling to Bethlehem from Jerusalem for Christmas. They didn’t just disrupt holiday traditions; they directly limited Palestinian Christians’ basic right to worship freely.”
She recalls the tragedy which took place at her aunt’s funeral, esteemed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The terror they faced at the hands of Israel during a religious service is one of many instances of violence against a minority within a minority. “In life and death they violated my aunt’s dignity and our right to mourn.” Palestinians everywhere suffer from lack of recognition and trying to prove to the world we matter. Palestinian Christians suffer more greatly from this, being a minority within a minority. What brings us together despite any differences is this suffering, and our desire for freedom and return.