OCCUPIED
BETHLEHEM, December 22 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - On the wet
morning of Sunday, December 22, Saint Catherine's church is filled with
worshippers, but exiting the edifice they confessed this Christmas will
be the "bleakest" of their lives.
"This
will be the bleakest Christmas ever because we've been robbed of our
freedom," said Johnny Babun, in his 40s, whose garage and car wash
was razed by the Israeli army two years ago, according to Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
"We
will find solace at the midnight mass, beyond that, there won't be any
Christmas celebrations," he said, adding that "ironically
we'll commemorate the birth of Christ, the man who embodies peace."
The
church's Father Gianni, however, is confident Christmas celebrations
will proceed uninterrupted.
"I
think everything will go smoothly. I hope that our brothers from outside
Bethlehem will be able to attend the procession and mass," he said.
"But
we won't rejoice as we used to. The violence is such that it would be
difficult. We shall find peace and comfort in our faith."
Raghida
Sarsur told AFP that she only intended to pray this year: "I can't
imagine celebrating anything. For one, we don't have money and what's
more, we're psychologically battered after two years of death and wanton
destruction."
Another
Palestinian couple, Osama al-Zughbi and his wife Mira, said even their
wedding last June was marred by the practices of Israeli occupation
forces. "The army rolled in Bethlehem just as we were getting
married," Osama recalled.
"We
have no life, no work how can we feel happy inside?" he wonders,
adding that he hopes to find "inner peace during the Christmas
prayers."
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Israeli
occupation forces in Manger Square overlooking the Church of the
Nativity
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"We'll
have dinner, just the two us. We don't even have a tree. Look, there are
no decorations anywhere in Bethlehem, the municipality is broke and no
one is in the mood for celebrating," adds Mira.
Nativity
Church warden Father Ibrahim Faltas concurred: "This will be
saddest Christmas ever celebrated in Bethlehem. We shall pray for peace
but we won't celebrate beyond the traditional Christmas procession and
mass."
He,
too, said he does not anticipate any problem with the army, although the
town has been under full Israeli control since late November, and on and
off since last April.
"I
don't think there will be any problem. The army will not show up on
Manger Square. Israeli troops will be around, but not visible," he
said.
Israeli
officials told AFP last week the army may temporarily withdraw from
downtown Bethlehem on Christmas Day.
Israel's
Good Image Only
Some
among Bethlehem's overwhelmingly Muslim population are annoyed by the
prospect of an unhindered Christmas.
"They
did not withdraw or lift the curfew when it was our feast," says
Elham Laham, referring to the Eid al-Fitr, celebrated earlier this
month, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
"Israel
is trying to create tensions between Muslims and Christians. They
clearly favor them over us," adds Adballah Ibrahim, a neighbor.
But
Jamal Salman, an administrator at Bethlehem's municipality, rebuffs the
accusation: "We're all in the same boat, Christians and
Muslims."
"Israel
will lift the curfew and make its forces invisible on Christmas day, but
it's not for us Christians, it's because the world's cameras will be
focused on Bethlehem and Israel wants to project a good image of
itself."
No
Money for Christmas Gifts
Meanwhile,
at Holy Land Oriental Souvenirs shop, Yussef is giving vent to his
frustration after two years losing money: "We've lost 99 percent of
our business. We only open to clean the shop."
"We've
scraped just enough money together to buy our children gifts but they
won't be all that fancy," says Yussef's wife.
Bashir
Handal's gift shop is empty most of the day. "People don't put up a
Christmas tree at home, so they don't buy decorations. As for the gifts,
they limit their expenses to the cheapest toys," he told AFP,
pointing to shelves stacked with Chinese-made plastic toy tanks and
assault rifles.
Broke
and exasperated by weeks of crippling Israeli army curfews, the
Christian Palestinians of Bethlehem are preparing for yet another grim
Christmas in the birthplace of Jesus, with Yasser Arafat once again
banned from his traditional annual visit.
Around
Manger Square, in front of the Church of the Nativity marking Jesus’
birthplace, the shops selling statues of the nativity scene with a baby
Jesus in his crib and other traditional decorations all have their doors
shut.
The
lifting of the army curfew for a few hours every four or five days is
not enough to pull in the punters.
"Why
bother opening?" grumbles Salem Gacaman, owner of the Bambino
store.
"There
are no more tourists. And even if I want to service orders from outside,
how can I send my packages through the roadblocks" set up by the
Israeli army around the town of around 100,000 residents, he asked.
