Gaza's Christian Arabs Living in Fear

[savvy]

By Ryan Jones

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - A previously unknown Palestinian Muslim group has threatened to bring destruction and physical harm to the Gaza Strip's small Christian community if Pope Benedict XVI does not issue a detailed apology for remarks he cited linking Islam and violence.

The threat came as Muslims throughout world reacted in anger after the pope, lecturing at Regensburg University in Germany last week, cited a 14th century Byzantine emperor who censured Mohammed for commanding his followers to spread Islam by the sword.

On at least three different occasions since, most recently on Wednesday morning, the pontiff has expressed his sorrow for the offense Muslims took at his comments. However, Benedict remains adamant that the quoted text does not reflect his own view of Islam, and insists the lecture was meant to emphasize the incompatibility of violence with faith in God.

The Palestinian-controlled territories were some of the few areas where subsequent outrage spilled over into actual violence.

In the disputed West Bank, a total of six churches -- Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Anglican -- were either firebombed or doused with gasoline and set alight. In Gaza City, gunmen fired on a Greek Orthodox church.

A leaflet issued by militants on Tuesday threatened to "target all Crusaders [a term frequently employed by Muslim Arabs to denote Christians] in the Gaza Strip until the pope issues an official apology."

Calling themselves "The Army of Guidance," the group announced that "all centers belonging to Crusaders, including churches and institutions, will from now on be targeted. We will even attack the Crusaders as they sit intoxicated in their homes."

A Christian leader in Gaza City told The Jerusalem Post his community has "appealed to the Palestinian Authority for protection. Christians here are keeping a very low profile and many of them would like to leave the area out of fear for their lives."

Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal told the Associated Press that security forces had been ordered to protect Christian sites, but he did not share the Gaza Christian community's sense of urgency.

"This is a new name and an unknown group. I think this is empty talk," said Abu Hilal.

But Dr. Walid Phares, a professor of Middle East Studies at Florida Atlantic University, told Cybercast News Service that the name of the group is unimportant.

"These aren't really new organizations. These are the same Salafi (Wahabi) Jihadists, a mix of al Qaeda, Hizbu Tahrir, and elements from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who issue releases at every opportunity they see in 'taking the Jihad worldwide,'" said Phares.

And he doesn't doubt that they "would target Christians, both Western and locals."

The only thing that would keep the group from going on what Phares called a "systematic rampage" against local Christians would be the Hamas government's concern over international repercussions.

However, Phares noted that the group had subtly labeled Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian security forces loyal to him as "defenders of the Crusaders."

Hamas' desire to see Abbas discredited may prompt it to allow at least a nominal wave of violence against Gaza's Christians, the professor warned.

Several thousand Christians live in the Gaza Strip among 1.4 million Muslims. Having hitherto survived quietly on the sidelines, concern is growing that they may soon take center stage in the sectarian strife and general anarchy that has characterized Gaza since Israel's abandonment of the area last year