Gaza Quagmire

I have been thinking about commenting on the horrible Gaza situation for some time. I received a friendly email from Mahmoud El-Yousseph letting me know of an article he wrote which is published at MR Zine, Monthly Review. The article decries the deplorable conditions suffered by those in Gaza.

It is with understandable passion that Mr. El-Yousseph writes about the conditions suffered by the habitants of Gaza. What Mr. El-Yousseph does not mention is that the Christian inhabitants are faring even worse than the Muslim in Gaza. They suffer the same indignities of being fenced-off from Israel, but they are also terribly mistreated by the majority Muslims. They are permitted no new churches and are forbidden to repair their churches as they break down 9plumbing, electrical etc.). Many turn away potential Muslim converts in fear for the physical safety of anyone who accepts Jesus as the Son of God and personal Savior. No church bells are permitted, but Muslims loudspeakers calling Muslims to prayer are aimed to blare at Christian churches to disrupt services. Christians are unsafe in their homes from their Muslim neighbors.

Mr. El-Yousseph mentions the (understandable in my view) Israeli concerns about Muslim attacks on innocent Israelis by suicide bombers. Unfortunately, it is dangerous to simply treat the jihadists as the criminals that they are. Jihadists wear no uniforms and permeate the Muslims society. they can arise anywhere. When they spring into action as mass murderers, many innocents get killed. Their prophet Muhammed said, and the sayings of Muhammed have equal weight as the Koran, "The time [of judgment or redemption] will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them; and the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslims! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him1" [Sahih Muslim book 41, no. 6985] How can anyone in Israel ever feel safe?

The problems of Gaza are horrible and will not be solved until the Muslims of the world openly, clearly and loudly and en mass denounce and disavow the above saying of Muhammed as having any validity to today's world.

Personally, I am not holding my breath.