This Christmas in Bethlehem, the cross has been banned from souvenirs for tourists and pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Some
textile workshops in Jerusalem and Hebron have begun to print and sell
T-shirts depicting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem without the
cross.
Because of the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in
the Palestinian territories, the cross was also removed from t-shirts of
football teams.
Interviewed by AsiaNews, Samir
Qumsieh, journalist and director of the Catholic television station
Al-Mahed Nativity TV in Bethlehem, said: "I want to launch a campaign to
urge people not to buy these products - he says - because the removal
of the cross is an intimidation against Christians, it is like saying that Jesus was never crucified. "
Like every year, thousands including authorities,
faithful and tourists from all over the world crowd, the Church of the
Nativity in Bethlehem for midnight mass on the night of 24 December.
It
will be celebrated by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and will be
attended by the highest offices of the Palestinian Authority.
Qumsieh says that the population is living these days with joy, but the situation for Christians is still dramatic. According to the journalist, the dialogue of recent years between Muslims, Christians and Jews has not changed the situation.
"In the Holy Land - said Qumsieh - the emigration of
Christians is growing, even if the authorities refuse to give precise
numbers. Every day there are people who flee to other countries. As
Christians, we live in a constant feeling of fear and uncertainty, and
if you live in constant tension and pessimism you can not plan anything.
According to the journalist, "people leave because there is no work and movement is restricted under Israeli control."
Other
factors are the internal problems of Palestine, such as the clash
between Hamas and Fatah, which has repercussions on the economic
situation. Qumsieh points out that from 2002 to 2010 the
Christian population of Bethlehem has dropped from over 18 thousand to
11 thousand people.
In Gaza, after Hamas came to power in
2006, Christians have fallen by about 3,200 units, from 5 thousand to
less than 1800 in 2010. Only 15,400 Christians (2% of the population) live in Jerusalem, as reported in a study by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.
They
are 50% less than the 31 thousand registered residents in 1948, when
Christians accounted for 20% of the population of the city.
The reporter says that if this exodus continues there
will be no more Catholics in the Holy Land and that one day the Church
of the Nativity could be turned into a museum.
"If there are no more Christians in the Holy Land - he says – then there will no longer be Christians anywhere."
Meanwhile, on the occasion of the celebrations for
Christmas, the Israeli military has ordered troops deployed in the
occupied Palestinian territories to facilitate the passage of Christian
pilgrims at checkpoints.
The military has also distributed a
brochure explaining the importance of Christmas for Christians and is
urging soldiers to avoid unnecessary discussions and obstacles at the
borders with the West Bank.
SIC: AN/INT'L