Arab-Americans and supporters from both faiths came together to remember the Palestinian cause
 

By Anayat Durrani
December 19, 2000, 01:10 PM
CALIFORNIA
- As the holiday season shifts into high gear culminating in the celebrations of Christmas and Eid Al Fitr, Palestinian-American Christians and Muslims find they have much to be grateful for. And as they observe their religious holidays and offer prayers in thanks and in praise to God, many remain focused on the situation in occupied Palestine and the plight of their Palestinian brothers and sisters living under brutal Israeli occupation.
 

 
 
'Some churches are Christian-Zionists and believe only in Israel'
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Palestinian-Americans and supporters from both faiths came together on Saturday to raise awareness and remember the Palestinian martyrs and the Palestinian cause at an event called “Christmas Carols and Ramadan Duaa for Justice and Peace in Palestine”. Sponsored by the Coalition for Justice and Peace for Palestine, the event was organized to show unity between Palestinian Muslims and Christians as well as people of all backgrounds and faiths in support of the Palestinian people.

“This year Christmas and Ramadan are walking together. Our people wanted to walk together to educate the American public opinion that we are one people, and as one people - Muslims and Christians - we want to tell you about our challenges and hopes,” says Abouna Labib Kobti, the organizer of the event.

Fr. Kobti is a Lebanese-Palestinian Catholic priest from the Latin Patriarchate of occupied Jerusalem who serves the Arab-American Catholic community in San Francisco, Calif. He has made tremendous effort to bring the Christian and Muslim communities together for the cause of Palestine, emphasizing that the issue of Palestine affects both Christian and Muslim Palestinians as one people. Through his numerous articles and lectures at churches, mosques, synagogues, universities, and rallies, he has sought to raise public awareness about the dire human rights situation in occupied Palestine and the need for a just and lasting peaceful solution in the Holy Land.
 

 
 
'The city of Christmas is Bethlehem, and Bethlehem is Palestinian'

“Palestinians are Muslims and Christians. Together in other countries they have built the independence of their own nations -- Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan. Today together they are suffering from the same Israeli occupation in Palestine. Together they are fighting against the Israeli oppression,” says Fr. Kobti.

The Coalition represents several major Muslim, Christian, Arab and American organizations whose goal is to educate the public about the truth and reality of Palestine. For his event, Fr. Kobti contacted close to thirty American churches in the area, many of who responded with interest. “Some churches are Christian-Zionists and believe only in Israel. I want to break this and show them that Palestinians -Christians and Muslims - are only asking for justice, and the God of justice that they believe in, is a God of righteousness and not a real estate God, that would throw somebody out of his land for the sake of another people. He created all as equals.”

During the event, organizers introduced a Palestinian child named Ala’ who was shot in the eye by Israeli soldiers. They also read the names of all the children under the age of 18 who were killed by Israeli occupation forces and a candle light vigil was held in memory of those children who lost their lives. Muslim and Christian prayers were given by a local imam and Rev. Arturo D. Capuli from Grace United Methodist Church. The program also included performances by church choir singers as well as songs and prayers by Muslims.

Fr. Kobti says he would like to have this year’s event become an annual Christmas event and one that will take place in other parts of the world as well. “It should be our way to prove to the world that we exist as a people and we have rights. The city of Christmas is Bethlehem, and Bethlehem is Palestinian.”

Fr. Kobti hopes to start two other events for Palestine; one on April 7th, 2001 on the Saturday before Palm Sunday as a day to celebrate Jerusalem, and another on the night before Al Isra’ wa Al Miraj, the Prophet’s night journey and ascension to heaven, to honor the Masjid Al Aqsa as a symbol of the Palestinian Intifada.
 

“The events will show proof of our existence and people and continuous presence in the Holy Land as Palestinians.”

The local Christian presence in Palestine has existed for 2,000 years. In 1948, Christians were 10 percent of the population of the Holy Land, according to Bethlehem University sociologist Bernard Sabella. Today the number has dropped to between 250,000 to 300,000 Christian Arabs in Jordan, Palestine and Israel, or about 2.5 to 3 percent of the population.

Fr. Kobti established Al Bushra Magazine to educate the public about the Christian Arab heritage, the challenges of the Christians of the Middle East, and human rights of the Arab people. This led to the creation of the award-winning Al Bushra website in 1994 which continues to serve as a great resource on human rights in the Middle East, with emphasis on the Holy Land and interfaith unity behind the cause of Palestine. Fr. Kobti was the first in the world to broadcast live from his website the Christmas Midnight mass from Bethlehem and Easter from occupied Jerusalem. He has continued this tradition, broadcasting live from different areas of the Holy Land and East-Arab Jerusalem during the Christmas season and Easter.

Fr. Kobti founded two missions in California; St. Joseph in Pomona and St. Anne's of the Sunset in San Francisco. In October 1997 Fr. Kobti was chosen by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Los Angeles and Orange County as the man of the year and received the "Alex Odeh Humanitarian Award".
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