A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 19 - Tuesday, May 11th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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IOCC Completes School Project in Taybeh By Maria C. Khoury As the Israeli tank patrolled the main street of Taybeh on a sunny hot Thursday afternoon, more than six body guards and American Consul jeeps were patrolling the Greek Orthodox School for the security of the American Consul General in Jerusalem, Mr. David Pierce, who had come to Taybeh along with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Representative in Jerusalem, Ms. Nora Kort for the inauguration ceremony of a new small building adding four classrooms and some office space for the school that is suffering financially to educate Palestinians from preschool to 12th grade. The new classrooms were added with the cooperation of IOCC and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as well as some assistance from the Pontifical Mission. Many special guests visited Taybeh for this event including His Beatitude Patiarch Irineos I, Greek Consul Deputy General Ms. Sophia Stamatelis, World Vision staff, and several American Consulate officials. It was the first time that the new principal of the Orthodox school, Ms. Abeer Elias Khourie had such a large crowd in this small school. Fr. David P. Khoury who was head of school for over sixteen years resigned last summer leaving the Greek Ortho dox School with less than forty Christian children out of 300 students. With the new classrooms, the school hopes to be able to educate more than 500 students. Many parents from the surrounding Muslim villages prefer to come to Taybeh and have their children attend a Christian school because of the English language offered from first grade instead of fourth in the government schools and all the other extra classes such as art, sports and computer. The school by law must give Muslim students Islamic education thus Christian institutions and organizations are appreciated in the Holy Land because of the services they provide to everyone. The Christian residents of Taybeh have lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors for centuries. Taybeh as the only all-Christian village in the area is surrounded by over thirty Muslim villages. Palestinians whether they are Muslim or Christian are united by their national struggle for freedom and they share the same culture, language, food, music, art, etc. When you read in various newspapers or internet websites that Christians are leaving the Holy Land because of the way they are treated by Muslims, this is absolutely blown out of proportion to upset the polite relations that exist between the two religious groups. As a Christian minority there is bound to be discrimination towards the Christians but the Israeli propaganda loves to take real life stories that happen between two human beings and turn them into Muslim-Christian battles. Be reassured that if Christians are leaving their homeland it is a direct result of the Israeli occupation and its brutal policies in the West Bank and Gaza that have collapsed the economy and left people hopeless. More than 2400 Christians have left the Bethlehem area since 2000 and it was not because of the treatment they got from their Muslim brothers. When people usually ask me how Christians and Muslims get along in Palestine immediately I think of a few good Muslim colleagues that I have and how they are the first to call me and wish me "Merry Christmas" when they know that I am celebrating this precious Christian holiday. Actually the first year I was here, I was really surprised that it was a Muslim friend that thought about expressing her wishes. It impressed me that the first good friends my children had in school were Muslim. To see the "human" qualities in the other is so badly needed in the Holy Land so that Jews, Muslims and Christians can share this sacred land and live together.
We had a busy day
with CNN and Voice of America also visiting the
Taybeh Brewery but we are very blessed in our
village to have received support from IOCC which
allowed local workers to have temporary jobs and
relieve the terrible 60% unemployment. It is such
projects that are needed to boost the economy and
help this unique little Christian village
survive. "Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto
the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endures
forever." (Psalm 106) |
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