A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 27 - Tuesday, July 6th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Dearly Beloved in Christ our Lord, As people across America are celebrating July 4th, I too wish I had my whole family with me to see the fireworks. Americans who are also Palestinians continue to be treated as last class citizens when traveling in and out of Israel. I wish that the American Consul in Jerusalem could provide better services to American citizens. It is very frustrating when the American government cannot help American Palestinians have their basic human rights to travel and use their American passport. It is an outrage when you are a citizen in good standing. I am wondering what type of security threat my fourteen year old son Constantine is when he has a valid American passport, was born in Boston, is under sixteen years of age and needs to travel from Tel Aviv to Boston for a summer vacation and is denied boarding his Alitalia flight on the 18th of June. Since the Israeli army law states that children under sixteen years of age do not need a permit to travel, I took Constantine to the airport but my husband was denied a permit so of course he did not have permission to enter the airport at all. My husband David Khoury who has been able to gain a permit for all of his travels as a prominant businessman was denied a permit this time with his children although he followed the appropriate application process and asked the assistance of the American Consul in Jerusalem. The response was: "Sorry, when it comes to the Israelis, there is not much we can do." After many efforts to reapply for a permit to travel, the local Israeli captain told him "we don't want to see any Palestinians at the Tel Aviv airport." My husband has had an American passport for twenty years but because he was born in Jerusalem there is a certain stigma and a high price to pay to be an American Palestinian. We know this and we continue to live with it to have our rights to land and property passed down from generation to generation. How long will the Israelis keep getting away with cheating people from their basic human rights? I find it hard to believe that Israel is above all international laws. They simply want to build that Apartheid Wall and lock us up inside an open prison. I feel that the Israelis think every Palestinian is a terrorist. I am having a hard time seeing the light at the end of this four year old dark tunnel. Each and every single day living in the Holy Land reminds us that we are being punished, harassed, hassled and deprived from our basic human rights in an effort to get rid of us completely. I feel the message is "We will make your life so miserable that you will eventually leave." People need help surviving in Palestine. I am in Boston promoting my new book, Christina Goes to the Holy Land, which celebrates our Christian roots in Palestine and educates young children about the sacred and holy sites by walking the footsteps of Christ. Through this book I hope to bring awareness that Christians have a place in the Holy Land. We are promoting the "One Dollar Campaign" in the Metropolis of Boston and hope this year during the Lenten Season, churches will adopt Taybeh as a missions project for a special collection. By collecting $1,000 each church, 50 churches can help build one home for a Palestinian Christian family in the Orthodox Church Housing Project. Thus far we have collected only $45,000 but with the help of God we hope to build the first ten homes soon. Please tell your church or local charity to join the "One Dollar Campaign for Holy Land Housing" Please share the correct information with your church in case they would like to send a check to Metropolis of Boston Holy Land Housing, c/o Metropolis of Boston, 162 Goddard Ave, Brookline, MA 02445. Thank you for supporting this very needed ministry in the Holy Land where we pray for peace and democracy so that you may visit our little village of Taybeh and tour the housing site and venerate the fourth century ruins of St. George Church built by St. Constantine and St. Helen. Our Christian community has survived since the time Christ walked into our village, it should not die out now because of the Israeli policies and military occupation. Help us spread awareness. Share our need with others who might be able to help. May the Lord bless you and guide you always by His divine grace and love. I sincerely thank you for letting your senators and representatives know how American Palestinians are treated in the Middle East. In Christ's service,
Maria Khoury |
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