REV. DR. MITRI RAHEB LECTURES IN HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
By Mira Yardemian
AZG Armenian Daily
23/06/2006
The Palestinian Christians: Immense Challenges and Endless
Possibilities
On Thursday, June the 8th, 2006, the Cultural Hour at Haigazian
University hosted the Director of the International Center of
Bethlehem, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, to dwell on "The Present of the
Palestinian Christians, and discuss their challenges, opportunities
and threats facing this ever-diminishing, but quite potent community
in Palestine.
Among the presence were, the President of the Supreme Council of the
Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni,
the Secretary General of the Christian – Muslim Committee for
Dialogue, Mr. Mohammad Sammak, the President of Haigazian University,
Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, The President of the Near East School of
Theology, Dr. Mary Mikhael, in addition to a large number of scholars
and clergy.
In her welcoming speech, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
Dr. Arda Ekmekji, talked very briefly about Christian ethnicities
in Palestine: "It is in fact tragic that in the ongoing polemic
on Palestine, and in this eternal debate on whose land is the Holy
Land, very often one tends to overlook a very important community:
The Palestinian Christians, who in their turn could belong to various
ethnic and diverse cultural groups: Arabs, Armenians, Copts, Syriacs,
Abyssinians and even Franks", said Ekmekji.
Rev. Raheb started his lecture by providing facts and figures on the
Palestinian Christians. It’s an urban society, concentrated mainly
in the cities of Bethlehem, the West Bank region, and Jerusalem, the
majority being orthodox, and catholics and evangelicals. Christian
Palestinians are less than 2% of the total population of the country,
yet they are a very active community. They possess 64 schools, 2
universities, and 2 colleges. They also provide 30% of the health
service in Palestine. Raheb presented the major challenges of this
small community, which is the minority complex, and the fear of
disappearing, the absence of law and order, the rise of the Islamic
parties, the Israeli occupation and the system of segregation and
racism.
A 20-minute moving documentary was shown during the lecture, featuring
the city of Bethlehem, the construction of the dividing wall, and
true stories and experiences of land confiscation and segregation.
Finally, Rev. Raheb concluded his speech, by calling to a living hope
in conditions of despair, as the Palestinian cause is more explicitly
presented today than any other day, the developmental projects of the
churches are increasing, and the Palestinian Christians have a pivotal
role to play in building a Christian identity in the Middle East.