Hillary Clinton complains that Christians are facing genocide at the hands of extremists in the Islamic community, but is silent when it comes to Israeli persecution of Christians
By Ray Hanania
covering Chicago
City Hall
(1976-1992)
The Christmas holidays always bring conflict into my life. #SaveArabChristians
I share the same tribulations most others feel when it comes to Christmas: I’m concerned about the poor, the homeless and children who won’t have a “Merry” Christmas because of poverty and neglect.
I’m concerned about non-Christians being bullied during the annual season of Christian celebration. Christmas isn’t just one day. It’s a season, which can be difficult for Jews, Muslims and other non-Christians.
And there’s also the political battle that resurrects itself every Christmas season with Jesus. It’s a debate over whether we can say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.”
Many argue if you say “Happy Holidays,” you’re not American, or Christian. Although I am Christian — a true Christian whose mother is from Bethlehem, the home city of Jesus himself — I make it a point to be considerate of others, and say “Happy Holidays.”
That’s the way I am. Intentionally provocative. Having covered Chicago City Hall for 17 years, and being at the forefront of the Middle East journalism debate fighting for the rights of Arabs and Muslims, I struggle to champion the rights of Christians in Israel. It’s a struggle not shared or even understood by Christian Americans.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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