Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
Israel threatens to confiscate Palestinian land in Bethlehem Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has a long history with Tent of Nations, a family owned farm located in the southwest hills of Bethlehem. Owned and operated by the Nassar family, the land is not only an active farm but a dedicated space for peace and…
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Profile: Hanania argues American Arabs need more networking and greater involvement in local society Freelance writer Thabet al-Arabi profiles Ray Hanania, an Op-Ed columnist, former Chicago City Hall political reporter, and radio talk show host. The profile explores Hanania’s life from wanting to study medicine to turning to journalism, communications and standup comedy to challenge…
“A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers based on the 1998 Esquire expose “Can You Say…Hero?” by Tom Junod offers America a Christianity that Jesus would thank God for. By Eileen Fleming Monday on Fox News Energy Secretary Rick Perry claimed President Trump is “God’s chosen one” and opined, “God…
Remembering Billy Graham and Christian Arabs The Rev. William “Billy” Franklin Graham Jr. died this week at the age of 99. During his life, Graham once held the Palestinian Christians of Bethlehem in the highest esteem. And when my mother passed through one of his evangelical conventions one day, Graham held her hand high up…
Churches for Middle East Peace: Pilgrimage to Peace (P2P) Tour with Daoud Nassar Washington, D.C. – October 23, 2017 – From October 16 to 22 Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) hosted Daoud Nassar for a series of talks about daily life in the West Bank, human rights concerns, and peacebuilding as part of CMEP’s…
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Taybeh’s annual OktoberFest to be held Sept. 16 & 17 OktoberFest is more than about drinking alcohol. It is a part of the Christian heritage. Consumed in moderation and with the spirit of fellowship and Palestinian comradery. This year, OktoberFest will be celebrated on Sept. 16 and 17th in Taybeh, one of the most important…
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Arab Americans prepare to celebrate Christmas About half of Arab Christians celebrate the religious and secular holiday along with most mainstream Christians on Dec. 25, but the other half celebrates Christmas according to the old calendar two weeks later on Jan. 7. By Ray Hanania Christmas is both a time of Christian religious renewal as well…
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Exploring the plight of Christians in the Middle East makes it a difficult journey for those who wish to include Israel’s abuses of Arab Christians. The issue of Christian persecution in the Middle East, Arab World, Muslim World and in Israel, is not written about enough By Ray Hanania It always amazes me how the brutal…
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Christians in Gaza are beginning the celebration of Christmas as is being done throughout Occupied Palestine. The images of Christians worshipping in occupied Palestine should remind Christians everywhere that their brothers and sisters are still suffering under the Israeli occupation By Mohammed Asad The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal (L) leads a mass at…
بيت لحم مهد المسيح ومهد الانتفاضة ، بقلم د. فايز أبو شمالة قبل ألفي عام أخص الله مدينة بيت لحم بالبركة، فاحتضنت ميلاد المسيح، واليوم يخص الله مدينة بيت لحم بالبركة ثانية، لتكون حاضنة الانتفاضة الفلسطينية ضد الصهاينة، وضد عناصر الاجهزة الأمنية الذين أظهروا وحشية وقسوة في قمع الشباب الرافض لتهويد القدس، بشكل لا يختلف…
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By Eileen Fleming The genesis of Mother’s Day in the U.S.A. began with Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker who organized for a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community. Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the “Battle Hymn of…
By Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. It was simply a most glorious celebration of the Epiphany on the Jordan River today according to the Old Julian calendar. There were hundreds of priests, nuns and thousands of people from all walks of life coming to the precious site where over 2,000 years ago “…the heavens were…
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By Eileen Fleming Israeli dissident and prolific writer, Roi Tov was born in South America and grew up as Reuven Schossen, in a tight-knit communist kibbutz along the Jordan Valley. After four years of service in the Israeli Defense Force, Captain Schossen became a reservist and graduated with four degrees; three in chemical physics….
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By Mohammed Asad Orthodox Christians from around the world celebrated Christmas today, Jan. 7, 2015. The Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the basis of the old Julian Calendar and often comes within a week or two of the traditional Christmas on Dec. 25 of each year. Orthodox Christians are mainly from Middle East and Mediterranean countries…
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By Ray Hanania As a Christian, no city in the world means more to me than the “Little Town of Bethlehem.” I write about it often, mainly to remind American Christians — many of whom have forgotten the roots of their faith and therefore the spirit of their Christianity — that Bethlehem is a real…
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By Ray Hanania Every Christmas, I always hear the same conflicting arguments. On the one hand, people tell me, “Stop saying ‘Happy Holidays.’ It’s ‘Merry Christmas’. If you don’t like it, move.” The point being that they presumably are proud of being Christian. And, since Christmas is a Christian holiday, they want people to acknowledge…
By Eileen Fleming Banksy, the graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter depicts 21st century Bethlehem reality onto holiday greeting cards and informational cards with this message: Towering walls and militarized fences now encircle Bethlehem, turning the 4,000-year-old city into a virtual prison for its Palestinian Christian and Muslim citizens. Bethlehem has…
Christian Arab presence in Bethlehem in Crisis By Ray Hanania The issue of Christians in the Holy Land continues to be a topic that is twisted and distorted for political purposes with Muslims and Jews both arguing they do more for the increasingly deteriorating presence in traditionally Christian areas like Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour in the Israeli…
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