The Palestinian source tells the story obliquely:
Unknown gunmen attacked and set fire to the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) office in the West Bank city of Qalqilia, on Saturday morning.
According to local police reports, the men destroyed the locks on the YMCA building’s gates, destroyed the gates, then entered the building and set fire to some rooms. The building sustained partial damage due the fire. Local fire brigades rushed to the scene and stopped the fire before spreading, police said they had opened an investigation to hunt down and arrest the attackers.
Local clergy and officials in the city condemned the attack and called it ‘illegal and irresponsible’.
This is not the first time the organization has been attacked in Qalqilia. Several months ago a group of unknown gunmen attacked the outside door and set it on fire. Also, the organization was accused in the past by some Imams [Muslim religious leaders] of doing Christian missionary work. The Imams had asked the Palestinian Authority to close it.
The Israeli source fleshes out the story for us – further evidence that these are tough times for Palestinian Christians in areas under PA and Muslim majority control.
“The identity of the attackers is well known to Hamas. We don’t expect the Hamas-controlled police, the Hamas city council or the Hamas Interior Ministry to do anything about this attack.”
The source called the arson a “warning to YMCAs and Christian groups in the Palestinian areas that they are not safe.”
In April major Muslim organizations in Qalqiliya in conjunction with local mosques, the city’s Mufti and municipal leaders, sent a letter to the interior minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority accusing the YMCA of missionary activities and demanding the Palestinian government immediately shut down the Christian offices.
The report goes on to discuss the recent problems Christians have been facing in areas controlled by Muslim majorities in the Palestinian territories.
Keshet
9/11/2006
Christians do not realize the threat that Islam is to them, but G-d willing they will soon and embrace the common threat that Jews and Christians face together. This is not on the US news channels. We have a common enemy. What will it take until they wake up?
Joshua
9/11/2006
Yeah, but the Palestinnian Christians will still find a way to blame this all on Israel. Like their Muslim brethren, they always do.
Roger
9/11/2006
Not all Christians are in the dark. As Ben Frankin was quoted as saying 200+ years ago: “We must hang together or we will most certainly hang separately” – in this case, be beheaded?? I had to deal with some of that crap about Israel and the “Christian’s plight”, the “wall”, etc a year ago when aquaintences came back after visiting Bethlehem. Can’t say I changed any minds, but I tried… there may not be many of us, but you DO have friends here in the States who are standing with you and doing what we can to help. I agree w/ Keshat, though – wish there were a lot more of us and the news channels are PATHETIC (one more story about the Cruise baby…). G-D BLESS and Shalom!
josh
9/14/2006
At least when we Jews are targeted and complain, the world just thinks we are whining. But Christians are pretty much no one’s worry at all. Probably even less than Darfur victims who barely get attention from the media/public.