The Shared Suffering of "Infidels"

The violence between Israelis and Palestinians frequently dominates headlines. However, the roots of the conflict stretch back centuries, intertwining the histories of Christians and Muslims.

Many associate the term "jihad" with Islamic holy war. But this meaning emerged during the Crusades when European Christian invaders pillaged their way to reclaim the Holy Land. The Crusaders were promised absolution for slaughtering non-Christians, falsely labeling Muslims as "infidels."

This bigoted language was adopted by Muslims as they resisted the brutal Crusader onslaughts. Yet before this, Christians and Muslims had coexisted relatively peacefully in Palestine. The Crusades poisoned relations on all sides.

This painful legacy persists today in Gaza and the West Bank, which have sizeable Christian populations. Israel's recent bombing campaign killed over 200 Palestinians, many of them Christians sheltering in churches. Estimates are that there are more than 100,000 Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Militant Palestinian groups also imperil Christians. In 2019, arsonists attacked a church in Gaza. Christians face discrimination under Palestinian authority, too.

The suffering transcends religion. Pastor Mitri Raheb, who leads a Lutheran church in Bethlehem, said, "Most people don't understand that the Palestinians as a people include Christians as well." He laments how Israeli policies have led many Christians to flee Palestine.

Father Gabriel Naddaf, an Orthodox priest in Nazareth, counters that Christians find more acceptance in Israel than in the Muslim-majority Palestinian territories. This discord reflects the complex realities.

But the lesson remains - Christians and Muslims have intertwined pasts. Cooperation, not conflict, is needed today. Recognizing how the Crusades bred mistrust through vilifying language like "infidels" is essential. The cycle of hatred must end. A future of peaceful coexistence depends on it.

#Palestine #Gaza #Christianity #Islam #Interfaith #Crusades