That Legendary Palestinian Arab Religious Tolerance
(cross-posted on Elder of Ziyon)
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests attacked each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning on Thursday.
The basilica, built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born, is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities.
Any perceived encroachment on one group’s turf can touch off vicious feuds.
On Thursday, dozens of priests and cleaners were scrubbing the church ahead of the Armenian and Orthodox Christmas, celebrated in early January. Thousands of tourists visited the church this week for Christmas celebrations.
But the clean-up turned ugly after some of the Orthodox faithful stepped inside the Armenian church’s section, touching off a scuffle between about 50 Greek Orthodox and 30 Armenians.
Palestinian police, armed with batons and shields, quickly formed a human cordon to separate the two sides so the cleaning could continue, then ordered an Associated Press photographer out of the church.
Four people, some with blood running from their faces, were slightly wounded.
So the Palestinian Arab Christians, who are more moderate than their Muslim counterparts, in the moderate West Bank, cannot stop themselves from beating each other up in their own holiest places.
But we can be sure that Palestinians would happily allow free access for Jews to worship in their own holy spots in a future Palestinian Arab state, right?
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Elder of Ziyon may or may not be a real person. He (or she, or it) blogs at http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/Filed Under: Uncategorized
Relax. That looks like nothing more than a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff.
Hmmm, reminds me of the Brooklyn street fights between the Satmar and the Lubavitch. I saw quite a few broken teeth and bloody faces there. Oh, and of course the battle between ultra-Orthodox and Israeli police in Mea Shearim – last summer, wasn’t it? I also seem to remember at least one case of the ultra-Orthodox men throwing unmentionable articles (including dirty nappies) over the mehitza toward the women who were reading from the Torah at the kotel.
I guess our religious zealots and their religious zealots have a lot more in common than we’d like to think.
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