Christian official rejects derogatory remarks of top Fatah leader

Father Manuel Musallam yesterday rejected the remarks of senior Fatah leader Jibril Rajoub in which he mocked Christians who vote for Hamas as “the community of Merry Christmas”.

Speaking to Quds Press, the head of the PLO Department of the Christian World said: “Christians are part of the Palestinian existence and they are part of the history. No one can erase them and this was reinforced in the Covenant of Omar [the second Muslim caliphate who recognised their rights in the land of Palestine].”

“This covenant recognised the Christian existence with the Muslims in Palestine and therefore the Palestinians became one nation including Muslims and Christians with no differences.”

The top Latin Christian official rejected any remarks that describe the Christians as a “group” excluding them out from the Palestinian social fabric.

“Such remarks are against Palestinian principles,” he said, “and reflect false understanding of Palestinian unity, history, tolerance and love between Muslims and Christians.”