Atallah Hanna attacks the ones who gave away Muslim and Christian endowments in Palestine

The Archbishop of Sebastia from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Palestine, Atallah Hanna, attacked anyone who had accepted to give away Christian or Muslim Awqaf in Palestine, saying that the Christian endowments are “targeted” and that there is an attempt to marginalise the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

During a meeting with a delegation of Orthodox parishioners in we also must, Hanna stressed that “we must all strive to preserve our spiritual, humanitarian, and national presence in this Holy Land.”

“Those who sold off their properties and target our endowments are seeking to depreciate our historical presence in this holy land,” he said.

The Palestinian Archbishop said: “Our Christian endowment is targeted and disgraced, as is the case with our holy shrines and Islamic Awqaf. We are all targeted, and we are destined to turn into unwelcomed guests in our holy city, while the Palestinian cannot be treated as a guest or a passerby in his city. Jerusalem is our city, our capital, our Qibla and the cradle of our spiritual, humanitarian, and national heritage”.

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He stressed that Palestinian Christians “are not a minority in this Holy Land, and if we are a minority, then we do not desire to be seen as such. In Palestine, there are no such terms as a majority or a minority, but one people are fighting for freedom, dignity, and the restoration of usurped rights.”

The Archbishop addressed the audience saying: “Preserve your loyalty to your church and embrace the motto of love, brotherhood, and dedication in serving this land and this wounded homeland. We must heal this wound, and it is also our duty to be a voice for justice and equality on this earth. Our people have the right to enjoy the freedom and dignity they deserve.”

He added: “Greetings to our people in Gaza, in Khan Al-Ahmar, and in all refugee camps. We pay tribute to the captives and detainees in Israeli prisons, and as Palestinian Christians, we pride ourselves on our belonging to the mother of Churches and the true Eastern Christianity that has brightened this Holy Land. We are proud also to be a part of the resilient Palestinian people who opted for resistance and freedom. ”

Hanna pointed out simultaneously that “the bells of our churches will always be ringing in the skies of our country with the Takbir of our mosques, proving our long-standing presence, our affiliation, and our deep roots in the soil of this land.”

He concluded his speech stating: “Christians in our country and in the east will remain a voice of justice and their bias will remain for national issues, most importantly the Palestinian cause. No force on earth is capable of uprooting us from our spiritual and national belonging. We are 100 per cent Christian and 100 per cent Palestinian, and we will never be affected by any circumstance.”

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