Mixed Christian and Muslim marriages have an impact which reaches beyond the lives of the spouses, their children, and their parents. These marriages affect the wider community in ways which can be... Show moreMixed Christian and Muslim marriages have an impact which reaches beyond the lives of the spouses, their children, and their parents. These marriages affect the wider community in ways which can be understood by identifying the enrichment and complications of family dynamics in West Bank households and by exploring the attitudes and reactions of spouses, which have shaped their interrelationships even at the level of the community at large. Their aspirations and fears about their children's futures, when placed within the context of social, political and religious developments, offers insight into the changing boundaries of the Christian and Muslim communities in the West Bank. Show less
The indignity of American Christians who conveniently drop from their memory tales of oppression experienced by their Palestinian Christian compatriots is striking. The term 'conveniently' may be... Show moreThe indignity of American Christians who conveniently drop from their memory tales of oppression experienced by their Palestinian Christian compatriots is striking. The term 'conveniently' may be explained by the following unforgettable experience: I once engaged in a conversation with an Anglo-Christian missionary on a bus trip from Bethlehem to Jerusalem prior to the 1967 War. As a Christian born in Bethlehem, I expressed how privileged I felt to proclaim the honour of my birth place. Gasping with a subdued expression, the missionary muttered: 'And when exactly did you convert to Christianity?' Show less