Monday May 28, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Bethlehem sees record pilgrim crowd for Christmas

World Dec. 25, 2010 - 03:37PM JST ( 7 )

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Order by Time Order by Popularity

7 Comments

0

mikehuntezDec. 25, 2010 - 11:33AM JST

I hope they continue to have peace the rest of the year and their holiday season is not interrupted by any extremists.
0

rajakumarDec. 25, 2010 - 02:33PM JST

Visitor pilgrims up to 90K,and more hotel rooms to be built.

If they can up pilgrims to 1 million over,it will be richer economy palestine via dollars tourism and its by products effect.
0

as_the_crow_fliesDec. 25, 2010 - 04:00PM JST

The holiday had its surreal moments. Many visitors were local Palestinians, including a large number of Muslim women whose faces were covered by veils. The loud Muslim call to prayer from a mosque next to Manger Square briefly drowned out the celebrations.

Whoever wrote this, what's so surreal to you about residents of a place taking part in a religious festival? And, gasp, a Muslim woman with a VEIL? Um, yes, that is a common practice among Muslim women. The unstated arrogance behind this article, that somehow it's incongruous for Muslims to be in a "Christian" holy site, with their noisome customs, like the call of the muezzin to prayer breaking in on the "Christian" atmosphere, is repellant. Perhaps the writer should do a little bit of research.

For example, Jewish women, which Jesus' mother was, would have followed local custom in clothing. Here's an excerpt from a site on clothing customs of the time.

When the Jewess of Jerusalem left her house, her face was hidden by an arrangement of two head veils, a head-band on the forehead with bands to the chin, and a hairnet with ribbons and knots, so that her features could not be recognized.

Maybe the writer would find this 'surreal' too ...

My guess is that for the vast majority of residents of this area, the annual appearance of pilgrims and other tourists to the area is a normal happening, just as celebration of Jewish and Muslim holy days goes on around the year.
0

WilliBDec. 25, 2010 - 05:18PM JST

" In a goodwill gesture, Israel allowed 500 members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community to travel to Bethlehem. "

Naturally, there is no such goodwill gesture from Hamas allowing the remaining Christians to celebrate their rituals in Gazah, other than behind closed doors.
0

WilliBDec. 25, 2010 - 05:23PM JST

as the crow flies:

" The unstated arrogance behind this article, that somehow it's incongruous for Muslims to be in a "Christian" holy site, with their noisome customs, like the call of the muezzin to prayer breaking in on the "Christian" atmosphere, is repellant. Perhaps the writer should do a little bit of research. "

Maybe you should do a bit of research. Tell us an example where in the islamic world the muslim authorities would allow churches to interrupt a muslim holiday by ringing of bells. (Where churches are allowed at all, that is.) Not holding my breath...
0

sabiwabiDec. 25, 2010 - 11:45PM JST

The Israeli military said it attacked a “terror training facility” and a weapon smuggling tunnel in Gaza overnight.

And we are still expected to believe these liars, that it was a weapon smuggling tunnel, and not one used to smuggle other things which people in any other part of the world would have access to (medicine, food, chocolate, fridge,...).

" In a goodwill gesture, Israel allowed 500 members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community to travel to Bethlehem."

Yeah, and in a gesture of evil war criminals they prevent them from traveling to Bethlehem the remainder of the year. Who do they think they are controlling the lives of Palestinians.
0

manfromamericaDec. 27, 2010 - 01:18PM JST

Whoever wrote this, what's so surreal to you about residents of a place taking part in a religious festival?

agree with you. Normal shoddy journalism by the AP.