Palestinians depicted as Christ figure
Government media also asserts Jesus was Palestinian

July 8, 2006

 

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50966

 

The leading Palestinian newspaper Al Quds republished a political cartoon depicting a Palestinian Christ figure being crucified with an Iraqi "brother" on the same cross.

The image expresses a common Palestinian motif, found both in text and cartoons, that depicts Palestinians as Jesus and Jesus as a Palestinian, commented Itamar Marcus of Israel-based Palestinian Media Watch.

The caption on the cartoon, published Thursday, says, "Brother from Iraq, Relative from Palestine."

"Historical revision is a backbone of Palestinian political and academic behavior, as the leaders attempt to create a separate 'Palestinian Arab' history and identity for themselves, distinct from the general Arab and Islamic history," Marcus said.

He notes the term "Palestinian" Arab is a recent creation that did not exist before the advent of Palestinian Liberation Organization terrorism in 1965.

Under U.N. resolution 194 in 1948, for example, refugees were not called "Palestinian refugees," relating to a national identity, but "Palestine refugees," referring to geography.

Jesus, a Jew according to Christian scriptures, often is depicted in Palestinian media as a Palestinian. The name of the area, in fact, was changed to Palestine 136 years after Jesus' death as part of Rome's plan to cut off the Jews from their land.

Jesus also has been presented by Palestinians, as seen in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 17, 2005, as the "the first Palestinian Shahid – Martyr for Allah."

This, Marcus comments, applies an Islamic theology to Jesus that evolved centuries later.

On a culture program on Palestinian TV, a Palestinian artist depicted Israeli soldiers arresting Jesus, declaring Jesus symbolizes the Palestinians.

Here are more examples identifying Jesus as a Palestinian:

• "We must not forget that (Jesus) Messiah, may peace be upon him, is Palestinian, the son the Mary the Palestinian, who is sanctified by hundreds of millions of believers in this world." – Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 18, 2005.

• "It was quite natural that the Palestinians rose to save their sanctuaries (in Nazareth) without anyone thinking there is a difference between a Christian and a Muslim … since in the Palestinian situation, the lord Messiah (Jesus) and his mother (Mary) are both Galileans and Palestinians … ." – Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 9.

• "The Palestinian Galilee village of Kfar Kana takes pride in the fact that in [the village] the Palestinian Messiah succeeded to turn water into wine." – Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 14, 2004.

Jesus also is defined as a "martyr for Allah" in this example:

• "And a child from the De'haisha refugee camp will shout: 'Yes, we have won, just as the prophets and (Jesus') Apostles won,' and the shahids will cry, 'We shook the palm trees alongside Lady Earth and the lady of the people, the Virgin Mary, and with her son the first Palestinian Shahid.'" – Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 17, 2005]

Palestinian media also has transformed Palestinians into Jesus, as in these examples:

• "Muhammad (Al Dura, child killed by undetermined gunfire) ... a tiny sleeping Jesus." – Al Quds, May 25, 2001:

• "Our struggle today against the other side is an eternal one. It can be said that it started 2,000 years ago and continues until today. I demonstrate this through the figure of Jesus… The Israeli soldiers are wearing army uniforms while Jesus has nothing except for the truth. When they searched him at the entrance of Jerusalem, they found a stone, a piece of bread and fish and he was cuffed. This is the Palestinian from the beginning of the struggle until the end." – Palestinian Authority TV, July 21, 2000.