After consultation, we came to work the letter together with many people here and there.

I thank all people who wrote us from all over the US, from Canada, from Palestine, from Italy... I appreciate your help.

Please sign this letter, send it to many of your friends and lists and let them sign it and send it or by email, you can find your way through the website of the Palestinian Authority, or by simple mail. We need thousands of people. Do not give chance to fundamentalist of any kind or religion or media to abuse or message or use it for a wrong purpose. We are one beautiful people and harmony between Arab-Christians and Muslims is what we live and want to live always.


FOR THIS REASON: Please remember that:


a) The letter has NO purpose to accuse, but to help the Palestinian Authority to adjust some injustices done to the Christian brothers and sisters in Palestine by dear fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. We had lived proudly in peace and harmony for centuries together and we want to continue to do that for centuries. Several analysts predict that less than 20 years from now there will be no Christians living in the Holy Land. It is really alarming..

b) The letter should give chance to the "SILENT MAJORITY" of our people to break their "SILENCE" and speak out honestly on what is going on in Palestine and honestly try to rebuild confidence, trust, peace, harmony, cooperation and sharing between the blood brothers.

c) We need to come together as Arabs in general and protect ourselves. God, in his love, had put us together to love each other and build harmony as a sign for others. Our enemies want to prove that this would not happen, although we proved that we could do it as we lived together in harmony for Centuries and we still do.

Fr. Labib Kobti
www.Al-Bushra.org
San Francisco

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San Francisco, on September 23, 2005
To H.E. Mr. Mahmood ABBAS (Aboo Mazen)
Palestinian President
Ramallah


Dear President Abbas and Respective members of the Palestinian Authority:

We are a group of Arab Americans, mainly Palestinians, Muslims and Christians alike with many American friends. We trust your wisdom and realism, as well your good will for reformation and integrity.

President Arafat used to say that Christian were a very important component of the Palestinian society and when he used to mention the Palestinian society he used to say : "Christians and Muslims" and when asked why you put first the Christians, he used to say: "Because they were before us, Muslims, in this Holy Land".

Arab Christians lived with their brother and sister Muslims in harmony for centuries in different parts of the Arab World and still do. Many gave their lives with love and pride in building the national independence of Arabic countries and got rid of colonialism. They fought during centuries with their Muslims brothers against their fellow Christians of the West as proud Christians and as Arab-Christians to protect this very land. They are working now hard to see an Independent Palestine. Arab-Christians were the first to build schools, universities, hospitals, and many other humanitarian organizations. The majority of our beloved Arab-Muslims used and still study in our schools and Universities. Some schools have proudly more than 70% Muslim students. Under the Israeli Occupation the Arab-Christians suffer the same as their brothers and sisters the Muslims; many lost their children, houses, lands and future as the Israeli Occupation do not distinguish between Christians and Muslims. Israeli Occupation look to all as Palestinians and discriminate against all of us.

Dear President Abbas and Respective members of the Palestinian Authority:

We write to you, as Arab-Americans because many Palestinian-Christians claim that they are victims of injustice in different parts of Palestine, especially in the Bethlehem area, where too many lands are unjustly taken by fellow Palestinian Muslim intruders! In fact, we hear from our people in the Holy Land that the local courts do not seem to yield them the minimum justice needed.


Here in the United States, as Arab-Americans Christians we see many new emigrants coming every week to US. Many of them tell us that they are leaving the land not only because of the Israeli Occupation and hardship but also because they feel that they are loosing the meaning of their presence as Christian in the land of their ancestors and that the Palestinian Authority is not protecting them as it should.

This also makes sense as some media started to talk about a "real estate mafia" particularly in Bethlehem and surroundings, mafia whose main if not only goal is to dispossess Christian Palestinians from their lands and properties, and trying to intimidate them and push them to leave the country.

You know better than anybody that the enemies of our Nation spread the saying that the Palestinian Authority and regime are not only corrupt but also deeply anti Christian.You remember the false reports in October 1997-1998 claiming that Arab-Christians were persecuted by Muslims and how we Arab-Christians silenced all these lies and spoke about harmony and respect.

The so called Christian-Zionists and Christian-Fundamentalists have their own agenda; they are using their power in the US and the world to speak out and use many pretexts to abuse us Palestinian Christians, if not all Christians of the Middle East. We should not give them the chance to use us, Christians, and use our beloved Muslim friends with whom we lived in peace and harmony for centuries and we want proudly to continue to live in great harmony as God put us together as sign and role model of coexistence and love.

Palestinians and Palestinian Authority are presently under microscope and international scrutiny. These incidents give fuel to our enemies as proof that Palestinians are unworthy of a sovereign state. Specially when we hear speaking of a Palestinian Muslim State beside a Jewish State Christians feel that they are forgotten.

This is why we beg Your Excellency to put at once an end to those transgressions whose victims are the Palestinian Citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, and the Christians in particular. At this historic moment in which our Nation longs for a worthy self rule and an internationally recognized sovereign Palestinian State we need you to be firm on these very issues. We are confident that, inspired by the principles of justice we request that Your Excellency may silence all discordant voices of people who enjoy the sight of anarchy and oppression inside the Palestinian society and take it as a pretext to perpetuate the Israeli domination over our blessed Land!

The Arab-Christian presence in the Holy Land is an Arab and Moslem "RESPONSIBILITY". Arabs and Moslems should help Arab-Christians to stay in the Holy Land and the Middle East and stand with them and protect them as minority. The Arab-Moslems and the Arab-Christians should stand together as blood brothers and sisters. In fact, this very decreasing presence of Christians in the Holy Land should be stopped. Several analysts predict that less than 20 years from now there will be no Christians living in the Holy Land. What is the Holy Land without Christians?

We commit ourselves as Arab-Christians and Muslims with our friends in the US and the world to stand with you and be your voice in the US and the world.
We know that you are doing your best to help all Palestinians to be equal in front of the law, having the same and equal responsibilities and duties, may God bless your efforts.

Yes, invest on the real brotherhood between Arab Christians and Muslims. You can do it in protecting the rights of the Arab-Christians and give chance to the "SILENT MAJORITY" of our people to break their "SILENCE" and speak out so as to rebuild confidence, trust, peace, harmony, cooperation and sharing between the blood brothers. This is our destiny together wanted by God-Allah.

Therefore, we demand that you investigate the incidents, correct the wrongs that have been committed, and make abundantly clear that these actions will not be tolerated.

Again we trust on your wisdom and realism.

May God-Allah bless you all.

Signed by...

(f)