Christians Attacked

One of the most underreported aspects of Palestinian Arab affairs - attacks and discrimination against Christians by Muslims - finally broke through the news fog yesterday after hundreds of Muslim men attacked a Christian village near Ramallah and set fire to houses and vehicles. "More than 500 Muslim men, chanting Allahu akbar [God is great], attacked us at night," the Jerusalem Post quoted a resident saying, "they poured kerosene on many buildings and set them on fire. Many of the attackers broke into houses and stole furniture, jewelry and electrical appliances." A statue of the Virgin Mary was also destroyed in the attack that started Saturday night and lasted until the early hours of Sunday morning.

The men reportedly attacked after learning of a romance that had been taking place between a Muslim woman and Christian man from the village. The liaison reportedly ended when the Muslim woman's family allegedly killed her for having the romance. An autopsy had been carried out on the dead woman's body by Palestinian Arab authorities and, according to the Agence France-Presse, it was found that the woman had been poisoned and was five months pregnant. After the autopsy showed the reason for her death the Muslims went on the rampage.

Meanwhile her lover, the Guardian reports, was arrested by Arab police and put in "protective custody" where his family says he is regularly beaten. Some liberal American Christian denominations have recently been announcing their intentions to divest from Israel. It'll be illuminating to see whether this will stir them to divest from the West Bank.