Randall Buth in a post at ETC notes the
wanton killing of Rami Khader Ayyad, the director of the bookstore of the Palestine
Bible Society in Gaza.
Bibbiablog has far more information on the killing, from
an article in Corriere della Sera, the Italian equivalent of the New York
Times. Below the fold I provide details in English translation. ETC’s labels
for the post, let it be said, are spot on: “Bible Society, Christian, Islam,
martyr, Middle East.”
The Bible Society’s Gaza bookstore was set on fire in
April in an attack for which “the Sword of Islam,” a newly emergent group with ideological
affinities to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility. The bookstore nevertheless
reopened and continued its work. It serves the community of 3,200 Christians resident
in Gaza.
Threats to Rami Khader Ayyad increased of late, and
the Bible Society asked for and obtained police protection from the Hamas
government in Gaza.
But it was not enough. The killers waited for the guards to leave for the day
before taking Ayyad and stabbing and shooting him to death.
At Rami’s funeral, Muslims also participated. The
service was held in the Greek Orthodox church, and Rami was buried in that
community’s cemetery. He himself was Baptist, but there is no Protestant
cemetery in Gaza.
Rami, 32, leaves behind a pregnant wife and two children. At the funeral, his
wife cried out for all to hear, “You sacrificed your blood for that of Jesus!”
“They want to impose Islamic law and want us to
submit to it as well,” lamented the Baptist pastor Hanna Massad. The situation
affects all Christians equally. In June, a school and a convent run by Catholic
sisters were ransacked and set on fire.
Christians in the Strip say that the situation has
deteriorated since Hamas took over. Hamas claims that it respects the rights of
Christians in Gaza, but its efforts at curbing and eliminating groups like “the
Sword Of Islam,” if indeed it seeks to eliminate them, which is doubtful, show
no signs of being successful.
Thanks for recording this, John. It is ironic this comes at the same time as “130 Muslim scholars reach out to the Pope”, as the BBC put it.
FWIW, here is the coverage from Reuters, and the International Herald Tribune. The Jerusalem Post gives more background on the experience of other Christians in Gaza.
Posted by: David Reimer | October 11, 2007 at 02:56 PM
Hello,
thank you for this article. What a pity.
Is it possible to help the widow? Please let me know how to send a letter or money to her.
best wishes
Gabriel, Germany
Posted by: Gabriel | October 20, 2007 at 07:57 AM
The Baptist World Alliance might do well to set up a fund for Rami's family. Here is a link to a BWA press release.
Posted by: JohnFH | October 20, 2007 at 10:30 AM