From 20% to 4%: The Disappearance of Christians Under Islamist Extremism in the Middle East - Father Gabriel Naddaf (audio & pics)

 November 20, 2014 - This event was sponsored by the Lawfare Project, The Face of Israel and the Conference of Presidents. It took place just two days after the murder of 4 Jews at prayer in Jerusalem.

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"Five people were killed early Tuesday morning ( November 18, 2014) when two Palestinian assailants entered a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, armed with guns and knives. The dead were four Jewish worshipers, and a Druze policeman who died of his wounds hours after he was shot in the gunfight that ended the attack."

 "Father Naddaf serves as the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Yafia, near Nazareth, as well as the primary spiritual advisor and religious spokesperson for the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, a civil society organization that works to support Arab speaking Christian-Aramaen citizens of Israel to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.  Foe his efforts to encourage Arab Christian integration into mainstream Israeli society, father Naddaf has been denounced by Arab members of the Israeli Knesset and receives regular threats of intimidation. Before taking his current post, he served as a speaker and judge in the Court of the Patriarchate in Jerusalem."

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"Combining an incredible personal story with his unique perspective as an Arabic-speaking Israeli Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth, Father Gabriel Naddaf  discussed the plight facing Middle Eastern Christians living under Islamic Extremism."

 

"Equality is against the Islamic religion. So is justice.The whole point of Islam is to impose inferiority on other religions.

That affirms the specialness of Muslims or Muslim privilege...
NO they aren’t willing to share."

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 "Father Naddaf reviews the shocking stories and statistics of violent oppression facing his colleagues and friends in many of the region's historic Christian communities and highlights the singular exception to this trend that Israel represents in providing religious freedom, security and opportunity for its Christian citizens and residents."

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AUDIO Text follows (enhanced with a few pics in the video) Part 1 of 2

Richard B. Stone, former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents, gave the opening statement and then the intro for Fr. Gabriel Naddaf.

"The attack as you all know occurred during prayer hours at a synagogue. During the recitation of the (...?) Sh'ma Israel (snip) And I bring this up, to point out that these people were killed because they were Jews praying. And the conflict is not only between extremist Islam and Jews, it's between extremist Islam and the rest of the world. And one of the most important things, lessons to take as we focus on what happened (snip).... and it's an important moment, poignant for us (...?) to remember how we are in brotherhood, in common-need with Christians in the Middle East... in my opinion, terribly under-described victims of this kind of brutality and inhumanity and animal behavior.
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And so, that brings me to today's program (snip ) this week is a special time for us to have a program here at the Presidents' Conference at the Lawfare Project, that focuses and examines closely the treatment  of Christians at the hands of Muslim Extremists in the Middle East in particular, and we take my extension, in Africa, Asia and other parts of the world.
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Intro for Fr Gabriel Naddaf begins [1:22]
We have with us, and it's a great privilege, Fr. Gabriel Naddaf, who is the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jafiya, near Nazareth, and this should be of great interest to us, the primary spiritual adviser to an organization called Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, which is a Civil Society Organization designed to facilitate and persuade Arab-Israelis to participate in the IDF and to be strong, loyal, patriotic Israeli  citizens(snip)
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... a very substantial price for this activity, and for this point-of-view, which I, presume, he will tell us something about. He is a heroic figure, bringing us today a topic that we really need very much for our sake, his sake, for the sake of Christians, for the sake of Jews and for the sake of all Western Civilization (snip)
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Applause as Fr. Naddaf goes to podium. [2;26]

Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here, with special thanks to the Lawfare Project and the Conference of Presidents for hosting me today. I am honored to speak before you and your guests today.
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As you heard, my name is Father Gabriel Naddaf.
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I was born in the city of Nazareth (the ?) north of Israel. The town where the Angel Gabriel, whose name I have, appeared to Mary, the Mother of G-d. The very town in which Jesus Christ grew up and began his ministry.
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When I was born, Nazareth was a city that was majority Christian; mostly Greek Orthodox, but also Catholics and Protestants. Now it's majority Muslim.
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As I speak to you now, across  the Middle East, a sword is being soaked with the blood of Christians. Across the Middle East in the (...?) ten years, one million Christians have been murdered in the Middle East (...?) [3:42] This means  that every five minutes a Christian is killed because of his faith. A faith that stands for Love and Peace in the Lord.
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[3:59] (...?) Christians were some 20% of the Middle East, today that figure is estimated to be around 4%. (...?) Islamic persecution have fled. Since 2000, over 77% of, Iraq's 700,000 Christians, have fled. In Syria, where there were two million Christians, there are now (...?) 250,000. Those who remain exist as second class citizens to their Muslim rulers. They face discrimination, physical threats and have been subjected to the most hideous of crimes. Execution and forced conversion (...?) Why. Because they believe in a different faith; a faith with a universal message of love and peace for all.
But, in the Middle East today, there is one country where Christians are fortunately (...?) freedom  of suppression, freedom of worship and security. It is Israel. The Jewish State. In Israel Christians enjoy good education, employment, welfare, health care and (...?) studying. [5:41] In Israel, Christians have freedom which NO Muslim power has ever offered us.
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As I child I was told that there were bad relations with the Jews. I was told that the Jews said "This is their country" and the Arabs said "It was theirs". After high school I went to live with my grandmother in Haifa. A mixed Israeli city of Jews and Arabs. I began to work and meet with the Jews. Everyday I was aware of Jews. I worked in a Jewish (...?) and was successful. Tnd they sent me to train courses. They invested in me. The idea that I needed to be scared of Jews or that there was something dangerous about them, was simply not true. A myth was exposed.
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From my childhood, I was feeling that I had to save the church. To be honest, I really though that my family did not want me to enter the church, either. The wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor. But, it was my calling. So I began my studies with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch (here) in Jerusalem and learned that the people and the roots are from the Jewish People.
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I learned that Jesus Christ was Jewish. Part of the people that Moses led out of Egypt with the help of G-d. Part of the tradition of (...?) [7:45] Joseph and Mary, who raised Jesus Christ were Jewish and knew their scriptures. (...?) are themselves of King David and the Laws of the Bible; including the Five Books of Moses and the Books of the Hebrew Prophets.
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The Pope Francis presently spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu about whether Jesus spoke Hebrew or Aramaic, which was the language of the Talmud. (...?) our Christian origins are rooted in the Holy Land where Jesus walked and talked. Christianity considers itself (...?) the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible and is not separated from it. [8:38]
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Those of us lucky enough to live under Israeli sovereignty have very good relations with the Jewish community living in the land. The State of Israel has demonstrated a considerate attitude towards my community and today, Israel, the Jewish State, the only place in the Middle East where Christians are safe.
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Today, in the face of religious persecution and terrorism[snip] [worship, the (...?) for peace, are (...?). To live together in the land of (...?) our fathers. But, what about the rest of the world? ]Does the world speak up against the persecution of Christians in the Middle East? Does the world support Israel for its democratic values (...?) freedom of religion? No. sadly not. Instead Israel has become a victim (...?) SNIP criticism. So much] the International community chooses to single out and attack Israel. This is a terrible crime.
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Our (...?) only free society in the Middle East and ???? encourages act of terror; and even against Jews, Yazidis, Christians and even Muslims.  In the region, it is time the world woke up to the fact that those who want to destroy the Jewish State are also threatening the last free Christians in the Holy Land. [10;47]
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That is why I am here today. To call on you to join me and to show the world Israeli (...?) (...?) safe, this in Christian life in the Middle East. It has (...?) open me by Jesus Christ to plead to you, leaders of people, seekers of peace, to support my (...?) ; to end the global witch-hunt of the only free country in the Middle East.
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I call on you today, to (...?) the strength of your great country to prevent the persecution of Christians and to stand by Israel; to protect our community and heritage.
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Please don't let the thousands of years of thriving Christians in the Middle East come to an end on your watch. I ant to thank you again.  G-d Bless you all and Shalom. [11:58]
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Closing remarks [12:05]

Part 2 of 2 Videos

The Q and A  is about 45 minutes - 13 questions and answers, Father Naddaf's responses were as interesting as his presentation. He was assisted by a translator. He responds is Hebrew and Translator in English.

                                [Q and A time stamps]

Q #1 (0:03) /A# 1 (0:18)                       Q #7 (28:13) / A #7 ( 29:07)
Q #2 (4:15) /A# 2 (4:43)                       Q #8 (31:38) /A # 8 (31:41)
Q #3 (16:14) / A# 3 (17:24)                  Q #9 (32:37) /A #9 ( 33:16)
Q #4 (19:32) / A# 4 (19:41)                  Q#10 (33:57)/A #10 (34:52)
Q#5 (20:12) / A# 5 (21:12)                   Q #11 (37:14) / A #11 (38:14)
Q #6 Hebrew (22:22)                         Last two questions were off mic
[English 23:22] /A #6 (24:22)              A #12 (39:54)
..                                                               A #13 (Hebrew 40:47)
..                                                                           (English 42:09)



This is audio only, but captions and time codes should make it easier to scroll through the recording.

As we left 2014 and slipped caustiously into 2015, America was under-seige from the hard-core leftists and the violent racism, assaulting and murdering our police....while 'mayor' Red Bill DeBlasio and 'president" barack hussein Obama work to disarm our country. We are vulnerable. As is the world, exploding with more and more terrorism aimed at citizens-not soldiers. 

December 15, 2014 : Australia: Hostages taken in Sydney chocolate shop, Islamic jihad flag seen

January 9, 2015: Paris is under-seige

'Every single French Jew I know has left Paris': Editor of Britain's Jewish Chronicle claims people are fleeing terror-hit French capital"

• 'Every single French Jew I know has either left or is actively working out how to leave', he said
• Experts believe that more than 100,000 French Jews have left since 2013  

January 9, 2015 : "Four hostages, armed terrorist reported dead in siege at kosher deli in eastern Paris"

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January 10. 2015 : "Boko Haram's 'deadliest massacre': 2,000 feared dead in Nigeria"

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  Islam is at WAR with the world. No one is safe. But, as I return to the point of Father Naddaf's presentation, some places just might be a bit safer than others.

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From Daniel Greenfield

 "Within the borders of Israel, however, according to the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian population is growing. Israel provides Christians with security, freedom of worship, excellent education, employment, health care and other rights and opportunities beyond what is available in many parts of the Muslim world. Father Naddaf and other Christian priests of various denominations, both within and beyond Israel and the Middle East, are clear: One of the safest places for Christians in the Middle East today is Israel."

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And, post-France terrorism attacks,  "Netanyahu told Jews who may be fearful living inside France they would be welcomed with open arms if they decided to seek refuge in Israel."