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Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library
by Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 at 10:20 AM

Gunmen have attacked the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Gaza City and blown up its library, burning thousands of books, its director says.


Eissa Saba said 14 men overpowered the centre's two security guards before placing bombs in the library and main office. The latter did not explode.

The guards said the gunmen had asked them why they worked for "infidels".

Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, is home to 3,500 Christians, mostly Greek Orthodox.

A number of Christian and other institutions regarded by Muslim extremists as un-Islamic have been targeted by armed gangs over the past two years in the coastal territory, the BBC's Katya Adler in Jerusalem says.

The YMCA in Gaza City is a social institution open to Palestinians from all communities.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203019388404&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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they were warned...
by they were warned.... Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 at 10:21 AM

YMCA warned to vacate Hamas town

After 6 years of operation, Christian organization being booted by terror group

JERUSALEM -- The leadership of a West Bank Palestinian city now controlled by Hamas has warned a local Young Men's Christian Association to close its offices and leave town or face likely Muslim violence, WorldNetDaily has learned.

The move highlighted long-standing fears Hamas would use its win in last January's Palestinian parliamentary elections to impose an anti-Christian, anti-Jewish hard-line Islamist regime in the West Bank and Gaza.

"The face of the new Hamas government is coming to the forefront now that they finally took over and have a lot more confidence. They want to create a territory free of Christians and Jews," said a Christian leader associated with the YMCA in Qalqiliya, a West Bank town under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

Yesterday, major Muslim organizations in Qalqiliya in conjunction with local mosques, the city's Mufti and municipal leaders, sent a letter to the interior minister of the Hamas-led PA accusing the YMCA of missionary activities and demanding the Palestinian government immediately shut down the Christian offices.

The YMCA has operated in Qalqiliya since 2000.

The petition, obtained by WND, states, "We the preachers of the mosques and representatives of major families in Qalqiliya ask you to close the offices of the YMCA because the population of Qalqiliya doesn't need such offices, especially since there are not many Christians in our city."

It warned, "The act of these institutions of the YMCA, including attempting to convert Muslims in our city, will bring violence and tension."

Already this past weekend several Molotov cocktails were thrown at Qalqiliya's YMCA.

Local political sources said the attacks followed Friday sermons in dozens of Qalqiliya mosques in which preachers called upon the community to revolt against the YMCA.

"There was a coordination among the mosques to speak about the YMCA Friday night. One major imam, for example, warned if the YMCA doesn't close down it will lead to 'acts that no one would like to see,'" said one political source.

Joseph Medi, the YMCA manager in Qalqiliya, told WND his operation has never been involved with missionary activity.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49832
YMCA warned to vacate Hamas town

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"a social institution open to Palestinians from all communities"
by heard it before Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 at 10:42 AM

So much for "tolerance".

How leftists can keep propping up the Religion of Fece is incomprehensible.

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