Paul Calvert spoke with Nashat Filmon from the Palestinian Bible Society

Nashat Filmon

In June an ISIS leaflet threatening to slaughter Christians if they didn't leave Jerusalem within one month was found around East Jerusalem and another leaflet was circulated on Facebook and on the internet. Paul Calvert spoke with Nashat Filmon from the Palestinian Bible Society about how the church was responding to this threat.

Paul: A leaflet was given out in East Jerusalem. What was this leaflet about?

Nashat: Thank you Paul for this interview. The leaflet was about an ISIS threat to the Christians who are living in Jerusalem. It was giving them one month notice to leave Jerusalem because otherwise they would be slaughtered. Two leaflets have been distributed and circulated on Facebook and on the internet. The first one was a threat and the second one was a confirmation and even threatening the Christian organisations and churches and mentioning the Holy Sepulchre church and mentioning names of priests and nuns that they are specifically against.

Paul: Do you think this threat is real?

Nashat: Everything is expected from ISIS. As we saw in the Middle East, many Christians have been killed and displaced as a result of the presence of ISIS. In Mosul more than 150,000 people had to leave this historical Christian place and city. They were scattered all over. So we know that ISIS does kill, does threaten and does have an extended hand, so this could be very real.

Paul: Do you think that ISIS is actually here in Jerusalem?

Nashat: I think that ISIS is an ideology and it could be spread by all means, through the internet, through the radio, TV programmes and through people who believe this ideology. I think this ideology does exist almost everywhere. We heard about France just recently, the bombing in Tunisia and in Egypt Sinai, so why are we immune? There is no reason why our country would be immune from this spreading cancer.

Paul: How do Christians feel here in the Holy Land when they are seeing this with ISIS and with Christians being displaced?

Nashat: The Christian presence here in the Middle East is threatened, including the presence here in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the other areas. This threat and oppression of Christians has been before ISIS though and people are leaving for many reasons. They cannot live in Jerusalem with the mixed marriages between the Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Palestinian Christians in Israel; they can't get permits to stay and the lack of economic opportunities, the lack of jobs and the lack of support all over. Then in addition to all that comes the ISIS threats and direct threats over the Christians. This adds to the heavy pressure that the Christians are receiving these days. This is maybe a wakeup call for the Christian community all over the world to remember that there are Christians who are living here and have been here for thousands of years. They have been carrying the torch of the Christian faith and they need to be prayed for and remembered. They also need to be advocated on their behalf and it's a very important and sensitive time. We also need to not take these threats lightly, because seven and a half years ago one of our colleagues in Gaza was killed by one group that carries this ideology of ISIS, so again this could happen.

Paul: It really takes just one killing to spread the flame of fear doesn't it?

Nashat: Absolutely. It takes one killing, one incident, or one person to do something and to attack. You know at the Rosary School one of the nuns has been threatened by name because she wasn't allowing the hijab at the school. She has been under heavy pressure for the past few months and now her name is specifically mentioned in the ISIS letter. Therefore again these threats should be taken seriously. We don't know who's behind it. We don't know who's gaining as a result of all of the threats or what motivates them, but we know that we would never take these things lightly and we should consider that this is a serious threat. We should first of all start in prayers and also do everything possible locally here for the church to be united and to be one front. Also to make all necessary measures at the same time to wake up the church in the West. You are talking about so many issues that are unrealistic and far away when people are being threatened and killed here. The church is in a coma in the West thinking of something which is far away from the faith.

Paul: So are the Christian community in Jerusalem and Bethlehem scared, or worried at the moment?

Nashat: I think some of them are scared and worried. Some of them are thinking of plan B and C. Some of them think this is not a genuine threat, so we have the big wide spectrum of yes and no's. Some of them responded and say this divides the community between Muslim and Christian and fundamentals and non-fundamentals. This is for the gain of one, which most of the people call the enemy, but I see things from a different perspective. I see Christians here have always been persecuted. They have been persecuted for many reasons. Persecuted because they are under pressure with their homes being taken. They cannot live normal lives and at the same time they are now threatened by ISIS.

Christians here are crucial. They are the salt and the light for the community here; for the Muslims who are living here, for the Jews who are living here and anybody who is living here. Therefore we need to preserve this salt and light and make it good salt and good light so that it would make a change in the community. Therefore this threat is from the enemy and the enemy doesn't want the testimony of Christ to continue and stay here. He wants to take over and we are going to fight back in prayers and everything possible.