Ramallah Pastor Gets Death Threats
By Chris Mitchell
CBN News - Jerusalem Bureau
November 2, 2007
CWN.com - Evangelical Christians living in Palestinian-controlled areas say life for them can be difficult, dangerous and even deadly.
For 16 years, U.S.-born Isa Bajalia served as a pastor in Ramallah.
"Over the last two month in particular, I've been receiving threats against my life," he explained. "Death threats based on the ministry thrust what's going on in Ramallah."
Bajalia said the threats come in part from a resurgent Islam in Palestinian areas.
"Their anger from those who are more adamant about their Islamic faith, that for some reason it's just a growing tension that Christian missionaries are just unacceptable," he said.
The specific threats against Bajalia come from two men in Ramallah, one of them a low level Palestinian authority official. Bajalia said they were attempting to extort both land and money. When he complained to other P.A. officials, they offered help only if he would pay them protection money.
The two men also threatened Bajalia, who is legally blind that they would cripple him for life. He said the threats began after a recent medical outreach.
Three weeks ago, Christians in Gaza mourned Rami Ayyad, who was martyred for his Christian faith. The men threatened Bajalia with the same fate.
"So it's made us take threats more seriously. And maybe that's one of the reasons I'm here today," Bajalia said. "I'm not taking this as a joke. This is a serious matter for me and at the same time, I believe that God has put in me the heart of a lion. That we will not back down from the sovereign mandate that Christ has given us in Mark chapter 16
"That this Gospel of this Kingdom has to be preached and we're in Ramallah because we care about the people of Ramallah. We pray for those who are in leadership. We pray for the people in Ramallah that God would bless them and supernaturally visit them."
Bajalia also invited Christians to pray for him and his city.
"Please pray for protection first of all and that God would send more laborers to this field," he said. "There's a great need and there's a harvest that's going to come out of this field. And just pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send more laborers."
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