NAZARETH, Dec 21 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-life leaders on the international scene are concerned with recent reports of increasing antagonism between Christians and Muslims in various parts of the world. This is seen as tragically playing right into the hands of de-populationists who view these two pro-family world religions as the greatest obstacles that must be somehow neutralized and any co-operation between them undermined.
The most recent disturbing development is centered in the Holy Land. Catholic World News reported yesterday that, “in the town of Nazareth, fundamentalist Muslims have stepped up pressure to intimidate Christians in the wake of an Israeli government decision allowing the construction of a mosque adjacent to the Basilica of the Annunciation.” The report notes further that a leaflet being circulated threatens violence and mayhem directed against Christians if the Pope makes his scheduled visit to Israel in March, 2000. Gilles Grondin, a former UN diplomat and currently a prominent pro-life lobbyist at the United Nations, warns that these tensions between Christians and Muslims threaten to divide the world’s two most influential pro-life and pro-family religions. Grondin notes that the Vatican has successfully joined forces with Muslim countries at the United Nations in order to counteract anti-family and pro-abortion initiatives proposed by the European Union and Western countries.
The Muslim leaflet says that if the Pope “dares to make the 2000 visit, we will burn down your homes with our own hands. The whole world will watch us and the press will write about us.” The Christian community notes that tensions have increased in the area dramatically with the leaflet’s circulation. Incidents involving assaults against Christians in Nazareth, including a stabbing last week, were reported.