Q: Please respond.  You said at the high school that during the outman empire there were more Christians in ‘Palestine’ than there are right now and ‘more sadly more Christian resources are destroying Christian homes in palestine’ than muslims doing so against Christians, this is false and i would appreciate that you retract such dogma. Proud and Jewish. Thanx

A: Thank you for taking out the time to seek clarity. You have been brave to want a response, and i most appreciate it. As you may be aware, the presentation in question was conducted with a brief introduction to Islam. Due to a recent procedure that made it difficult for me to speak clearly for extended periods, I presented the core tenets of the faith for only about 10 to 15 minutes before opening the floor to the students. Consequently, the statements you referred to were not part of a prepared lecture, but were direct, spontaneous responses to specific questions posed by students on various complex matters.

I invite you to review the following historical and geopolitical points, which inform the context of those responses:

1. Historical Demographics: Christians under the Ottoman Empire

It is a matter of historical record that the Christian population in Palestine was significantly higher (percentage-wise) during the Ottoman era than it is today.

• The Data: In the late Ottoman period (mid-19th century), official census records show that Christians comprised roughly 10–13% of the population in Palestine. Today, they make up less than 1–2% of the population in the West Bank and Gaza. Even if one were to use the most generous estimates of 3%, the downward trend remains stark.
• The Cause of Decline: This demographic shift is not a result of “Muslim expansion” or sectarian hostility. Rather, it is the documented result of socio-political pressures, economic hardship, and mass displacement events (such as the Nakba), where many Christians from historic centers like Bethlehem and Jerusalem were forced to flee or were displaced.

2. Geopolitical Analysis: The Integrity of Christian Homes

The observation that “Christian resources” (referring to Western political and financial support) can indirectly facilitate harm is a point of analysis frequently articulated by Palestinian Christian clergy themselves.

• The Kairos Palestine Document: Leading Palestinian Christian figures, including the former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, issued this seminal document. It states clearly that the primary threat to their continued presence is military occupation and the seizure of land—actions often funded or diplomatically shielded by Western nations with Christian majorities.
• A Tradition of Coexistence: Historically, Palestinian Christians and Muslims have lived under the “Covenant of Omar” (Al-`Uhda al-‘Umariyya), a centuries-old tradition of mutual protection. While no society is without tension, indigenous Christian leaders consistently identify state-sanctioned settlement expansion—not from their Muslim neighbors—as the primary cause of the destruction of their homes.

I welcome any data or factual clarifications to the contrary and would be happy to review them. As a speaker, my duty is to respond to student inquiries/claims/implied assertions with historical and reported facts. If there is evidence that contradicts the records of the Ottoman census or the statements of the Jerusalem Patriarchates, I would be forever grateful to review it.

Wishing you continued success.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.