Deadline for Palestinian Bible Society Bookshop Passes without Incident
The Palestinian Bible Society bookshop in Gaza was threatened to be blown up by an unknown militant Islamist group but was not, according to Open Doors USA.
The Palestinian Bible Society bookshop in Gaza was threatened to be blown up by an unknown militant Islamist group but was not, according to Open Doors USA.
Militants had exploded two small pipe bombs, blowing out steel and glass doors, on Feb. 3. The unknown group threatened to kill the landlord and others living in the building unless the Bible Society vacated by Feb. 28. It also warned the Bible Society not to continue ministry elsewhere.
Bible Society workers repaired the building and continued the center’s community ministry until increased death threats at the bookshop workers led the Bible Society directors to temporarily close the bookshop, reported Open Doors USA on Mar. 6. The bookstore, however, passed the Feb. 28 deadline set by a militant Islamist group without incident.
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“Satan wants to kill our love for the Muslims but he can’t,” Palestinian Bible Society Director Labib Mandanat said on Feb. 28, according to Open Doors USA. “This love comes from Christ. We see Christ in them by faith. We see God’s image in them, as it is in all humanity, and they deserve to be loved.”
Although the Bible Society bookstore in Gaza went unharmed on Feb. 28, Islamic militants attacked the Christian student center Living Stones in the West Bank community of Bir Zeit. The group smashed windows, hurled two Molotov cocktails into the building, and scrawled large red graffiti that read, “Leave our land and get out of here.” Previously, militants had set Living Stones ablaze on Nov. 18, 2005 and had smashed windows a week before the Feb. 28 attack.
Open Doors, an organization serving persecuted Christians worldwide, helps support the Palestinian Bible Society and the Gaza bookshop. Madanat described how the tiny Christian community associated with the Bible Society in Gaza has impacted Muslims with the love of Christ.
“We are serving the people of Gaza,” Madanat said. “The hostility we are experiencing is because of our service work to the community. We are close to the people. We love them by serving them, hugging them, and being there for them. That is what Satan doesn’t like.
“People have come to the Lord and we couldn’t understand why there wasn’t much opposition to date, because although we don’t invite martyrdom or persecution, Jesus tells us we need to expect it.”
In the meantime, Open Doors has mobilized Christians worldwide to pray with urgency about the Gaza situation. As the Feb. 28 deadline passed, Madanat explained how Christian ministry had increased, becoming more effective and spreading into other locations with the cooperation of organizations such as Palestinian NGOs and local school officials who have stood in solidarity with Bible Society workers.
“God is good,” Madanat said. “Out of this chaos, God has brought good. Our God is mighty and it is time to live in that truth. We want to thank Open Doors for being such a wonderful family for us at this time. We specifically want to thank Brother Andrew for teaching us how to live out mission without fear and in love.”
Madanat also stressed the ministry’s love for Muslims. “You are never afraid of the people you love,” he said.
