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Hamas, yes, Islamic law, no, Christians say

Christians who voted for the radical Muslims say they hope Hamas resists Israel - but also resists imposing Islamic values.

By SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN
Published January 28, 2006

[Times photo: John Pendygraft]

Father Luciano Nordera poses with barrels of wine at Cremisan monastery and vineyard in Bethlehem. Some Palestinian Christians worry that Hamas rule could mean an Islamic crackdown on alcohol.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - On the door of the Miramar Boutique, a large ad for a new clothing line shows a buxom model in a revealing top. Shop owner Hanan Siaman wonders if the poster's days are numbered.

"People tell me, "Hamas is coming and you will have to get rid of this picture.' Many things will change, but we don't know what they will be."

Hamas' landslide victory in Wednesday's Palestinian election puts a radical Islamic movement in charge of a population that includes thousands of Christians like Siaman. Hamas' leaders say they won't impose their rigid moral code on others, but many non-Muslims fear a Hamas-run government might ban liquor sales, enforce a strict dress code for women and even limit cultural events.

"To be honest, I don't like Hamas," said Suha Alyatim, 19, a Christian college student in Bethlehem. "I told my parents, "Maybe they will make us dress like they do and have boys and girls go to school separately."'

But a surprising number of Christians - including boutique owner Siaman and her husband - voted for Hamas on the premise all Palestinians are united in the struggle against Israel.

"When Israel targeted us with missiles, it didn't differentiate between Christians and Muslims," said Johnny Siaman, whose family had to move to a hotel after their home was hit three years ago.

"Hamas is part of the Palestinian nation, and they are resisting what Israel did to us."

Hamas has long been popular in the Gaza Strip, a religiously conservative area where alcohol is forbidden and most women wear head scarves and shapeless black cloaks. But in Bethlehem and other cities in the more secular West Bank, the size of the Hamas victory came as a shock.

Known as the birthplace of Christ, Bethlehem depends on tourism to support the area's 150,000 residents, about 10 percent of them Christian. The city's economy took a dive in 2002, when Israel retaliated for a Hamas suicide bombing by invading the West Bank and imposing a weekslong curfew.

Although Bethlehem has been quiet for months, Israel's massive security wall now cuts through part of the city and visitors must clear an Israeli checkpoint manned by soldiers with M-16s. In what Bethlehem residents consider a twisted joke, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism put up a huge banner at the heavily fortified entrance that says: "Peace Be With You."

"The wall and gate are a negative point for tourism, no doubt," says Johnny Kattan, general manager of the Jacir Palace Intercontinental.

The luxury hotel was heavily damaged during the Israeli invasion and didn't reopen until June. Business is slow; only 20 to 30 percent of the 250 rooms are occupied on an average night.

Kattan hopes the new Hamas-run government can restore a sense of security so foreigners won't be afraid to visit. A Christian, he also hopes the government won't ban the hotel's Al Makan lounge from selling alcoholic beverages.

"We deal with tourism and liquor is a part of it," he said. "If that is touched, the area goes down the drain."

Liquor, beer and wines - including merlots and chardonnays made locally by an order of Catholic priests - are readily available throughout Bethlehem. Store owners joke about quickly selling their stock now that Hamas is in power. However, none have been threatened by Islamic extremists, such as those that have burned many liquor stores in Iraq and killed their Christian owners.

"I've never had anyone bother me," says Odeh Bishara, whose family has sold liquor at a small neighborhood store since 1939. "Muslims look at us Christians as Palestinians. We have our history and struggle as Palestinians and the relationship (with Hamas) will be good, I think."

Less sanguine is Carol Michael, a Christian who organizes poetry readings and other cultural events for the International Center of Bethlehem. She worries that the arts will suffer under a government controlled by religious fundamentalists.

In July, a Hamas-run town council in Qalqilya, another West Bank city, banned outdoor concerts and dances planned as part of a Palestinian festival. The council took the action to protect the "conservative values" of the city, many of whose residents do not approve of men and women mingling in public.

On the national level, "How will Hamas deal with such things as enhancing the cultural lives of Palestinians?" Michael said. "These are questions all Palestinians are asking. It's the talk of our town."

Michael hopes the new Hamas government will support April's Palestinian Development Conference, expected to draw people from around the world to three days of events in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

"Everybody has to live in freedom and dignity, and no one should impose any rules on us," she said. "This cannot be just an Islamic country."

Susan Taylor Martin can be contacted at susan@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 28, 2006, 01:56:21]