Dear Rev Griggs,

Christian Greetings.

My family are Jewish Christians, not infrequently at odds with various elements of the Jewish community for our faith in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.

As a Christian, our ministry and I are,   also concerned about the usually ignored plight of the persecution of Christians in the Arab nations that surround Israel, including capital executions in Iran and Saudi Arabia and Islamic Fatwas even in more moderate Islamic countries.

Whatever ones views of the current Middle East conflict the fact remains incontestable that the religious freedom of Arab Christians in The Middle East is more secure in Israel where the human rights of homosexuals likewise condemned under Sharia and of women's rights are far more safeguarded in Israel than in any of the surrounding countries. Indeed, persecution of Arab Christians in Gaza commenced immediately following the Israeli withdrawal and Israel absorbed thousands of Lebanese Christian refugees from the Hezbollah pogroms.

This singling out of Israel for human rights abuses when the abuses are far worse in the other surrounding countries according to Amnesty International and every women's rights, homosexual rights, and human rights website is frankly illogical and hypocritical. Our first responsibility as the church must surely be to our persecuted co-religionists and Christian brethren.

I would urge you sir to please cancel this alternative Carol service on 8th December and not allow the travesty of the commemoration of the birth of Christ to be hijacked at the behest of non Christians and some misguided Christians for a biased political agenda that has nothing to do with the Nativity.

Sincerely

Season's Blessings,

JJ Prasch (Rev)