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Santa in Gaza

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posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 12:02 AM
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Palestinian Samih Vadi disguises himself as Santa Claus and hands out toys to the Palestinian children among the debris of buildings destroyed by Israeli army, in Shujaiyya district of Gaza City, Gaza, Dec. 23, 2014.


Gaza's 'Santa Claus' spreads cheer among war-weary kids


GAZA CITY: One day before Christmas, the children of Gaza City's Shujaiyeh district woke up to find Santa Claus walking its streets, which were largely destroyed by Israeli forces this summer.

Dressed in Santa Claus' traditional red-and-white costume and sporting a long, white beard, Sameh Wadi, a Muslim resident of Shujaiyeh, toured the neighborhood's rubble-filled streets in hopes of spreading holiday cheer among the children of the war-battered district.

"The Gaza Strip's children are deprived of the normal, happy life that most children in the rest of the world enjoy," Wadi, 27, told Anadolu Agency.

Groups of children screaming in excitement followed Wadi, who has a degree in information technology, as he walked around ringing his bell, stopping to unwrap presents and pose for pictures with the children.

"It's a good chance to bring some entertainment to Gaza's children, who feel frustrated and depressed," Wadi said. "Children around the world wait for Santa every year."


Who would have thought Santa would make an appearance in Gaza?

I respect what this man did for those children. A Muslim spreading Christmas cheer in Gaza for the children who have to live in that. God bless them all!
edit on 26-12-2014 by Swills because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 12:34 AM
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a reply to: Swills

Pretty cool. That kind of stuff is always fun for a kid, no matter where you're from.



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 01:49 AM
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a reply to: Swills

Christmas is not really a christian tradition though is it.....modern day santa is a great thing for kids....a time of joy and presents....as much as i do not like the pretense of christmas and consumerism my little boy loves it and that is what counts



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 01:59 AM
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a reply to: Swills

anyone spreading and giving happiness to these children right now is to be commended, i think……
thanks, swills, for showing us this….
to think about.
Something we can all get behind, perhaps…and that, surely, is rare.
tetra



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 03:37 AM
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a reply to: Swills

Blessings abound to that brave and kind man who put on the santa costume and gave presents to those llittle kiddies.

My heart goes out every day to the people in gaza because of the cruel, disgusting treatment the jews give them. What a way to behave when you claim to be religious and chosen - what an example of decency the bastard ishmael turns out to be when he shows this level of kindness.

OK he was using a symbol that every little one probably knows and wants; this symbol is universal whatever religion and means love and kindness to all. Blessings to that guy.



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 03:45 AM
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Oh you can bet the filthy israelis are just hating this! They can't have the Palestinians looking anything like us in the west, it goes against the BS the israelis try and pass off to the world...

Good on this man for bringing cheer and presents to the children, what a wonderful thing to do.



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 03:48 AM
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originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Swills

Christmas is not really a Christian tradition though is it.....modern day santa is a great thing for kids....a time of joy and presents....as much as i do not like the pretense of christmas and consumerism my little boy loves it and that is what counts


Are you serious? If so, you take top spot for being the most ignorant member on this site...




posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 04:35 AM
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originally posted by: MyBossOwnsYours

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Swills

Christmas is not really a Christian tradition though is it.....modern day santa is a great thing for kids....a time of joy and presents....as much as i do not like the pretense of christmas and consumerism my little boy loves it and that is what counts


Are you serious? If so, you take top spot for being the most ignorant member on this site...





yes i am serious.....the tradition is taken from paganism...here just for you...

Nearly all aspects of Christmas observance have their roots in Roman custom and religion. Consider the following admission from a large American newspaper (The Buffalo News, Nov. 22, 1984): “The earliest reference to Christmas being marked on Dec. 25 comes from the second century after Jesus' birth. It is considered likely the first Christmas celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed, one scholar says, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with worship of the Son. By 529 A.D., after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday. The celebration of Christmas reached its peak—some would say its worst moments—in the medieval period when it became a time for conspicuous consumption and unequaled revelry.”

realtruth.org...
here are some more links for you

www.biblicalarchaeology.org...
rcg.org...

a simple search will clear it for you....you talk about basking in ignorance ...well here is your chance to show that you are not.....and just in case you were not sure here is one on santa...
rcg.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.snopes.com...
santa was a coca cola invention...not to be confused with st Nicolas who is a whole different kettle of fish....
en.wikipedia.org...
blogs.wsj.com...
i could go on but hopefully this will help you pull your head out of the sand


so you called me out would you care back up your statement with something other than opinion
edit on 26-12-2014 by hopenotfeariswhatweneed because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 12:10 PM
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What a heartwarming post, much big ups to this Palestinian chap, birthplace of the Jesus character, and if im not mistaken, also my fair countries Saint Nicholas? Or was that modern day Turkey? Either was, as a non-religious person who celebrates Christmas like the hypocrite i supposedly am, this has brought me as much Christmas cheer as all the whiskey and turkey has. I hope the kids enjoyed it and got aught up in the fantasy, everywhere over the world, childhood needs fantasy as much as bread and water. I take my hat off to you, Samih Vadi. May your actions inspire more acts of kindness and philanthropy throughout the region, both Palestinian and Israeli, year long!

Honestly this sums up Christmas for me the non-religious hypocrite, bringing joy and hope at the winter solstice or close enough as to make no difference, a truly lovely story. Star and flag, and seasonal greetings to all my fellow ats-ers, and a promise of more sober and well constructed posts in the new year! Hear hear!

edit on 26/12/2014 by Learningman because: Christmas spirits in an overabundance



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 01:55 PM
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a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

You said Christmas wasnt a Christian tradition, dont try and back-track and bring in BS links that are clearly made up to back you up.

The very name of Christmas means the Mass of Christ, a tradition of Christians.

You're just mad because you're not a Christian and tell yourself whatever you need to to sleep at night because your family celebrates CHRISTMAS. Take your pagan garbage and shove it, nobody believes the lies.

You people are all the same....it's either Jesus never existed or everything is ripped from pagans...

Pathetic .



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 02:21 PM
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originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: MyBossOwnsYours


originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

a reply to: Swills



Christmas is not really a Christian tradition though is it.....modern day santa is a great thing for kids....a time of joy and presents....as much as i do not like the pretense of christmas and consumerism my little boy loves it and that is what counts




Are you serious? If so, you take top spot for being the most ignorant member on this site...











yes i am serious.....the tradition is taken from paganism...here just for you...


Nearly all aspects of Christmas observance have their roots in Roman custom and religion. Consider the following admission from a large American newspaper (The Buffalo News, Nov. 22, 1984): “The earliest reference to Christmas being marked on Dec. 25 comes from the second century after Jesus' birth. It is considered likely the first Christmas celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed, one scholar says, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with worship of the Son. By 529 A.D., after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday. The celebration of Christmas reached its peak—some would say its worst moments—in the medieval period when it became a time for conspicuous consumption and unequaled revelry.”


realtruth.org...

here are some more links for you



www.biblicalarchaeology.org...

rcg.org...



a simple search will clear it for you....you talk about basking in ignorance ...well here is your chance to show that you are not.....and just in case you were not sure here is one on santa...

rcg.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

www.snopes.com...

santa was a coca cola invention...not to be confused with st Nicolas who is a whole different kettle of fish....

en.wikipedia.org...

blogs.wsj.com...

i could go on but hopefully this will help you pull your head out of the sand





so you called me out would you care back up your statement with something other than opinion

It is simple thought that the word christmas is derrived from the word christ. sure some things were done before but they were not christmas but other things with different names and customs that are similar. Some will claim stolen ideas or whatever but the truth is that customs or rituals have been arount long time. The ritual of christmas has not been copied from anything but does incorporate things that others have used. The whole point comes together by christ himself being the object of the tradition and that is what is key in seperating this from that.



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 03:13 PM
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originally posted by: MyBossOwnsYours
If so, you take top spot for being the most ignorant member on this site...


Those who shout 'ignorance' most loudly tend to be those who are the most ignorant themselves.



posted on Dec, 26 2014 @ 06:41 PM
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a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I was raised in religious household growing up that did not celebrate Christmas because it's roots are not bible friendly(if you take that stuff seriously). I find it amazing that people don't know that.

Look at number of posts member has contributed though, if it looks like a troll and smells like a troll...

Also, to the OP: I hope this story is true because it's a nice lighthearted story if it is. It's so hard to know what stories coming out are real or BS though. I will just believe it to be true.
edit on 26-12-2014 by OrphanApology because: (no reason given)



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