By Linga Editorial Team

Palestinian journalist Mohammad Abu Obeid has sparked debate and concern among Christians after highlighting what he described as a major historical “mistake” in the Palestinian school curriculum: the claim that Christianity originated in Europe and later reached the Holy Land.

In a video published by Al Mashhad’s “50 Minutes” program under the title “A Mistake About Christianity in the Palestinian Curriculum,” Abu Obeid criticized the way Christianity is presented in Palestinian education.

According to Abu Obeid, the curriculum presents Christianity as a religion that began in Europe, despite the historical fact that the Christian faith originated in the Holy Land during the first century and spread from Jerusalem to Asia Minor, Europe and the rest of the world.

If such a statement appears in a Palestinian textbook as described, it would constitute a serious historical error. Christianity did not arrive in the Holy Land from Europe; its earliest community was established in Jerusalem before the Gospel reached European cities.

Christianity Began in the Holy Land, Not Europe

The Holy Land is the birthplace of Christianity. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, carried out His ministry in Galilee and Judea, and was crucified and rose again in Jerusalem, according to the Christian faith.

The first Church was established in Jerusalem. From there, the apostles carried the Gospel into different parts of the ancient world.

The Book of Acts records the movement of the Christian message from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, followed by its expansion into Asia Minor, Greece and Rome. Europe was therefore one of the regions that later received Christianity-not the place where Christianity originated.

Describing Christianity as a European religion reverses this historical sequence and obscures its roots in the land of Christ and the early Church.

Christian Concern Over the Erasure of Local Roots

The video has renewed Christian concern over the limited representation of local Christian history in general school subjects.

Christians in the Holy Land are not a foreign community or the product of modern European influence. Their presence is rooted in the earliest centuries of Christianity and forms an integral part of the land’s religious, historical and social identity.

The concern extends beyond one disputed statement. Some Christian academics and community members have long argued that Palestinian curricula do not provide students with a complete account of the first Church or the continuity of the local Christian presence throughout the centuries.

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, president of Dar al-Kalima University, previously raised a similar concern. Speaking during the launch of a book on the birthplace of Christianity, Raheb said that some Palestinian curricula could leave the impression that local Christians were “the product of the Crusaders.”

His observation closely relates to the issue raised by Abu Obeid. Presenting Christianity as originating in Europe-or failing to explain its history before the Crusades-could lead students to assume that local Christians arrived from the West with European armies.

The historical record tells a different story. Christianity had existed in the Holy Land for more than a thousand years before the Crusades. Local Eastern Christians had their own churches, traditions, languages and religious communities long before the arrival of the European Crusaders.

Although Palestinian Christian students have an officially recognized Christian religious education curriculum, the central controversy concerns what all students learn about Christianity in shared subjects such as history, Arabic, national education and social studies.

Where Are the Voices of Church Leaders?

The controversy has also raised questions in Christian circles about the position of some church leaders - including pastors, priests and bishops - who frequently speak in defense of Palestinian rights in local and international forums but appear less vocal when Christian history and cultural rights within the Palestinian curriculum are questioned.

Critics argue that the defense of justice should not be selective. Just as attempts to deny Palestinian rights or erase Palestinian identity deserve condemnation, the omission or inaccurate presentation of local Christian roots also deserves a clear response, particularly from religious leaders who speak on behalf of Christians and their presence in the Holy Land.

According to these critics, the lack of a clear public position creates a perception of inconsistency: strong public opposition to injustices originating outside Palestinian society, but restraint or silence when internal issues affect how future generations understand Christian history and identity.