The first thing Michael Samir* did on arrival in Australia was to get necklaces with crosses for him, his wife Sofia* and his children aged 16, 14 and 8. 

“It was emotional for them,” says Jude Simion, the director of Emerge, which helps families on arrival in Australia. “The crosses were not just pieces of jewellery but powerful symbols of their Christian faith, worn with pride and conviction. In Gaza, such expressions of faith were forbidden.”

The Samir family were among hundreds of Palestinian Christians caught in the crossfire of the war in Gaza. Since the attack by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7 last year and the resulting war, Christian and Muslim residents alike have had to flee their homes. 

Michael’s wife Sofia told Southern Cross, “We leave our home on the third day of the war after it [was] bombed. We went to the church as a shelter. 

“All Christians in the Gaza Strip, they went to the two churches as a shelter there. Then after 37 days of suffering there in the church, we leave to Egypt and then to Australia. It is a very scary trip, very scary trip. We saw a lot of people killed in the streets. We stayed in the sun and under [air] strike.”

We saw a lot of people killed in the streets. We stayed in the sun and under [air] strike.

Emerge, which is a ministry of Sydney Anglican’s Evangelism & New Churches, assists new migrants in finding meaningful work and, with the help of parishes, helps them establish roots in Australia. 

“Meeting Sofia and Michael was a humbling experience,” Mr Simion says. “They are uncertain about how they will meet basic needs in a new country without Medicare or Centrelink support.” 

Sofia adds: “Here in Australia it is very hard, especially [as] we didn’t have a close relative, only the PCIA [a support association]. It helped us to rent the home for three months and it will extend for maybe another one or two months.” 

Emerge has taken on this new group, as it did with Syrian and Afghani refugees in recent years, but funding has been difficult to find. It has now begun a new appeal to help the families already here, and knows there are more to come. 

Says Mr Simion: “Of the more than 200 Gazan Christians with visas approved for resettlement in Australia, a large number have already arrived. We estimate 70 are yet to come but many are having difficulty in purchasing their travel tickets. We want to be ready to support them fully when they arrive.

“We really need practical things such as Christian businesses prepared to offer employment and mentorship and, of course, financial help.” 

Sofia testifies to the difference such help can make. “It is very hard to live here in a different country from our country, but also there is a merciful group [to] help us with used furniture – and our children go to school, but without paying anything.” 

“Embrace our siblings in Christ”

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has commended the work, saying, “Our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ have often found themselves between a rock and hard place in their own homeland. I’m very thankful for the work of Emerge in offering Christian love and care to those who have been forced to flee their homes, and have been offered sanctuary and a new start in Australia. 

“The magnitude of such a challenge should not escape us and I encourage Sydney Anglicans to generously and warmly embrace our siblings in Christ from that grief-stricken part of the world, where our Lord himself once walked.”

Mr Simion says that, even before the war, freedom was limited for Palestinian Christians. 

“In certain areas of Gaza, Sofia would wear a hijab when she went out, blending in to avoid persecution,” he says. “The consequences of being visibly seen as Christians would anger people, and they would throw stones at them if they were seen wearing a cross or if Sofia appeared in public without a head covering.” 

This harsh reality was a common experience for all Gazan Christians, who lived in closed neighbourhoods for mutual support and protection. 

Michael Samir spoke of the sense of freedom they feel in Australia, and why the display of the cross is so important. For the first time, they can openly display their faith without fear of persecution. 

He describes the immense joy and relief of wearing the cross and placing one at the entrance of their new home. 

This simple yet significant act represents a newfound freedom they have long been denied. It is a declaration of their identity and faith, a testament to their convictions, and a sign of a new start in Australia.

You can support Emerge online here.

*Names changed for security reasons