Dear Pope Frances,

Can I be frank?

When it comes to Christians, you are considered as one of their most recognized leaders. You're not the only one, of course, because Christians are divided and sub-divided into so many rival groups.

But Christian Catholics are the largest Christian group in the world.

So, even though I am Orthodox raised Protestant, I feel as a Christian Palestinian, I need to write my appeal directly to you.

There is a big campaign by Israel to convince you that Christians are treated better in Israel than in the unrecognized state of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza, or in the rest of the Arab world.

But I wanted to bring a few facts to your attention, considering my mother is from Bethlehem, and, well, Jesus is my relative. (It's a small world, really.)

My mother's family has owned for generations nearly nine acres of land located between Jerusalem and Gilo, the illegal Jewish-only settlement that was created following the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank in 1967.

We had a home there, and a beautiful water well, too. But when Israel began building the illegal settlement of Gilo in 1973, it destroyed the home and the well, because we are Christian. In 1980, Israel "annexed" Gilo along with Arab East Jerusalem and pretty much undermined any real chance for peace. My land, located in the so-called "Gilo-shoehorn," was annexed by Israel, too.

Israel claims that Christians are treated better than they are treated by the Muslims in Palestine and in the rest of the Arab World. But that's not true.

In fact, Israel discriminates against Christians, like me, just as viciously as they discriminate against Muslims.

I know because I have tried to claim my land, and despite having all of the original paperwork and legal documents to prove my family's ownership, the mayor of Jerusalem has refused to acknowledge my claim.

In fact, over the years, Israel has also annexed lands adjacent to Bethlehem including large sections of Shepherd's Field, you know, the land named in honor of Jesus, your boss and my cousin.

It is true that many Muslims, mostly the religious extremists in the Middle East and in conflict zones like the biased, anti-Arab country called "America: The Land of the Mostly Free," discriminate against Christian Arabs. Worse, the Muslims refuse to acknowledge that discrimination or to even address it publicly. In truth, Arabs have a problem with a lot of things and airing their dirty laundry is one of their biggest problems.

Muslims pretend their discrimination against Christians doesn't exist. And when a Christian like me speaks out against Muslim bigotry against Christians, I am discriminated against, vilified, threatened and excluded as badly by Muslims as by Christians.

In a sense, Christians are not treated well by any side. And that's why you need to do something. You need to stand up and publicly demand that both sides stop discriminating against us Christians.

You need to challenge Israel's propaganda-backed claims that they treat Christians better. The fact is I am not the only Christian Palestinian whose rights are being erased by Israel's discriminatory policies.

But you need to also confront the discrimination against Christian Arabs by the Muslim community. Instead of confronting the Islamic extremists who attack Christians, they pretend the discrimination doesn't exist.

Which side is worse?

I don't know.

I do know that I deserve to have my land. I deserve to have my rights recognized as one of those Christian Palestinians that both sides claim wrongly they support.

I also know that Palestinian Christians deserve to be protected not just from radical Islamic activists and fanatics, but also from Israel's extremist government. And even though many Christians are not Catholic, it is still your job to do something.

Are you really the spokesman for God? If so, then you will speak out about what Israel is doing to destroy and erase the Christian Palestinian presence in Palestine. You will speak out about Israel's refusal to recognize Palestinian rights to have their own state.

But you also must speak out about the apathy in the Muslim world, from the kings and dictators all the way down to the Imams and falaheen in the countryside of the Fertile Crescent.

The truth is that the Islamic fanatics would not be targeting Christians if the Muslim leadership took this issue more seriously.

But, this is a taboo topic. We are not allowed to speak about it.

I hope that you will change that when you visit the Middle East and the disappearing Christians in the birthplace of Christianity.

Ray Hanania is an award-winning Palestinian American columnist managing editor of The Arab Daily News at www.TheArabDailyNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @RayHanania. To find out more about Ray Hanania and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.