I am an American- Palestinian Christian journalist and publisher. Former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University and member of the Amman Baptist Church in Jordan. I am a publisher of a news site Milhilard.org/en that focuses on Christians in Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. Our site is professional from a journalistic point and non-denominational from a Christian perspective.

We are fighting a difficult struggle to stay steadfast in the holy lands and ensure that the rights of Arab Christians are protected and defended.

I have been recently punished for exposing the conversion to Islam of a Jordanian Christian. This was done for personal gain so he could avoid paying alimony.

It all started with a simple headline that shook the foundations of our Jordanian Christian community: "Christian changes his religion to avoid paying alimony." The story was factually true, and it spoke directly to the heart of what we've come to know as justice in our society. But when you step into such sensitive spaces—highlighting discrimination for exposing the truth—you never know how the story will unfold, who it might offend, or what legal backlash may come your way. Check the story in Arabic here (use Google Translate) that I am punished for.

But when you shine a light on matters like these—where truth meets personal struggle—you open up a Pandora’s box of controversy, legal battles, and now...a hefty fine from Jordanian courts because I dared to share this very public yet deeply private conflict.

I was simply trying to expose a wrongdoing; shedding light where shadows often linger is what we do here at Milhilard.org (a site dedicated to Christians in Jordan and Palestine), advocating for the rights of our community and fighting injustice that fell on his wife, who found herself without any support after he changed his religion and succeeded in getting a retroactive divorce. He has since married the woman who was the reason for their separation.

And here I stand today, facing an $11,000 combined fine and legal fees because of my journalistic integrity. It’s not just about money; this isn't just any fine. This is a deterrent from doing the work that we believe in—exposing injustices and advocating for human rights. This unexpected fee makes it difficult for our media outlet to continue the fight against discrimination without fear holding us back, ensuring voices like these keep being heard loud and clear.

Imagine if you were wronged but had no platform to share your truth—how would you feel? This is about more than just money; it’s about whether we stand by while someone else's rights are trampled upon because they lack the means or a voice strong enough in their struggle for justice. Unless we find a way to recoup our losses, the fees we have to pay will mean we will have to let go of staff, and the result will be fewer stories that expose injustice.

Let me leave you with this: "Justice isn't a privilege, but an obligation," as one of our readers eloquently put it. With your support today—whether that’s sharing my story far and wide, donating to help ease the financial burden I face right now, or simply lending solidarity by being part of this community—you are helping keep the light shining on those who need it most but often lack a platform to shine back at injustice. The person who accused me of defamation may have won a lawsuit, but as the Bible says in Mark 8:36, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" I have already raised $5,000 from local churches and friends. I am still short $6,000.

Let's stand together for someone else’s voice today.