A few days ago, The Independent published an article entitled, ‘What Would Happen if the Virgin Mary Came to Bethlehem Today?’ by Johann Hari. In an attempt to reveal the agony of Palestinian women under Israeli siege, Hari interviewed a number of women in Bethlehem, whom he said "have been giving birth in startlingly similar conditions to those suffered by Mary [Reviewer: The Virgin Mary] 2,000 years ago."