St George is a Palestinian hero

The BBC has an article by Yolande Knell about St. George and, no, not the one you're thinking of:

As England celebrates the day of its patron saint, many Palestinians are gearing up for their own forthcoming celebrations of the figure they also regard as a hero.

 A familiar flag flaps in the wind above a Palestinian church in the West Bank village of al-Khadr. The red cross on a white background (photo, left) has been associated with Saint George since the time of the Crusades. It is part of the national flag of England, and is also used as an emblem by other countries and cities that have adopted him as their patron saint.
However, Palestinians have particular reason to display the symbol and revere the early Christian martyr. For them, he is a local hero who opposed the persecution of his fellow Christians in the Holy Land. "We believe he was a great martyr for his faith, who defended Christian faith and values," says Greek Orthodox Archbishop Atallah Hanna. "By making sacrifices for his faith he was able to defeat evil. We take St. George as a patron for people living here and, as he was born in Palestine, we pray to him to remember this holy land."
St. George was a Roman soldier during the Third Century AD, when the Emperor Diocletian was in power. It is said that he once lived in al-Khadr near Bethlehem, on land owned by his mother's family.
While the saint's father is usually traced back to Cappadocia, an area in modern Turkey, it is believed his mother was a Palestinian from Lydda, now Lod, in Israel.
The saint is remembered for giving away his possessions and remaining true to his religion when he was imprisoned and tortured before he was finally executed.
There are many churches in the West Bank and Israel that bear the name of St. George; at al-Khadr, Lod, and in the Galilee, for example.
While the Western world marks St. George's Day on 23 April, in the Palestinian areas it falls on 6 May, according to the older calendar used by the Eastern Churches.
A service is held for the saint at al-Khadr, bringing worshippers from the Bethlehem area, and much further afield, to light candles and say prayers. During the feast, special bread is baked that shows him in his typical pose as a dragon slayer. Such images are also a permanent feature on many Palestinian Christian homes and public buildings. It is thought that the saint brings them protection. "He's a native saint who has done many miracles. We respect him a lot," explains sculptor Akram Anastas. "He's presented as a knight full of peace and grace, riding his horse and always fighting evil, which is symbolised by the dragon. We write underneath, in Arabic: 'God bless our house.'"
Anastas has worked on thousands of stone carvings of the saint during his career, selling them to Palestinian and international buyers. "I like him very much. He's a good friend of mine, and I've found him many times in my life. He's my guardian angel," he says.
With its associations of courage, gallantry, and honor, the Christian name, George, remains one of the most common in the Palestinian Territories. Other variants are Khadr (Arabic for "green one") and Jeries.
In a Bethlehem coffee shop, known locally as "abu George" [the father of George], I sit with members of the Thalgieh family, who are all called George. "Maybe we have ten people named George until now. Perhaps in the future we will reach a hundred," says George Elias Saba Thalgieh. "Here in Bethlehem, it's not just our family. We all believe that St. George will help us when we need him. If you have an accident the first thing you say is 'Ya Khadr'; it means we are calling for St. George to help us.
"I love the name. Our grandfather is George, I am George, so now my sons will name their sons George," adds the older man's nephew, George Nabil George Thalgieh, a well-known singer.

In the photo above, eight men in the Talgieh family stand outside a cafe, known locally as the abu George coffee shop. All the men in the picture are called George or abu George (father of George, as their oldest son is called George). George Elias Saba Thalgieh is second from right, George Nabil George Thalgieh is second from left. The older George also called his son, Khadr, the Arabic variant.  He was having brain surgery when his wife was pregnant and promised St. George he would name his son after him if he would give him protection. Mrs. Thalgieh said it was confusing to have a husband and son called George, so they settled on Khadr. The older George, George Elias Saba Thalgieh, also told me he was called George, as his birthday falls on 23 April.
There are a number of customs associated with the saint. Sometimes the Greek Orthodox priest is asked to insert a key into the mouth of children with speech difficulties, turning it to "unlock" their tongues.
There is a ritual in which visitors put a chain around their neck, pass it over their body and kiss it three times. This is thought to ward off sickness. Letters asking St. George to solve family disputes are placed inside the glass that covers his icon. People appealing to the saint for help also give sheep to the church so it can distribute meat to the poor.

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