Disappearance of Christians in the Arab World

The Disappearance of Christians from the Arab World

Why are they leaving the Middle East?



Christians are an integral part of the fabric of many Arabic countries, something always stressed upon by almost everyone you speak to, yet they must achieve rights equal to those of their fellow Muslim countrymen in most of the Arabic states.

This inequity is reflected in the high number of Christians leaving the states in which they were born and heading to the Christian tolerant West. This Muslim East against the Christian West was and always will be a problematic point for the Christians in the Arab World and it is growing now. There is more talk about this “equality” now more than before. Lack of full equality between Muslims and Christians is what is missing from the “Arab World,” and the laws in all countries confirm that. On the other hand, for immigrant Muslims in the West, the law treats them as equal to “others,” although we witness a dent in personal freedoms due to “terrorism” related laws and practices.

The situation for Christians in the Arab World may differ according to the country they are in, but all share the same challenges regarding, identity, violence, freedoms, laws, rights, the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism, and immigration.

Iraq

The Iraq War did not help the situation of the Christians of the Arab World. On the contrary, it was viewed along religious lines and termed a “Crusade” by many, something that reflected badly on the Christians of the Arab World.

The New Year did not bring anything new to the Iraqi Christians. Three bombs went off on Epiphany Sunday in al-Musel in northern Iraq on the first week on the year, one of the most important dates in the Eastern Christian calendar. The Chaldean Church of St. Paul, the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, and the Chaldean Church of Maskanta were hit. It was a clear message to the Iraqi Christians, who compose 3% of the Iraqi population. Some estimate that half of the Iraqi Christians have left Iraq since the start of the war in 2003.

The Iraqi Christians are the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of that land. They have lived in peace with the Muslims since the introduction of Islam to Iraq. They also lived in peace under many rulers and also under Saddam Hussein and his Baa’th party, which was a secular party founded by a Christian. The first attacks against the Christians in Iraq since the American Invasion were against businesses but later were developed to reach churches in the early 2004 and have continued till now resulting in the mass departure of Iraqi Christians.

Many of the Iraqi Christians escaped Iraq and went to Syria and Jordan, where Christians live under totally different conditions. In Syria the Christians compose around 7% of the population. There are no incidents of attacks against them and the state does not discriminate between its citizens according to religion. The same applies to Jordan, where the Christians are numbered 230,000 (5% of the total population). There are also no attacks against Christians in Jordan.

Syria, Jordan, & Lebanon

In both Syrian and Jordan, both governments boast about the good treatment of the Christians. Christians hold high government posts and many are in the pubic eye in both countries. But still there is not complete equality. For example, the Syrian President has to be a Muslim - something that was added in 1973 - and you won’t find Christian classes in Jordan’s school curriculum. While Syria and Jordan are more progressive, Christians there still feel they have a different status, reminiscent of the al-Dhumi Status that was introduced by the Muslims so long ago.

In Lebanon, the situation for the Christians is unique in the Middle East, since it is the only state that has a Christian President and Christian Army Chief, a Maronite to be exact. In Lebanon, the problems facing the Lebanese Christians are of a different nature. Today they have the problem of electing a president since the Christians are basically in two camps on the issue, where both sides have different Muslim allies. The first camp includes the Maronite Patriarch, some Christians, and the Sunni Muslims; the other camp has the Christian General ‘Aoun and his Shi’a Muslim allies.

Christians in Lebanon are leaving the country in large numbers for a variety of reasons, as evidenced by the number of Lebanese-Christians who vote from outside of Lebanon. Christians in Syria also leave the country in large numbers especially Armenians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans from the North East Jazirah region.

Egypt

This Christian immigration trend applies to Egypt where, like Iraq, most of the violent incidents against Christians have occurred. Some of the attacks against the Copts are very infamous like al-Kashh incident in December 1999 and the Red Corner (al-Zawiyah al-Hamra’) in 1981, and a number of incidents in Alexandria.

The Egyptian Copts are leaving the country also, something that affects the estimation of the number of Copts still in Egypt. There are two different versions about the percentage of Copts in Egypt. The Copts put their numbers at around 15 million. The government says there are only 6 million Copts in Egypt.

The Copts in Egypt have a long list of complaints regarding their current situation in Egypt. The Copts have always been vocal about the role of some Muslim clergy in these incidents as well as the passive attitude of the Mubarak government. The list of the Coptic woes include; the restriction on building and repairing churches, equal airtime for religious programming on national television, the Second Article of the Egyptian Constitution (making al-Shari’ah the source of Egypt’s laws), current school books where activist Copts claim that school books are filled with Islamic references with the absence of anything Christians for students that are from both religions, equal employment opportunities, better representation in the parliament, sentencing those perpetrating crimes against Copts correctly, the necessity of displaying one’s religion on ID cards, a reevaluation of official Egyptian history in relation to the “Arabness” of Copts, and the restrictions placed on them regarding the schools in which they can enroll their children.

Copts living outside of Egypt hold up these issues for the world to view. They are well organized and routinely call for the Egyptian government to do a better job regarding the Coptic Question. The Egyptian Copts have numerous websites stating their position. They hold conferences around the world and are starting a television station aimed at airing their agenda. Recently, they were able to lobby the European Union delegates to condemn the Egyptian Government record on human rights during the EU meeting in Strasburg on Jan 17, 2008.

Palestine

The majority of Palestinian Christians live in Israel - 120,000, composing 2.1% of the total population of Israel. There are 51,000 living in the West Bank and 10,000 in Jerusalem.

The Christians in Gaza, where 10 Christian families control 1/3 of Gaza’s economy, according to al-Arabiya.net, number 3,500. They have 5 Christian schools in Gaza; most of the students and workers are Muslim. Even Hamas took a three days holiday for Christmas and New Year. Hamas supported Husam al-Taweel, a Christian political candidate who got around 50,000 votes.

The attacks on Gaza’s Christians do not represent the real relationship between Palestinian Muslims and their Christian countrymen but there are reports about some very radical militant groups that started appearing in Gaza.

Avoiding the grasp of hate

It is obvious that the main foe for Christians living in Arab countries is the fundamentalism that is circulating and those who are willing to apply it. Fundamentalism will always exist as long as there are those advocating it and if they possess the means to carry on the militant agenda. There is no doubt that the people of the Arab World had been through a lot of injustices, both Christians and Muslims, but that should not in any case justify the attitude that is growing toward Christians of the “Arab World.” There is no scientific ruling on how Fundamentalism grew and how it is gaining control over many people, but it is a reality that these fundamentalists view the world as “Us,” and “Them,” something that reflected badly on their co-patriot Christians of the “Arab World,” who in most cases go through the same experiences.

Anti-Christian literature is available; its rhetoric is present in all of the militant fundamentalist literature and lingo and is now intertwined with the “resistance” literature that presents the fight as a Muslim vs. Christian war.

Muslim institutions are the ones that can fight this radicalization most effectively, like an Imam in Brooklyn who recently used his Friday sermon to talk about the “respect” that Muslims should have and exhibit to the “others.” He spoke to his audience about the importance of leading by example and avoiding the “grasp of hate.”

When asked about the current attacks against Christians in Iraq and what CAIR’s position is on the issue, the Executive Director of CAIR’s Greater Los Angeles Area office Hussam Ayloush said: “It is immoral and ignorant for anyone to target Iraqi Christians in retaliation for the American military occupation. Such violence targeting innocent Iraqis, regardless of religion or ethnicity, flies in the face if Islamic teachings and the land’s history. Christians preceded Muslims in Iraq, and for centuries, both groups lived together in peace and harmony along with other minorities and, jointly, have opposed any foreign invasions of their country. Those who question the patriotism of other Iraqis based on their religious affiliations are themselves working against Iraq and all Iraqis.”

written in January 2008
It does not cover the gulf states, where the situation for Christians is very interesting

written by المشاكس