Two thousand years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christianity is facing its biggest crisis in Middle East, the very place it was born.
The followers of Christ are on the verge of extinct in Middle East after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Middle East, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world.
A year ago, I wrote Christians were fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. It’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq, Libya and Syria. People can’t stay in these regions because there is death for whoever stays.
"Most victims of war and terrorism in the Middle East are Muslims, since they are by far the majority of the population. But the tiny Christian minority often feels singled out. Their numbers are declining where the fighting is worst (see chart). Overall, the proportion of Middle Easterners who are Christian has dropped from 14 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent today. Church leaders and pundits have begun to ask whether Christianity will vanish from the Middle East, its cradle, after 2,000 years," The Economist magazine said in an article titled "And then there were none".
This reminds one of the great mystery novel by Agatha Christie by the identical tile "And then there were none". This novel is about of ten people who were involved in murders and all them got killed mysteriously in an island. Christians are getting killed in the Middle East, but there's a difference: Christians are innocent and not involved in any murders like the ten murders in Christie's novel.
No doubt, an exodus is under way. Many Christians feel more at home in the West and have the means to get there. "Some are leaving because of the general atmosphere of violence and economic malaise. Others worry about persecution. A recent video of three Assyrian Christians in orange jumpsuits being made to kneel before being shot in the head by Islamic State (IS) jihadists fuelled this fear—though IS treats many other groups equally badly," the magazine said.
Mosul, in northern Iraq, was once home to tens of thousands of Christians. Perceived as supporting the Americans, they were targeted by insurgents after the invasion. A wave of killings in 2008, including that of the local Chaldean archbishop, seemed to mark the low point for the community. Then came ISIS. When the jihadists entered the city in 2014, they reportedly tagged Christian houses with an “N” for “Nazarene”, and gave their occupants a choice: convert, pay the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims, or face possible death. Most fled. In July 2014 IS announced that the city was free of Christians.
"Many who left Mosul went to Erbil, the Kurdish capital of northern Iraq, where they have trouble finding work or obtaining public services. Even there, some refugees chafe at the enforcement of Muslim customs. In general, Christians complain that their Muslim neighbours are growing increasingly intolerant," says the article. In the decades before the Arab spring, many Christian leaders lent their support to authoritarian rulers in return for the protection of Christians —and their own lofty status. But the deals broke down when the dictators fell or wobbled, leaving Christians in a predicament. This happened in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was removed. This is not because the regime fell, but because there was no more authority, there was a vacuum. In Syria, it’s the same thing, Christians do not back the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but they are afraid of what may come next.
The Economist says Christian leaders have often supported whichever strongman is in power. The late Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic church, the largest in the Middle East, backed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s former dictator, and discouraged Copts from joining the protests that would eventually topple him. In 2012 Shenouda was succeeded by Tawadros II, who supports the current strongman, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The Copts have gained little from their leaders’ loyalty. Mubarak stood by as relations between Christians and Muslims deteriorated and sectarian violence increased. Sisi is seen as better than the Islamist government that he toppled. A draft law would make it easier to build churches. But Copts are still expelled from villages for such crimes as falling in love with a Muslim.
According to the magazine, even in Lebanon, where Christians were once a majority and still hold considerable power, their political leaders have disappointed. Under the country’s unique system, government posts are shared out based on sect. The presidency goes to a Maronite, the largest group of Christians. But in recent decades many Christians have left. Muslims are now a majority, and want power to match their numbers. Christian political leaders complain of persecution, but many seem more concerned with enhancing their own power. Bickering between politicians has left the presidency vacant for 18 months.
Interestingly, the Gulf, home to the most conservative brand of Islam, which has welcomed the largest number of Christians recently, though not from Iraq or Syria. "A wave of migrant labourers from the Asia-Pacific has dramatically increased the share of Christians in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had few before. Tolerance varies between countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, bans the practice of Christianity (though many Christians worship in private). The UAE restricts proselytisation, but has otherwise supported its Christians. The number of churches in the country has grown from 24 in 2005 to 40 today. The emirate’s rulers often provide churches with free land, water and electricity. But these new Christian enclaves may not last. Migrant workers in the Gulf cannot easily become citizens or put down roots," it says.
The followers of Christ are on the verge of extinct in Middle East after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Middle East, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world.
A year ago, I wrote Christians were fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. It’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq, Libya and Syria. People can’t stay in these regions because there is death for whoever stays.
"Most victims of war and terrorism in the Middle East are Muslims, since they are by far the majority of the population. But the tiny Christian minority often feels singled out. Their numbers are declining where the fighting is worst (see chart). Overall, the proportion of Middle Easterners who are Christian has dropped from 14 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent today. Church leaders and pundits have begun to ask whether Christianity will vanish from the Middle East, its cradle, after 2,000 years," The Economist magazine said in an article titled "And then there were none".
This reminds one of the great mystery novel by Agatha Christie by the identical tile "And then there were none". This novel is about of ten people who were involved in murders and all them got killed mysteriously in an island. Christians are getting killed in the Middle East, but there's a difference: Christians are innocent and not involved in any murders like the ten murders in Christie's novel.
No doubt, an exodus is under way. Many Christians feel more at home in the West and have the means to get there. "Some are leaving because of the general atmosphere of violence and economic malaise. Others worry about persecution. A recent video of three Assyrian Christians in orange jumpsuits being made to kneel before being shot in the head by Islamic State (IS) jihadists fuelled this fear—though IS treats many other groups equally badly," the magazine said.
Mosul, in northern Iraq, was once home to tens of thousands of Christians. Perceived as supporting the Americans, they were targeted by insurgents after the invasion. A wave of killings in 2008, including that of the local Chaldean archbishop, seemed to mark the low point for the community. Then came ISIS. When the jihadists entered the city in 2014, they reportedly tagged Christian houses with an “N” for “Nazarene”, and gave their occupants a choice: convert, pay the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims, or face possible death. Most fled. In July 2014 IS announced that the city was free of Christians.
"Many who left Mosul went to Erbil, the Kurdish capital of northern Iraq, where they have trouble finding work or obtaining public services. Even there, some refugees chafe at the enforcement of Muslim customs. In general, Christians complain that their Muslim neighbours are growing increasingly intolerant," says the article. In the decades before the Arab spring, many Christian leaders lent their support to authoritarian rulers in return for the protection of Christians —and their own lofty status. But the deals broke down when the dictators fell or wobbled, leaving Christians in a predicament. This happened in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was removed. This is not because the regime fell, but because there was no more authority, there was a vacuum. In Syria, it’s the same thing, Christians do not back the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but they are afraid of what may come next.
The Economist says Christian leaders have often supported whichever strongman is in power. The late Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic church, the largest in the Middle East, backed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s former dictator, and discouraged Copts from joining the protests that would eventually topple him. In 2012 Shenouda was succeeded by Tawadros II, who supports the current strongman, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The Copts have gained little from their leaders’ loyalty. Mubarak stood by as relations between Christians and Muslims deteriorated and sectarian violence increased. Sisi is seen as better than the Islamist government that he toppled. A draft law would make it easier to build churches. But Copts are still expelled from villages for such crimes as falling in love with a Muslim.
According to the magazine, even in Lebanon, where Christians were once a majority and still hold considerable power, their political leaders have disappointed. Under the country’s unique system, government posts are shared out based on sect. The presidency goes to a Maronite, the largest group of Christians. But in recent decades many Christians have left. Muslims are now a majority, and want power to match their numbers. Christian political leaders complain of persecution, but many seem more concerned with enhancing their own power. Bickering between politicians has left the presidency vacant for 18 months.
Interestingly, the Gulf, home to the most conservative brand of Islam, which has welcomed the largest number of Christians recently, though not from Iraq or Syria. "A wave of migrant labourers from the Asia-Pacific has dramatically increased the share of Christians in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had few before. Tolerance varies between countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, bans the practice of Christianity (though many Christians worship in private). The UAE restricts proselytisation, but has otherwise supported its Christians. The number of churches in the country has grown from 24 in 2005 to 40 today. The emirate’s rulers often provide churches with free land, water and electricity. But these new Christian enclaves may not last. Migrant workers in the Gulf cannot easily become citizens or put down roots," it says.
