Freedom of religious belief is a fundamental human right. It
stems from the freedom to hold and express one’s own opinions. This principle
is one that all of us – religious and non-religious alike – should be able to
agree upon.
It is worrisome, therefore, to come across reports of the
persecution of people for reasons of religious identity. Whether Christian,
Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan or whatever, nobody should be persecuted because
of religious belief. The Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign
Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians (full report due later this
year – see “Christian persecution 'at near genocide levels'”, BBC News, 3 May
2019), which warns that Christianity may
be “wiped out” in parts of the world, including the Middle East, should
accordingly set the alarm bells ringing.
Christianity is a product of the Middle East. Various
churches indigenous to the region, including the so-called ‘ancient churches’,
have their own patriarchies.
The obvious connection that many will make is with militant
Islam. The BBC reported that ‘hate crimes’ against Muslims in the UK doubled in
the weeks following the Sri Lanka outrages. That’s going to help nobody, least
of all persecuted Christian populations. The problems faced by Christians do
not stem from any single source. Let’s look at this matter in full context.
The Middle East is naturally a principal focus of
commentators because of its historical association with Christianity.
Christianity is indeed indigenous to the Middle East. Jesus was a Palestinian
Jew. Where I am sitting typing at this moment is very close to the route
followed by St Paul on the road to Damascus. There were established Christian
communities all over the place at the time of the Prophet Mohammed. There still
are. There are seats set aside for Christians in some regional parliaments.
While it is certainly not the case that Middle Eastern
Muslims and Middle Eastern Christians get on wonderfully well, it has to be
borne in mind that Middle Eastern Muslims don’t get on wonderfully well with
other Middle Eastern Muslims either. The Sunni/Shia schism occurred just 80
years after Mohammed’s death and led to internecine strife that continues to
this day. The war in Yemen is a proxy war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia
Iran (see my article “Yemen and Islam’s internecine war”, Breaking Views 1
April 2015 HERE). On top of that, there are ideological fracture lines within the
major sectarian blocs. I would go so far as to say that many Muslims are more
disdainful of some fellow Muslims than they are of Christians. In religion as
in politics, affinity all too often breeds contempt.
As a pertinent aside, Christianity in the Middle East is
hardly a unitary entity either. There are the ‘ancient churches’ that trace their
origins to the dawn of Christianity. Most of these are small but the Coptic
Church can boast a following of around 20 million. Then there are ‘imported’
branches of Christianity, principally the Orthodox and Roman Catholic variants.
Doctrinal differences and allegiances with bodies outside the region (such as
the Vatican) can be sources of friction – Christianity in the Middle East is
hardly one big happy family.
Outside the Middle East into southern Asia, we see a very
different picture. While Islam is strictly speaking not indigenous to that
region, it has been there for so long and wields such political and judicial
power that is has become part of the fabric of those societies at every level.
Christianity was brought in during the colonial era when Christianisation was a
deliberate strategy on the part of the imperial power to ‘civilise’ subjugated
peoples. It continues to be regarded by many in that part of the world as a
foreign imposition tainted by its association with colonialism. In Pakistan, a woman
(Asia Bibi) was on death row for 8 years for allegedly insulting the Prophet
until released by the Supreme Court last year. Christians have to watch their
step in Afghanistan as well. In both countries, the civil authorities take a
dim view of apostasy. India also has seen sporadic outbreaks of violence
against Christians, mostly by local Hindus targeting the activities of foreign
missions. But the Report quite correctly attributes much discrimination against
Christians in south Asia to rising nationalism rather than to competing
religious beliefs as such.
As long as religion plays a role in politics, there will be
religious discrimination. Only the secular State can protect the rights of all
its subjects, whatever they do – or don’t – believe.
Then there is the systematic persecution of Muslims and
Christians – more so the former – in China. The Chinese State is explicitly
atheistic and brooks no ideological competition. Hence the clampdown on not
only ‘imported’ religions but even home-grown ones such as Falun Gong (see my
article “Reining in the blustering Beijing bully”, Breaking Views 1 March
2019 HERE).
Returning to the Middle East, there were 1½ million
Christians in Iraq a decade ago, now down to less than 10% of that figure. This
was the doing of so-called Islamic State (ISIS). ISIS is fervently
anti-Christian and drove Christians out of territories that they controlled. A
considerable number were killed. But this too needs contextualising: ISIS hates
everyone, including fellow Muslims not of their specific persuasion. And I
surely need not have to remind readers of the treatment of other groups,
particularly the Yazidi, under ISIS rule. But ISIS is an aberration which the
overwhelming majority of Muslims categorically disavow. It no more represents
Islam than the Lord’s Resistance Army represents Christianity.
Ironically, Syria is one of the most accommodating places in
the region to be a Christian. Numerous Christian communities have coexisted
alongside Muslims for many centuries. Muslim militias joined Syrian army units
in taking the offensive against ISIS units bearing down on Christian
populations in order to avert the slaughter that was imminent. Hence the high
level of support for the Assad regime among Syrian Christian communities. This
inconvenient fact continues to be ignored by the anti-Assad Western powers,
particularly the US (see my article “Operation Regime Change – some aren’t
giving up”, Breaking Views 7 July 2016 HERE).
I am rather more optimistic about the future of Christianity
in the Middle East than some commentators seem to be. It has been part of the
landscape for almost 2000 years. As long as Middle Eastern society remains
fragmented by sectarianism, there will be distrust between sectarian
communities. But, to labour the point, this applies as much to different Muslim
sects as it does to Muslims and Christians. I am more concerned about Christian
communities outside the Middle Eastern region, particularly in Pakistan and
Afghanistan, where there appears to be a hardening of attitudes to their
detriment.
The Report alludes to the double standard that Political
Correctness appears to impose in relation to religious discrimination and
persecution. Here, I do agree with them entirely. Heaven help you if you speak
out against aspects of Islam (enigmatically, that makes you a ‘racist’,
although Islam is not a race) but it’s quite OK (mandatory, even) to foul-mouth
Christianity. Likewise, it’s fashionable to make a fuss about the maltreatment
of non-Christian groups such as the Yazidi, the Uyghurs or the Rohingya, but
atrocities against Christians are largely swept under the carpet.
The Catholic/Protestant Punch-and-Judy show was a blight on
European civilisation for centuries. I remember being warned about associating
with Catholic kids in late 1950s Holland. Now, with fewer than a quarter of the
population identifying as Christian (see my article “Religiosity and national
happiness ratings”, Breaking Views 27 March 2015 HERE), it’s a non-issue.
Roll on secularisation. No, that doesn’t mean that we all
become good little atheists. It means that we regard religious belief as a
private matter and take it completely off the political radar screen.
Barend Vlaardingerbroek BA, BSc, BEdSt, PGDipLaws, MAppSc,
PhD is an associate professor of education at the American University of Beirut
and is a regular commentator on social and political issues. Feedback welcome
at bv00@aub.edu.lb
4 comments:
Nice review and well balanced. But it does seem Christians get a poor press these days even though their policies generally aim for all that is good, peaceful and altruistic.
Great article and true But Islam is a religion born out of and spread by warfare by Mohamad and his extended family.
Take a look at Israel Falau & the persecution he is getting from everyone for saying that gays are going to end up in hell instead of heaven. While I don't agree with his belief nobody can 100% say that he is not right, so how can they take his career off him for saying what he believes in, I think he might win his court case.
I don't think we're using the word 'persecution' in quite the same way. Being penalised for bringing one's company or sport or whatever into disrepute is not 'persecution'.
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.