THE WEST AND THE CHRISTIANS OF THE ARAB WORLD
06. Jan, 2011
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Christians and Muslims join ranks in a mass protest in Cairo to condemn the New Year's Eve car bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria. Photograph: AFP/Getty
by: Jamal Kanj
I am dump founded by calls from Italy, France and other European countries, and now the US expressing concerns about “attacks” against Christians in the Middle East. Certainly the bombing of the Coptic Church in Egypt or assaults against the church in Iraq earlier should be condemned and should not be tolerated by any Arab, Muslim or Christian. The Christians of Iraq or Egypt are indigenous people who belong to their land as much as anyone from any other creed or religion.
Hitherto, I seriously question the sudden “concern” of Western powers over the safety of Christians in the so called Middle East. The West refers to the Middle East when they really mean the Arab world more or less. For the term Middle East simply has no historical significance and it does not satisfy any true hypsometrical or terrestrial positioning on earth. The region is not in the middle, east or near any significant physical bearing on the planet. The name was likely bestowed by the British imperial office in India whereby the region between India and Britain became to symbolize the middle of the east, or near to the east of England, where India became the east and the area beyond became the Far East. It is just another colonial terminology.
Going back to the “concerns” over native Christians in the Arab world, Iraqi Christians for example lived in peace and were prosperous until the American occupation of the country; they played an important role in building their country and joined their fellow Iraqis in the running of the nation. Hostilities against Christians were never heard of for centuries in Iraq, until recent years. The targeting of Christians in Iraq is analogous to targeting fellow Iraqi Muslims by radical factions mushroomed in the country following the occupation of Iraq. These factions were a direct byproduct of the occupation and the chaotic conditions created by then American Administrator, Bremer.
It is fair to say that more Muslim Shia or Sunni places of worship were assaulted after 2003 (American invasion) than were Christian churches. This is a statement of fact and is not meant to belittle the seriousness of attacks against Christian churches in Iraq or Egypt. But no one should also ignore that the radicalization created following the occupation is the main impetuous for these attacks. I dare to say that elements within the occupation forces may have played a direct or indirect role in promoting the hostility between religions and sects to disintegrate the occupied community. Under these conditions, sectarian security takes precedence over the nation survival, hence diverting attention from occupying forces to feigned local enmities. The incident in Egypt is a spell over of the regional hostility injected following the occupation of Iraq.
Another issue, the Western professed concerns for “some” Christians can be detrimental to their status in the Arab World, for this will portray Christians as outsiders or even worse as agents for outside powers; intentionally or unintentionally inviting outside opportunistic powers such as Israel to exploit the concocted tension by bringing it to an open conflict.
Israel has never shied away from its desire to creating a sectarian division within the Arab word. This was documented in memoirs by the first Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion and Israeli Foreign minister Sharett since the early 1950s.
But why is the West suddenly concerned with the well being of Christians in the Arab world?
Why weren’t they concerned with the interests of Palestinian Christians for the last 62 years? Today, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza can’t drive less than 50 miles to visit the Church of Nativity on Christmas Eve, or a Christian from Bethlehem can’t drive less than 10 miles to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
Aren’t Christians in the holy land representing the only uninterrupted Christian presence in Palestine since the days when Jesus roamed the alleys of old Jerusalem? Ignoring the suffering of Palestinian Christians by Western powers, for 62 years, belie their current concerns with Christians in the Arab World.
Source: Jamalkanj.com
Jamal Kanj was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon ten years after the creation of the state of Israel. He is the author of “Children of Catastrophe, Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America” published recently by Garnet Publishing, UK. Jamal can be reached at : jkanj@yahoo.com
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We don’t need any sympathy or help from the West. They are the ones who caused the issues in the first place. They are the ones who invaded and occupied Iraq. They are the ones who support the Egyptian regime. They are the ones to support Israel. I am loyal to my people and my nation. I would rather be killed by my Muslim brothers than to collaborate with the West and be a traitor to my people.
[Reply]
Fakhrul Ferdous Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 6:49 am
I am deeply touched and amazed by your words.You are a real hero of Palestine.I pray to ALLAH that you achieve your long cherished goal of an independent Palestine.
May ALLAH bless the Palestinians and all human beings on earth.
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Can someone tell me why Egypt seems to be against their Arab brothers. does a peace agreement with Israel mean that egypt forsakes the rest of the arab world to please Israel? I am a non-practicing christian, & i have a tremendous amount of respect for practicing Muslims. They whatever they are doing to pray 5 times a day. They practice what the koran teaches them & it is not assassinating their fellow man. The west has unfairly demonized Islam. Islam is a religion of peace & brotherhood. Before passing judgment they should take the time to read the Koran as i have done. It might just open some eyes
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Fakhrul Ferdous Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 6:43 am
Its really shame that after few thousands year history of civilization,we are dividing the human being into Muslims,Christians,Jews,Hindus and Buddhists.We should think that, we are the creature of almighty ALLAH.If I put two bowls of blood containing Muslim and Christian’s.Can you identify which one is yours or mine?No,you can not.Then,why this clash is for?
Without believing Torah,Zabur,Bible– one can not embrace Islam and become a Muslim.Christ(pbuh)is not only your prophet and my prophet too.
Not all the Muslims in the world practice true Islam.It applies to people from other religion too in the same way.Praying five times a day is not only the sign of a true Muslim.There are other things to perform.
Qur’an is the last and final revelation from almighty ALLAH.And,it is for the whole human race.
May ALLAH bless the Palestinians and all human beings on earth.
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Poignant and timely article, Jamal does a great job connecting the dots and exposing the responsibilities of Western nations for the current and past problems.
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An excellent article by Mr.Jamal Kanj.
The so-called WESTERN sympathy and love for the ARAB Christians is a hypocratic move towards creating a new fear of Arabs and Muslims, that, the Christians are not safe in their respective countries.So, we need more ‘Darfur’ to create.New war strategy will start then by the WEST in collaboration with the Zionist Nazi Israel.
I strongly believe that,the Christian community in the Arab world are peace loving and patriot people no less than others in the region.They have contributed much in Syria,Iraq,Egypt,Jordan,Palestine and other countries.
The peace loving people should raise their voice to resist the ‘Zio-Nazi’ new project of conflict and division.
May ALLAH bless the Palestinians and all human beings on earth.
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