Bishop Mouneer outlined his concerns for the church in a region that has seen popular uprisings against repressive governments.
The bishop said: ”˜If the Middle East is heading towards Islamic-based states with the application of the Sharia Law, the challenges facing Christians will include more restrictions on freedom. If the Middle East is heading towards real democracy based on the rights of citizenship, then Christians will have more options to be involved in building the future of the countries.’
In response to a question regarding what the international community could do, Bishop Mouneer said: ”˜The international community needs to ensure that citizens everywhere enjoy their full human rights. Governments that fail to provide these rights need to be challenged by the UN….