The night ended with historian Tom Holland declaring sadly that we are now seeing the extinction of Christianity and other minority faiths in the Middle East. As he pointed out, it’s the culmination of the long process that began in the Balkans in the late 19th century, reached its horrific European climax in 1939-1945, and continued with the Greeks of Alexandria, the Mizrahi Jews and most recently the Chaldo-Assyrian Christians of Iraq. The Copts may have the numbers to hold on, Holland said, and the Jews of Israel, but can anyone else?
Without a state (and army) of their own, minorities are merely leaseholders. The question is whether we can do anything to prevent extinction, and whether British foreign policy can be directed towards helping Christian interests rather than, as currently seems to be the case, the Saudis.
The saddest audience question was from a young man who I’m guessing was Egyptian-British. He asked: ”˜Where was world Christianity when this happened?…’
Yes, the question is indeed haunting: Where were we Christians in the rest of the world while our brothers and sisters were driven out of the Middle East? Mostly watching passively from the sidelines, I’m afraid. AWOL.
I’m not sure that even the Copts will survive in Egypt, or the Maronites in Lebanon. Despite hanging on for over a millenium since the Islamic conquest of the Middle East in the 7th century, these groups may also become extinct in their homeland, while being transplanted (or scattered) around the world in a massive Diaspora. Already, in 2011 alone, over 100,000 Egyptian Christians fled the unrest and growing persecution after the Arab Spring turned sour. We don’t know how many more have fled since then, but it’s almost certainly an even higher number. This is unprecedented, and very ominous. Very tragic, and heartbreakingly sad.
I’m glad that ++Justin Welby and Pope Francis are both using their strong voices to call the Church to action and prayer. Christians are indeed an endangered species in the Arab world, and perhaps almost as much in the non-Arab Muslim world (think Northern Nigeria, Pakistan, etc.).
Lord, have mercy.
David Handy+
It is a sad fact of life that when nation states murder their own people the world stands by and watches. Oh there are good reasons given: It’s not our business. It’s an internal affair. Who made us the world’s policemen. Etc. But the point is irrefutable. Whenever there is a genocide the world will do nothing.