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  • The Plight Of Christians In The Middle East, The Cradle Of Christian

    OPINION: THE PLIGHT OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CRADLE OF CHRISTIANITY

    Asharq Alawsat (English) - The Middle East
    May 26, 2014 Monday

    For more than 20 years, I have tried to build bridges between Islam
    and Christianity and to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding between
    them. Islam is the second-largest faith community in the world and
    the second-largest in Britain, and so bridges between Islam and
    Christianity are something that must concern every responsible person.

    That is one of the reasons I have been happy to be involved in
    many faith bridge-building projects, including helping establish
    the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and setting up the Prince's
    School for Traditional Arts in 2004. In 2008, I was honored to be the
    first Westerner and Christian to receive an honorary doctorate from
    the 1,000 year-old Al-Azhar University in Cairo, and will continue,
    God willing, to build bridges whenever possible.

    I have for some time felt great concern about those of all faith
    communities in the Middle East who are suffering so grievously at
    the present time. The rights of all people of faith in the Middle
    East should be respected. But it saddens me deeply that the ancient
    Christian communities are among those facing growing difficulties,
    despite the fact that part of their long and deeply rooted history
    in the region is testimony to the tolerance and understanding Muslim
    leaders have shown in the past. It seems to me that the bridges of
    understanding which matter to us all are being deliberately destroyed
    by militant fundamentalists with a vested interest in doing so-and
    this is achieved through intimidation, false accusation and organized
    persecution. It is my fervent hope and prayer that this should cease.

    It is essential to remember that Christianity was, literally, born in
    the Middle East. The church communities there link us straight back to
    the early Church, as I was reminded by hearing Aramaic, Jesus Christ's
    own language, spoken and sung in the Syrian Orthodox Church in London
    I visited a few months ago. The region has for 2,000 years enjoyed
    such a rich panoply of church life in the Middle East, including the
    Antiochian, Greek, Coptic, Syrian and Armenian Orthodox Churches;
    the Melkite, Maronite, Syrian Catholic, Chaldean and Roman Catholic
    Churches, as well as the Church of the East and churches established
    somewhat more recently, including the Anglican Church. Yet, today,
    the Middle East and North Africa have the lowest concentration of
    Christians in the world-just four per cent of the population-and it
    is clear that the Christian population of the Middle East has dropped
    dramatically over the last century and is falling still further.

    This has an effect on all of us, although, of course, primarily on
    those Christians who can no longer continue to live in the Middle East;
    we all lose something immensely and irreplaceably precious when such a
    rich tradition begins to disappear. It is important to note that Arab
    Christians-Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Egyptian, as well as those
    from other Arab countries and from Iran-are not Western Christians
    living in the Middle East, but native Arabs and Middle Easterners and,
    as such, are an integral part of the very fabric of society in many
    Middle-Eastern countries. During my visits to the region I have been
    fascinated and encouraged to learn about the many links and friendships
    which cross the boundaries between ethnic and faith groups.

    I am fully aware that the Middle East is not the only part of the world
    in which Christians are suffering and that it is not only Christians
    suffering there. But, given the particularly acute circumstances
    faced by the church communities in the Middle East today, I felt
    it is essential to draw attention to their current plight. In this
    regard, I welcome the efforts being made to preserve the traditions of
    hospitality and moderation in the Middle East, in spite of the current
    severe strains. As my wife and I saw for ourselves during our visit
    last year, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has once again fulfilled
    its enormously hospitable obligations and taken in a huge number
    of refugees, this time from Syria during the present troubles. Both
    under the late King Hussein, and under His Majesty King Abdullah II's
    leadership, Jordan has proved a most heartening and courageous witness
    to the fruitful tolerance and respect between faith communities. Others
    in the region are displaying amazing humanity in receiving huge
    numbers of refugees, despite putting immense strain on their resources.

    However mixed the picture elsewhere, I salute the efforts made by the
    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi
    Arabia, and others, to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding.

    I was also pleased to meet Christians from many backgrounds and
    congregations during a visit to Qatar in February.

    Now is the time to redouble our joint efforts to stress what binds the
    three Abrahamic faiths together and, as Christians, Jews and Muslims,
    to express outrage at what tears us asunder. In doing this, it is
    important to remind ourselves that an emphasis on love of neighbor
    and doing to others as we would have them do to us are the ultimate
    foundations of truth, justice, compassion and human rights-the same
    way that the Common Word initiative of 2007, now endorsed by so many
    leading Muslim scholars, sought to point out. Such profound wisdom
    is at the very heart of all three religions, however obscured the
    message may have become.

    My special thoughts and prayers, therefore, are for all beleaguered
    communities, of whatever faith and denomination. Beyond prayer,
    we must also speak up for such communities, and work to help them,
    along with all our Muslim friends. Does the Qur'an not say:

    For each among you, We have appointed a law and a way. And had
    God willed, He would have made you one community, but [He willed
    otherwise], that He might try you in that which He has given you. So
    vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your return,
    all together, and He will inform you of that wherein you differed. (The
    Table, 5: 48)


    From: Baghdasarian
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