Some thoughts on the Guardian report - Persecution of Christians 'coming close to genocide' in Middle East
The Guardian published an article last weekend entitled
But now for my response.
But what is also tragic is the lack of any real analysis in this story, and I assume in the report. 100 years ago, after the end of WWI, the British and French Empires celebrated the demise of the Ottoman Empire, broke the agreements made with some Arab leaders and imposed their rule across the Middle East. They had been trying for this for about 100 years. Plans had been drawn up showing what would happen and which of the three powers, Britain, France and Russia, would get what. In part this was behind the Armenian genocide. "Christian" Europe's ongoing undermining and destabilizing of the Muslim Ottoman Empire for its own gain. Eventually with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of what we now call Turkey, the Caliphate also collapsed - an Islamic institution that went back to the time of the Prophet himself. 500 years earlier the Muslim Empires had ruled and were the dominant power. Now all was brushed away in the face of Western European Christian empires. The Caliphate had gone, and Christian European armies were stationed in the heartland of Islam. Imagine the shock of that? That shock continues today.
France created Lebanon. Britain and France appointed Saudis to be "kings" in Irag, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, they elevated the Saud family, members of the Wahhabi sect, an extreme from of Islam that the Ottomans had spent the last 100 years suppressing. Wahhabi's see any who are not Sunni Muslims as infidels and worthy of death. This includes Shia Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha'i, anyone. And British authorities elevated them to power, and stood back while they conquered the rest of Saudi Arabia. They are still significant allies of the West despite their hard-line rhetoric against all infidels - including Christians. Western Europe and the USA are still significant supporters of Saudi genocide in Shia Yemen.
For the last 100 years the West has seen fit to constantly interfere in the affairs of the Middle East through sponsored coups (in Iran) and direct invasions all in support of Western European and American economic interests. On occasion these interventions have been described as a new Crusade, that time when Christian Western Europe invaded the Middle East butchering and raping their way to Jerusalem, killing all inside including Muslims, Jews and Christians. Israel, funded by the West, supported by the West, has managed to persecute its Christian Palestinian population to the point where most have now left. The once Christian cities of Nazareth and Bethlehem are now Muslim majority, in part because so many Christians have left, and in part because so many Muslims were dispossessed off their land and moved into those cities. And mostly we in the West have supported that because they were Palestinian, and therefore were deeply suspect. For some reason Christians across the Middle East are now tarred with the label of collaborators to this ongoing Western interference (just as Germans and Japanese living in America and New Zealand were during WWII). And this report carefully describes the result.
In many ways this persecution is a direct result of ongoing Western polices toward the Middle East. It is a result of European colonization after WWI. It is a result of Britain's long standing policy of divide and rule - the results of which can be seen in India - Pakistan, and in Ireland. So I am glad this report has been written. But I grieve that it fails to acknowledged,as far as it has been reported by the Guardian, how Europe, and Britain in particular, is deeply complicit in this. And until this happens nothing will change. In all likelihood this will simply result in a growing anti-Muslim sentiment and actions which will lead to more religious persecution. Until we own are part in all this as part of Christian Western Europe, then we are part of the problem.
Persecution against any religious minority is abhorrent. It needs to be named as such. And all those that have a part to play, including the West, needs to confess their role and repent. I look forward to that day.
It is not an easy read. What is happening to Christians is just appalling. The persecution of any people of faith is a shocking and terrible thing. That this level of persecution exists anywhere is beyond tragic. Thank you for naming this.
But now for my response.
But what is also tragic is the lack of any real analysis in this story, and I assume in the report. 100 years ago, after the end of WWI, the British and French Empires celebrated the demise of the Ottoman Empire, broke the agreements made with some Arab leaders and imposed their rule across the Middle East. They had been trying for this for about 100 years. Plans had been drawn up showing what would happen and which of the three powers, Britain, France and Russia, would get what. In part this was behind the Armenian genocide. "Christian" Europe's ongoing undermining and destabilizing of the Muslim Ottoman Empire for its own gain. Eventually with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of what we now call Turkey, the Caliphate also collapsed - an Islamic institution that went back to the time of the Prophet himself. 500 years earlier the Muslim Empires had ruled and were the dominant power. Now all was brushed away in the face of Western European Christian empires. The Caliphate had gone, and Christian European armies were stationed in the heartland of Islam. Imagine the shock of that? That shock continues today.
France created Lebanon. Britain and France appointed Saudis to be "kings" in Irag, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, they elevated the Saud family, members of the Wahhabi sect, an extreme from of Islam that the Ottomans had spent the last 100 years suppressing. Wahhabi's see any who are not Sunni Muslims as infidels and worthy of death. This includes Shia Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha'i, anyone. And British authorities elevated them to power, and stood back while they conquered the rest of Saudi Arabia. They are still significant allies of the West despite their hard-line rhetoric against all infidels - including Christians. Western Europe and the USA are still significant supporters of Saudi genocide in Shia Yemen.
For the last 100 years the West has seen fit to constantly interfere in the affairs of the Middle East through sponsored coups (in Iran) and direct invasions all in support of Western European and American economic interests. On occasion these interventions have been described as a new Crusade, that time when Christian Western Europe invaded the Middle East butchering and raping their way to Jerusalem, killing all inside including Muslims, Jews and Christians. Israel, funded by the West, supported by the West, has managed to persecute its Christian Palestinian population to the point where most have now left. The once Christian cities of Nazareth and Bethlehem are now Muslim majority, in part because so many Christians have left, and in part because so many Muslims were dispossessed off their land and moved into those cities. And mostly we in the West have supported that because they were Palestinian, and therefore were deeply suspect. For some reason Christians across the Middle East are now tarred with the label of collaborators to this ongoing Western interference (just as Germans and Japanese living in America and New Zealand were during WWII). And this report carefully describes the result.
In many ways this persecution is a direct result of ongoing Western polices toward the Middle East. It is a result of European colonization after WWI. It is a result of Britain's long standing policy of divide and rule - the results of which can be seen in India - Pakistan, and in Ireland. So I am glad this report has been written. But I grieve that it fails to acknowledged,as far as it has been reported by the Guardian, how Europe, and Britain in particular, is deeply complicit in this. And until this happens nothing will change. In all likelihood this will simply result in a growing anti-Muslim sentiment and actions which will lead to more religious persecution. Until we own are part in all this as part of Christian Western Europe, then we are part of the problem.
Persecution against any religious minority is abhorrent. It needs to be named as such. And all those that have a part to play, including the West, needs to confess their role and repent. I look forward to that day.
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