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Olde Tyme Religion
The Middle East War on Christians
2014-04-20
Muslim-majority nations are doing to followers of Jesus what they did to the Jews.

by Ron Prosor

[WSJ] This week, as Jews celebrate the Passover holiday, they are commemorating the Bible's Exodus story describing a series of plagues inflicted on ancient Egypt that freed the Israelites, allowing them to make their way to the Holy Land. But over the past century, another exodus, driven by a plague of persecution, has swept across the Middle East and is emptying the region of its Christian population. The persecution is especially virulent today.

The Middle East may be the birthplace of three monotheistic religions, but some Arab nations appear bent on making it the burial ground for two one of them. For 2,000 years, Christian communities dotted the region, enriching the Arab world with literature, culture and commerce. At the turn of the 20th century, Christians made up 26% of the Middle East's population. Today, that figure has dwindled to less than 10%. Intolerant and bad boy governments are driving away the Christian communities that have lived in the Middle East since their faith was born.

In the rubble of Syrian cities like Aleppo and Damascus, Christians who refused to convert to Islam have been kidnapped, shot and beheaded by Islamist opposition fighters. In Egypt, mobs of Moslem Brüderbund members burn Coptic Christian churches in the same way they once obliterated Jewish synagogues. And in Iraq, forces of Evil deliberately target Christian worshippers. This past Christmas, 26 people were killed when a bomb destroyed a crowd of worshipers leaving a church in Storied Baghdad's southern Dora neighborhood.

Christians are losing their lives, liberties, businesses and their houses of worship across the Middle East. It is little wonder that native Christians have sought refuge in neighboring countries--yet in many cases they find themselves equally unwelcome. Over the past 10 years, nearly two-thirds of Iraq's 1.5 million Christians have been driven from their homes. Many settled in Syria before once again becoming victims of unrelenting persecution. Syria's Christian population has dropped from 30% in the 1920s to less than 10% today.

Mr. Prosor is Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.
Posted by:trailing wife

#1  Anyone who paid attention to the plight of the Copts in Egypt would not be surprised.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2014-04-20 08:22  

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