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ishtartv.com - huffingtonpost.com
12/15/2016
Although
Christians have lived in the Middle East - the birthplace of Christianity - for
nearly two thousand years, as a result of years of persecution and
discrimination, especially in the past 15 years, they now constitute no more
than 3-4% of the region’s population, down from 20% a century ago. Christians
are not the only minority being discriminated against in this region, but their
plight is more visible in many places, beyond what has been experienced by
Yazidis, Kurds, Druze, and others. Unfortunately, given the turmoil in the
Middle East and the rise of Islamic extremism, with few exceptions Christians
and other minorities may no longer be able to live in harmony with their
largely Muslim neighbors.
There
are several factors contributing to the persecution of religious minorities in
the Middle East. Although sectarian conflicts in the region are not new, the
2003 Iraq War and the Arab Spring unleashed a new torrent of violence between
Sunnis and Shias and against other religious minorities.
The
rise of Islamic extremism has been a singular driving force in the plight of
religious minorities, fueling a growing desire to resort to religion as a
palliative. The resurfacing of religious division vis-à-vis the Sunni-Shia
conflict, and between different Sunni sects, is creating a societal mindset
that posits other religious groups as ‘the enemy.’ Groups like al-Qaeda and
ISIS exploit this intolerance of religious and inter-religious out-groups, with
the latter taking such fanaticism to new and barbaric heights.
In
addition, the wanton persecution of religious minorities is compounded by the
threat of radicalization, which threatens social cohesion and combines
religious doctrine with fanatical violence. As Blaise Pascal aptly put it, “Men
never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious
conviction.”
The
prevailing frustration, pain, and agony in the region as a result of socio-economic
despondency adds further impetus to the spike in discrimination—when
governments fail to step in and mitigate the situation, there is a tendency to
find a ‘sacrificial lamb’ to blame one’s ills on.
The
fact that there is rampant unemployment, limited opportunities for higher
education, and that tens of millions of Muslims live in poverty all fosters a
sense of resentment against other minorities.
Arab
nationalism is another major factor that was reinvigorated in the wake of Arab
Spring, and as a result, discrimination against Christians was sharpened in
certain countries, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The growing influence of
Islam into the state framework created cleavages between religious minority
groups and the majority.
The
prevalence of blasphemy laws throughout the region add another complex layer to
religious discrimination. These laws, which are frequently abused to settle
personal scores, often carry with them a mandatory death sentence. Allegations
of blasphemy are often presented with no evidence, because to reproduce the
evidence would be to reproduce the blasphemy.
Finally,
a widely-held perception in the Middle East today is that many of the region’s
socioeconomic problems are attributable to the legacy of the post-World War I
and II colonial eras and the exploitive regimes of those times. Though many of
the newly independent states immediately turned to autocratic rule, the
pre-existing state structures were largely kept in place to the relief of
religious minorities.
The
Arab Spring, though, put this political order to the test—the demand for
democratization made many religious minorities uneasy, worried that the legal
protections carried over from the Ottoman era would fall to the wayside.
There
are several remedies and countermeasures that must be taken to mitigate
religious discrimination. To begin with, a renewed and concerted push is
necessary at the political level, led by the world’s major powers to end many
of the raging regional conflicts. Needless to say, this is easier said than
done, but then regardless of how extremely intractable many of these conflicts
are, no one should expect that persecution of minorities would be eliminated or
be appreciably minimized unless these conflicts come to an end.
Ending
regional conflicts, including a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
would substantially reduce tensions in much of the region and bring Israel
closer to the Sunni Arab world, while depriving extremist groups such as Hamas
and Hezbollah of their raison d’etre.
A
solution to the Syrian conflict would stabilize what is left of the fractious
nation and could help improve the status of the remaining Christian community
in particular, which has seen many of its holy sites defaced or completely
destroyed at the behest of radical Islamist militias such as ISIS.
The
Sunni-Shiite conflict, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and Iran respectively, is
another conflict that feeds into the frenzy of extremism and must also be
mitigated, even though it may take years if not decades.
Preventive
diplomacy is critically important any time there is a sign that acts of
persecution might take place, or there appears to be a gradual emergence of an
environment that could lead to persecution—measures taken by the West, and particularly
the United States, in a timely fashion would prevent such developments from
occurring.
Furthermore,
in responding quickly to atrocities against religious minorities, outside
powers need to interject themselves more forcefully before conflicts spiral out
of control. There is evidence that suggests timely intervention in Syria,
however limited in scope, can prevent further calamities against religious
minorities.
When
ISIS was attacking the Yazidis in Iraq with genocidal intent, the US intervened
and saved tens of thousands of Yazidis who were trapped on Mount Sinjar, under
threat of extermination by the extremist Islamist group. Similarly, the
destruction of the predominantly Kurdish city of Kobani in Syria was prevented
when the US helped local Kurdish forces repel ISIS and take back the town.
Significant
funding is needed for religious programming so that citizens of a given country
can develop legal practices and cultural tools which offer training and
instruction in religious tolerance. In order to address these issues, federal
agencies including USAID need to enforce their mandates, as do nonprofits whose
mission is to promote religious freedom initiatives.
When
these states modify their existing practices, they can be rewarded financially
or otherwise depending on the special need of a given country — but tangible
results need to be seen before any incentives are granted.
To
drive the point home, violators need to fully understand that their
transgressions will have consequences. With its tremendous global influence,
the United States and the EU can go as far as leveraging international trade or
other political deals with a demand of ending violations against religious
minorities.
Violators
can be punished through sanctions - restricting travel of senior officials,
limiting trade, etc.—which could give violating countries incentives to stop
discriminatory practices. Approaches to addressing violations against religious
freedom, however, cannot be generalized. Each country is different, and the
same measures cannot be applied across the board.
We
cannot underestimate the importance of education in promoting and fostering
religious tolerance and inter-religious dialogue. Modifying textbooks and
learning about religions other than one’s own can be an invaluable experience,
if it is approached without belittling, disparaging, or dismissing views that
are different from the ones we happen to hold.
Positive
exposure to other religions can deepen the understanding and appreciation we
have of our own faith. As Gandhi aptly observed, “It is the duty of every
cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If
we are to respect others’ religions as we would have them respect our own, a
friendly study of the world’s religions is a sacred duty.”
There
are innumerable instances where a country, due to a preexisting alliance or for
the sake of self-interest, will not admonish a partner nation for its
violations against religious freedom. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq are on
top of the list in discriminating against Christians, but one does not hear the
United States raising this question publicly due to political considerations.
If
the United States seeks to make its objections clear to allied nations, it must
open a quiet dialogue and pressure them to correct their records on religious
freedom.
At
the international level, any progress toward ensuring the protection of
religious freedom and reducing discrimination against and persecution of
religious minorities has been hampered by the failure of the United Nations.
The
UN Security Council is overly politicized, and a resolution to stop the
persecution of minorities is rarely passed; even then, there is no enforcement
mechanism over which all Security Council members agree upon. The UN General
Assembly is less effective, as any resolution passed is non-binding and largely
ignored by its own members.
The
strategies that have been enumerated for addressing religious persecution of
minorities in the Middle East do not constitute a silver bullet that will bring
a halt to discrimination and abuse. It is a tragedy for the world when any
group of persons - whether they be Christians, Muslims, Yazidis, or Druze - are
denied their human dignity and the basic human freedom to believe and worship
as they please.
The
freedom of religion and the dignity of each and every individual will be fully
restored when those who now are consumed with hatred for the other, recall and
take to heart the words of Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
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