21/7/2019 Historic Eastern Christianity: An Uncertain Future — Strategic Culture

Elias Samo
January 19, 2019 | WORLD

Historic Eastern Christianity: An

Uncertain Future
The survival of historic Eastern Christianity has never been as urgent as it is today.
Christianity saw its beginning in Greater Syria which was subdivided by France and Britain
after WWI into modern day Syria, Lebanon, Palestian/Israel and Jordan. The land that
housed, nurtured and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ for over two millenniums, now
threatens children of that faith. The survival of historic Eastern Christianity, particularly in
Syria, is critical for several reasons:
1. Greater Syria is the homeland of Jesus and Christianity. Abraham was from modern
day Iraq, Moses from Egypt, and Muhammad from Mecca; Jesus was from Syria.

2. Paul converted to Christianity and saw the light while walking through ‘The Street
Called Straight’ in Damascus.

3. Jesus’ followers were called Christians for the first time in Antioch, formerly part of
Syria.

4. One of the earliest churches, perhaps the earliest, is in Syria.

The potential demise of historic Eastern Christianity is reflected in the key question Christians
ask: should we stay or emigrate? The urgent question – in the face of the ongoing regional
turmoil – precipitated with the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and escalated since the Arab
uprisings in 2011. Historic Eastern Christians’ fears were further magnified when Archbishop
Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop Paul Yazigi of the Greek
Orthodox Church, both of metropolitan Aleppo, were kidnapped on April, 22, 2013; with no
traces of their whereabouts, dead or alive, since. For many years, I was deputy, friend, and
advisor to the Archbishop Ibrahim, which provided me an opportunity to meet many
Christians. I have, over time, noticed the change in their sentiment, with more considering
emigration after the uprising and the kidnapping of the two Archbishops. Historic Eastern
Christians survived the Ottoman Genocide in 1915 and thereafter; they multiplied and thrived
in the Fertile Crescent despite some atrocities until the start of the misnamed “Arab Spring” in
early 2011. Prior to the “Arab Spring”, historic Eastern Christians were victims of violence on
several occasions. In the mid-1930s, the historic Assyrian community in Iraq suffered violent
onslaughts and were driven to Syria. In the 1970s and 1980s, during the Lebanese Civil War,
Christians were victims of sectarian violence. During the American invasion of Iraq in 2003,
Christians were victims of widespread sectarian violence which led to mass migration. The
“Arab Spring” began with great hope for the right of the people to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness”. However, it was swiftly hijacked by Islamists and Salafists and turned into an
“Islamic Spring, an Arab Fall and a Christian Winter”; bringing along with it a new massacre
of Christians. Presently, Eastern Christianity is at the mercy of clear and identifiable domestic,
regional, and international, historic and contemporary conflicts in the Fertile Crescent,
namely:
1. Jihad vs. Ijtihad: A long standing conflict amongst Muslims between the sword vs. the
pen.

2. Sunni vs. Shiite: A conflict which began following the death of the Prophet Muhammad.

3. Arabism vs. Islamism: The former has territorial limitations, the later has no territorial
limitations.

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21/7/2019 Historic Eastern Christianity: An Uncertain Future — Strategic Culture

4. Syria vs. Israel: It is an essential component of the Palestinian problem, not the
presumed Arab- Israeli conflict.

5. West vs. East: A throwback to the Cold War, or its revival.

6. Historic Persian, Ottoman and Arab Empires animosities: Each seeking regional
hegemony.

One is reminded of the proverbial saying, “When the elephants fight, the grass suffers.”
Certainly, Eastern Christianity is suffering and threatened with extinction.
Syria was a model of religious tolerance, common living and peaceful interaction amongst its
religious, sectarian, cultural and ethnic components. Seven years of turmoil, in which various
international and regional powers manipulated segments of Syrian society by supplying them
with an abundance of weapons, money and sectarian ideologies, has heightened Eastern
Christians’ fears. During the seven-year turmoil in Syria, the entire society has suffered;
Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Yazidis, Kurds, Christians and others. Christians, being a weak and
peaceful component of the society, have suffered immensely. Ma’aloula; a religious treasure
for Christians globally, and the only city in the world where Aramaic – the language of Jesus
Christ – is spoken, was attacked and besieged by ISIS. Numerous historic Churches were
damaged, and many destroyed. Christians in Raqqa were forced by ISIS into one of three
options: 1. Pay a penalty in pure gold – known as a ‘Jizya’ to keep their life and practice their
faith – albeit in secret only; 2. Convert into Islam; or 3. Face immediate death. To top their
pain, the kidnap of the two prominent Archbishops meant no Eastern Christian believer was
safe.
Amidst all the doom and gloom, however, there remains hope. The survival of Christianity
depends on the actions and reactions of three parties:
Eastern Christians: During the last hundred years, 1915-2015, since the Ottoman Genocide,
Eastern Christians have been victims of a history of massacres, which meant that every
Eastern Christian was a martyr, a potential martyr or a witness of martyrdom; if you fool me
once, shame on you, if you fool me twice, shame on me. The ongoing regional turmoil has
heightened their sense of insecurity. The answer to an age-old question Eastern Christians
had on their mind: To flee Westwards or remain in their land, in the face of death, is
increasingly becoming the former.
Eastern Muslims: There is a difference in perceptions between Eastern Christians and
mainstream Muslims regarding the massacres committed against Christians. When certain
violent groups or individuals kill Christians, while shouting a traditional Islamic profession: “No
God but one God and Muhammad is God’s messenger”, it is reasonable for Christians to
assume the killers are Muslims. However, for mainstream Muslims, the killers do not
represent Islam; they are extremists, violating basic Islamic norms such as Muhammad’s
sayings, “Whoever hurts a Thummy – Christian or Jew – has hurt me”, “no compulsion in
religion” and other Islamic norms regarding just treatment of people of the Book; Christians
and Jews. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Muslim elites to impress upon their fellow
Muslims that:
a. The three monotheistic religions believe in one God and all ‘faithfuls’ are equal in
citizenship, rights and duties.
b. Christians participated in the rise of Arab Islamic civilization. They were pioneers in the
modern Arab renaissance and they joined their Muslim brethren in resisting the Crusades,
the Ottomans and Western colonialism.
c. Christians are natives of the land and they provide cultural, religious, educational, and
economic, diversity.
d. Christians are a positive link between the Muslims and the Christian West, particularly in
view of the rise of Islamophobia. Massacres of Christians and their migration provide a
pretext for the further precipitation of Islamophobia.
e. Civilization is measured by the way it treats its minorities.
The Christian West: The Crusades, Western colonialism, creation and continued support of
Israel, support of authoritarian Arab political systems, military interventions, regime change,
and the destabilization of Arab states made Muslims view Eastern Christians ‘guilty by
association’. The Christian West helped Jews come to Palestine to establish Israel. Shouldn’t

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21/7/2019 Historic Eastern Christianity: An Uncertain Future — Strategic Culture
the same Christian West also help Eastern Christians remain in their homeland, rather than
facilitate their emigration? Western Christians, particularly Christian Zionists, believe that the
existence of Israel is necessary for the return of Jesus to his homeland. However, it would be
a great disappointment for Jesus to return to his homeland, Syria and not find any of his
followers.
Prior to 2011, Eastern Christian religious leaders were encouraging Syrian Christians in the
diaspora to return to Syria, their homeland, where life was safe and secure with great
potential. Now, the same leaders are desperately trying to slow down Christian emigration.
Eastern Christians’ loud cries for help to remain are blowing in the wind.

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