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Jesuit Fr. Samir Khalil Samir SJ, professor of History of Arab Culture and Islamic Studies, estimates that there are 16 million Christians in the Middle East, with 8 to 10 million of those in Egypt, 2 million in Lebanon and Christians in Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. Though Christianity existed in these countries before Islam, Christians can be subject to discrimination and harassment.
Citing examples from Egypt, Fr Samir said “The whole day and during the whole year, you are bombarded with Islamic propaganda starting at five in the morning. They start their preaching using megaphones and this is five times a day. Then you have the radio and television; often your neighbours play these programmes at a high volume.”
“When one is looking for work particularly in the public sector, you are asked for your name, which is normal, but in Egypt … your father’s name and your grandfather’s name and if there is no mention of Mohammed in your series of names then you are known to be a Christian.”
Fr Samir said, however, that this discrimination was not reflected throughout the Middle East. “On the other end you will find Lebanon, which is not a Muslim country. It is an Arab country … Christians and Muslims are equal; … so that in the Lebanese parliament you will find 64 Christians and 64 Muslims.”
Migration of Christians from Arabic countries was a serious concern said Fr Samir. “Migration is growing and the number of Christians annually is dwindling everywhere. I just heard from the Bishop of Tier, Lebanon, where there is no discrimination and he said: ‘When I was a child in the 50’s in Tier, there were 10,000 inhabitants, 5000 Christians and 5000 Muslims. Today 3000 are Christians of the 80,000.’”
Fr Samir expressed concern that the movement to Islamize Arabic societies will not stop within our lifetime, “if it comes to a certain point, we have seen this in Turkey, how the proportion of Christians at the beginning of the 20th century was over 20% to 24 %. The number today is 0, 2%…That is why it is important to stop it now and maybe propose to those who have left to come back. It is difficult.”
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Image National Geographic
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