Christians under Siege

YNET NEWS: Op-ed: For some reason, West accepts suffering of Christians in Muslim countries as an internal problem that does not warrant intervention

In Egypt churches are being burned again. This happens there from time to time when there is a national crisis or when a member of the Coptic minority is in a dispute with someone from the Muslim majority. Why? Because being a “true” Arab means being Muslim. In the eyes of many in Egypt (and other Muslim countries) Islam is the cultural-national glue of Egyptian society, just as Judaism is the cultural-national glue of Israeli society. Those who do not belong to the ruling religion still have civil rights, but in the deeper sense they are considered foreign.

This viewpoint is paradoxical, as in both countries the “foreigners” are the members of the majority. In Egypt, just like in Israel, the religious minority was there before the majority. Christianity was the dominant religion in Egypt before Islam. The Copts are part of an ancient population that was already there when the Muslim conquerors arrived in the 7th century. Coptic Christianity did not arrive with the colonialists. It is ancient and deep-rooted, like the non-Western Christian movements in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. In all of these countries, the Christians are in a bad situation. In other Muslim countries their situation is very bad (according to estimates, close to a million Christians were murdered in Sudan).

Things weren’t always like this. Historically speaking, Islam is a more tolerant religion than Christianity. Until the 20th century a Christian who lived in an Islamic country was far better off than a Muslim who lived in a Christian land. All this changed in the modern age. The West adopted a standpoint of religious tolerance and blurred its Christian identity. The Muslim world, on the other hand, tightened the bond between nationalism and Islamism. » | Aviad Kleinberg | Sunday, August 25, 2013

Persecution of Christians Rising in Islamic Countries
CBN: JERUSALEM, Israel -- With Islamists poised to take over governments overthrown during the "Arab spring," Christians and other minorities may soon be subject to Sharia (Islamic) law.

Some say assurance by Islamist groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafis, and Ennahda, that non-Muslims would not be mistreated under Sharia is, at best, questionable.

In Egypt, attacks on Coptic Christians have increased exponentially since the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime last year.

Egyptian Christians have been beaten, shot and stabbed to death, and their homes and churches have been fire bombed by angry Muslims.

On Monday, Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament held its first session. The Muslim Brotherhood now holds 47 percent of the seats, and the Salafist al-Nour party 25 percent.
Syrian Christians have also come under increasing persecution.

"The Christian community in Syria has been hit by a series of kidnappings and brutal murders; 100 Christians have now been killed since the anti-government unrest began," the Jerusalem Post quoted the Pakistan Christian Post. » | Tzippe Barrow | CBN News Internet Producer – Jerusalem | Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Muslim Countries Want the Netherlands to ‘Take Steps’ Against Geert Wilders
DUTCH NEWS: Muslim members of the human rights commission of the United Nations want the Netherlands to take steps against Geert Wilders and his anti-Koran film Fitna, reports Trouw on Wednesday.

The comments came during a two-week meeting of the commission in which countries are being judged on their human rights.

Junior justice minister Nebahat Albayrak, who is part of the Dutch delegation, said the public prosecution department is looking into whether the film broke any laws.

Egypt had harsh words for the Dutch judge who said that as an MP Wilders had the right to criticise radical Islam and the Koran and that he was not inciting racial hatred. The judge's comments showed a lack of feeling for the duties and jurisprudence on human rights, the Egyptian delegate said.

The commission plans to hold three meetings each year until all 192 UN member countries have been judged on their human rights. The Netherlands is in the first batch of 16 countries. [Source: Muslim Countries Call for Action on Wilders]

DAWN:
UN Action Sought Against Blasphemy >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Muslim Countries Interfere with West's Freedom of Expression: They Want Fitna Banned!
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: The ambassadors of 26 Islamic countries want the Netherlands to investigate whether the film Fitna made by Dutch right-wing populist MP Geert Wilders can be banned. They asked Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen whether it is possible to start legal proceedings against the anti-Islam film. The meeting at the ministry in The Hague was attended by ambassadors of countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Mr Verhagen told the 26 ambassadors he was pleased that responses from the Muslim world up to now had been moderate. He said the public prosecutor was investigating whether any offence had been committed, and the Dutch government clearly distanced itself from the film.

At the same time he called on the ambassadors to ensure Dutch citizens and organisations abroad were protected. "Let's keep heads cool and relations warm," he added. "We know about the concerns and feelings about this film among the international Muslim community, but hurt feelings must never be an excuse for aggression and threats."

"Christian terrorist"

In Indonesia, a few dozen demonstrators protested against Geert Wilders' film outside the Dutch embassy. They waved banners reading "Holland go to Hell" and "Kill Geert Wilders", threw eggs and bottles of water at the building and chanted anti-Dutch slogans. One protestor called on Muslims around the world to kill Mr Wilders, calling him a "Christian terrorist". IslamicCountries Want Dutch to Ban Wilders’ Movie >>> By Sebastiaan Gottlieb | 31-03-2008-03-31

Mark Alexander