Despite being an overall minority, there is a significant Christian population living in countries like Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt.
Amid the chaos that has laid siege to all people of the Middle-East and North Africa since the Arab Spring uprisings against dictatorship paved the way for militancy and civil war in region, the Christian world is increasingly expressing its concern over the condition of Christians living in the region.
After the toppling of Egypt’s elected president Mohamed Morsi in the July 3 military coup led by Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, as well as the persecution of the Muslim Brotherhood movement from which Morsi hails, many Muslims began to suspect that the country’s Coptic Christian community, which makes up 10% of the population, played a role in his ousting. This has particularly increased tensions between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, with clashes becoming evermore common.
Concerns have also been raised for the welfare of Christians in Syria, especially after al-Qaeda affiliated opposition groups took over the Christian towns of Maaloola and Kessab. Maaloola was later taken back by the regime, but Kessab, which lies along the Turkish border, is still under the control of opposition fighters.
Although the members of the ethnic Armenian community of Kessab, who are largely heading to Turkey to escape from the rebel-targeted bombings by the Syrian regime, speak well of the opposition fighters who have been risking their lives to escort them to safety, old anxieties regarding the past treatment of Christians by al-Qaeda still exists.
In this context, it may benefit both Muslims and Christians to recall the words of the Prophet Muhammad regarding how Christians should be treated by Muslims in the following translation of a letter he sent to the Christian monks at St. Catherines, Mount Sinai (Egypt) in 628 AD:
This is a message from Muhammad son of Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them.
Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil Gods covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).
Hameen Shaheen
[email protected]
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
