HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD n HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD n HAPPENINGS ARO

Solidarity with Christians in the

MIDDLE EAST by Tony Peck

Religious Minorities in IRAQ

Near Extinction

Between January 21 and 28, 2015, a delegation from the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, a new Christian human rights organization, traveled to northern Iraq to document ethnic and religious cleansing there and explore means of assisting Iraq’s displaced religious minorities. The following is a summary of the report.

Religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq I

n the meeting of the European Baptist Federation (EBF) Council in Bucharest, Romania, September 2014, we were privileged to have with us eight Baptist leaders from the Middle East - Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. They came with heavy burdens: the continuing devastating conflict in Syria;

the resulting refugee crisis in Jordan and Lebanon; the rise of ISIS and the murder of Christians and the destruction of churches in Syria and Iraq; the precarious political situation in Egypt; and the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially as it has resulted in more destruction in Gaza.

There is no shortage of media coverage and analysis of the situation in the Middle

East. But these leaders brought their firsthand experience of being with their churches in the eye of the storm. They had stories to tell of courageous faith in the face of war and violence. In one of its sessions, the EBF Council simply listened as they described their different situations. Then each leader was surrounded by council members who prayed for the presenters, their churches and their countries. Above all, we prayed that peace might come in the midst of the violent conflict that, at present, characterizes so much of the Middle East. We hear much concern about the diminishing “Christian minority” in the Middle East,

and indeed there has been significant emigration in recent years. “Please help and support your brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle East to stay!” was the cry of these Baptist leaders. They made the point that they do not want to behave as a beleaguered minority but rather join with others of goodwill, including Muslims, to awaken the silent majority who want to live at peace with one another in the Middle East. This is a perspective that those in the West need to hear and take note of. The presence of Palestinian Baptists and other evangelical Christians in Israel and

Palestine (including Gaza) is a continuing challenge to the Christian Zionist narrative that is still influential in some parts of the Baptist world. Whatever our theological and political views of the situation in Israel and Palestine, can

we simply stand with our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ in Gaza as they seek to reach out to those who have lost home and loved ones? Let not our politics or our ideology prevent us from rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep, and standing in solidarity with them all. What does authentic Christian witness look like to the Muslim communities of the EBF region? Here is one of the biggest challenges to Christian witness: How to respond as churches to the Muslim presence in Europe and the Middle East. In Iraq and Syria we have been shocked by the activities of the Islamic State, the murdering of Christians and other minorities and the driving out of others from their homes. In Western Europe the issue is how we balance peaceful co-existence with our Muslim neighbors and authentic witness to Christ among them. We need the help and encouragement of one another to do this.

18 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE

are living at the edge of extinction. They are marginalized and under threat from the genocidal actions of the Islamic State (IS) in the country, resulting in the purging of religious and ethnic minorities from their historic homes. If immediate action is not taken, the existence of religious and ethnic minority communities such as Christians, Yazidis, Shabak and Turkmen will continue on a trajectory of precipitous decline into virtual nonexistence. Loss of an important

religious and

ethnic minority has occurred in Iraq before. In 1948, the Jewish community numbered 150,000. Today, there are less than 10 known elderly Jews living in Iraq. An oft- repeated refrain remains grimly germane: First the Saturday People, then the Sunday People.

In the last decade, the Christian com-

munity has plummeted from approxi- mately 1.5 million to 300,000. A group of

Above left: The Saint Hormizo Monastery, a 7th Century Monastery, that was 13 miles from IS controlled territory.

(Photo courtesy of 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative)

P The presence of

alestinian Baptists and other evangelical Christians in Israel and Palestine (including Gaza) is a continuing challenge to the CHRISTIAN ZIONIST narrative that is still influential in some parts of the Baptist world.