LONDON, Dec 9, (KUNA): Christians in the Middle East are “more vulnerable” than they have been for centuries, the leader of the world’s Anglicans has warned.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said the treatment of Christians would be the “litmus test” of the success of the Arab Spring, which offered both immense potential for change as well as serious risks.
He told the House of Lords that there had been high levels of Christian emigration from the Middle East, where communities faced the prospect of persecution or - in the case of Iraq - a future where safety could only be ensured in segregated enclaves.
The Archbishop said: “At the present moment the position of Christians in the region is more vulnerable than it has been for centuries.
“The flow of Christian refugees from Iraq in the wake of constant threat and attack has left a dramatically depleted Christian population there.” He said Christians there faced the prospect of retreating to enclaves as the only means of protection.
“Many recognise with heavy hearts things may come to such a pass that there are few if any other options that will actually guarantee the safety of Christians there.
“But they still feel, surely rightly, that the creation of enclaves would be the yielding of a vitally important principle.” In Egypt, there had been unprecedented levels of emigration by the Coptic community despite its long historic presence.
“In a way that would have been unthinkable even a very few years ago. They are anxious about sharing the fate of other Christian communities that once seemed securely embedded in their setting.” Arguing for full citizenship and equal rights, Dr Williams said: “No one is seeking a privileged position for Christians in the Middle East, nor should they be.
But what we can say, and I firmly believe that most Muslims here and in many other places would agree entirely, is that the continued presence of Christians in the region is essential to the political and social health of the countries of the Middle East.” The upheaval across the region added to the uncertainty facing Christian communities, he told peers.
“The potential for a radical political renewal throughout the Middle East and North Africa is immense, as are the risks.
“My contention has been that the security and wellbeing of the historic Christian communities in the region is something of a litmus test in relation to the wider issues of the political health of the region.” Dr Williams argued the action of Western leaders had contributed to the threats faced by Christians in the region, criticising “Western political rhetoric that either ignores them totally or thoughtlessly puts them at risk by casting military conflict in religious terms - talk of crusading comes to mind.”