Arab Christians face political Islam threat-official says

Reuters ^ | Mon Oct 11, 2010 | Deepa Babington

[GonzoII]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The rise of political Islam in the Middle East poses a threat to Christians in the Arab world and must be faced down together, a senior Roman Catholic official told a synod of Catholic bishops on Monday.

At the two week meeting to debate how to protect minority communities in the region and encourage harmony with Muslims, the Catholic Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, Antonios Naguib, also said that attacks against Christians were on the rise due to growing fundamentalism in the region.

"Since 1970, we have witnessed the rise of political Islam in the region, consisting of many different religious currents, which has affected Christians, especially in the Arab world," said Naguib. "This phenomenon seeks to impose the Islamic way of life on all citizens, at times using violent methods, thus becoming a threat which we must face together."

Though freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution in most Middle Eastern countries, certain laws and practices limited its application in some countries, he said.

Noting that Christians usually felt the negative aspects of the social and political situations in the Middle East, he called for them to be treated in a just and equal manner rather than being "merely tolerated."

"Difficulties in the relations between Christians and Muslims generally arise when Muslims do not distinguish between religion and politics," Naguib said.

"On this basis, Christians sense an uneasiness at being considered non-citizens, despite the fact that they have called these countries 'home' long before Islam."

[PistolPaknMama]

It cannot be faced down and cannot co-exit in “harmony” any more than your body can live in “harmony” with your body. Radical political Islam is a disease on this planet. There is no cure, as with cancer, but total remission. A good start would be to produce our own oil and quit funding the Islam nations.

[Shadow44]

We can start off by reclaiming Lebanon for the Maronite and Orthodox Christians that live there. Unfortunately the civil war drove many Christians away, and now the muzzies are in the majority.

[cradle of freedom]

American aid should be stopped to all moslem nations. Nations such as Egypt take our money and then systematically persecute Christians.

[hannibaal]

The liberal media didnt help their cause much either by painting the christian resistance in the civil war as extremist while they were fighting for survival. Granted what happened wasnt pretty but they were being attacked from all sides. Christians in lebanon are now but a shade of what they used to be, half of them are brainwashed into thinking hezbollah is good for the country, and they believe that because they were abandoned by the west while the muslims got all the support they needed from islamic countries. My family left lebanon way back in the 1890s after a large wave of christian persecution and christians have been leaving ever since. Apparently they are talking about allowing lebanese living outside of lebanon to vote but its trying to be defeated at the moment by the shiite foreign minister, because if it isnt christians will get a much larger say in who gets elected.

[pallis]

Facing down Islam in the Mideast will take a miraculous intervention from God, and nothing less. That time is coming. The god allah’s time is short.

[Pining_4_TX]

I’ve got a great idea! Bring the Christians here, and send all the Muslims back there.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I'm not sure when Islam was ever not political...

[Traianus]

FROM FIVE DOVES....

Paolo Porsia (28 Sep 2010)
"To EAR: THE BEAST you said? Here it is (Courtesy Google Earth)"

---

....There is a file in the forum of Google Earth based on Civilization
Game...
Put on the map PERSIA, GREECE and BABYLON...

[dennisw]

Religion is the real way to harness the drives and emotions of the benighted masses. Stalin, Hitler and Mao were rank amateurs compared to the false prophet Mohammad who has endured for 14 centuries What good can come from a religion based on such an awful man?

[dennisw]

Lebanon used to be a civilized nation because the productive Christians ran things. The Muslims were junior partners who were content enough with the arrangement. Lebanon is a fine example of what happens when Muslims out breed the others and conquer Christians via demographics. The Sunnis and Shiites used to be equal in Lebanon but due to higher Shiite birthrates they are the largest population today and Shiite Iran has lots of influence there.