Don't Leave, the Show's Not Over!

About a month ago, we were all witness to news of coordinated attacks on churches in Baghdad. Here's a follow-up to my commentary on it. Thanks to Haitham Sabbah for doing the heavy lifting.

You can see a number of issues coming together. Primarily, where do Christian loyalties lie in this conflict? What is their endgame and will the pursuit of that bring more conflict? The more sensible voices recognize that just as removing Saddam Hussein does not guarantee a better replacement, the void left by Arab Christians could be filled by something just as dubious: American Evangelicals bent on Armageddon!

As I had said before, violence for Arab Christians spells a downward spiral with no good outcomes. They are far too small an entity to throw their weight in any direction without suffering casualty from the other. Every effort is made to remain neutral in any conflict. Running is a better option than fighting, as cowardly as it may sound. Muslim extremism is more than willing to fight a war of attrition and Arab Christians don't stand a chance in that scenario. Of course, it has evolved a culture of working with whomever is in power, breeding resentment from other ethnic groups. Regardless, their neutrality was respected for the most part, and rarely encroached upon. Christians had traded away political stature and the swings that come with it for economic and social stability.

Christians threw their support behind secular socialist movements in Greater Syria as it gave them hope of finding equal status in their homelands. Of course, we all know how that turned out and no one is more disillusioned about politics than the Arab Christian community. Not that it inspires any confidence from our muslim brothers, but such is the state of affairs.

In the past 18 months, Christians have stayed below the radar and have survived this conflict relatively unscathed. Even if we have not shed our share of blood, the world now witnesses the bleeding of trust between two proud civilizations that have thrived in each others company for centuries. That day I prayed I would not live to see.

Comments

[RIPD]

Where is the voice of people who are just people? Make a constitution that states all people are equal, persecution based on religion, race or gender is illegal and get on with life already. Is that so f*cking difficult? apparently so.....

[Jinu Johnson]

Sometimes you have to stoop to conquer, always remember this adage.

Jinu Johnson
http://injinuity.blogspot.com