We have all welcomed the Arab spring. We followed with joy, many times mixed with anxiety whenever there was the possibility of failure, the happenings in North Africa and beyond.
This spring could become a harsh winter if the net victors turn out to be fundamentalists- Fr Joe Borg
The drama of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya was, to a certain extent, a drama we all lived. We also hope the attempt to spread the Arab spring to other Arab countries will succeed.
However, it seems the Arab spring brings with it thorns besides roses.
The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation pointed towards such a thorn. Following a recent meeting it held to discuss the plight of Middle East Christians, it said:
“The Arab spring is unleashing forces that are having a devastating effect on the Christian communities of the Middle East. Our Churches in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine report disturbing developments such as destruction of churches and massacres of innocent civilians that cause us grave concern.”
The Theological Consultation is asking Christians in the West to reflect on this situation, and whenever possible, take positive actions:
“We ask our political leaders to exert more pressure where it can protect these Churches, many of which have survived centuries of hardship but now stand on the verge of disappearing completely.”
Some incidents, such as the violence in Egypt against Copts hit the international headlines. Other incidents did not do so.
I am certain most readers do not know that Ayman Nabil Labib, a 17-year-old Coptic Christian student, was murdered by Muslim classmates after refusing to remove a crucifix he was wearing.
The murder, which took place on October 16 in the central Egyptian town of Mallawi, took place after a teacher asked Labib to cover up a tattooed cross on his wrist. Labib refused, instead uncovering a cross necklace.
Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara al Rahi said Christians have reason to be wary about revolts that could lead to the rise of militant Islamic regimes. He spoke in particular about concern regarding “a drift toward extremism” in Syria, a country with considerable influence over his own native Lebanon. However, he also acknowledged the legitimate demands for change in the Arab political world.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq, warned that the Arab spring uprisings are threatening to unleash Islamic fundamentalism. He said that under state Islam, the Christian minority had discovered a more or less positive way of life that left some room for freedom of worship.
That could change, the archbishop warned, under a more militant form of Islam. He noted that fundamentalist Islam is growing and that there is an extremely dangerous connection between fundamentalism and the Arab spring.
However, the Vatican has, on more than one occasion, expressed optimism about the Arab spring, though it has also pointed out possible problem areas.
Fr Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See press office, had said that “if, close to us, on the southern shore of the now very narrow sea that is the Mediterranean, there are innumerable young people desirous of a human growth in greater liberty, we cannot fail to do everything within our means to engage without fear in positive dialogue with them, learning mutually our respective languages”.
Christians in several Arab countries have been having problems well before the Arab spring. This spring could become a harsh winter if the net victors turn out to be fundamentalists. Then the victims will not only be the Christian but also all the other citizens of these countries who believed that this spring would bring freedom along with it.
joseph.borg@um.edu.mt