Support the unsung martyrs

While we were quick to hail the Arab Spring for making a clean sweep of dictators in North Africa and elsewhere, and while our ministers were quick to re-establish diplomatic and (most importantly) business ties with countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, human rights, especially those of women, academics and religious minorities, are being downtrodden. In this regard, Henry Frendo’s letter (‘Salafist threat to civilisation’, The Sunday Times, December 18) – is indeed an eye-opener.

When it comes to human rights, the reticence shown by our political leaders during top-level meetings with their counterparts in North Africa and the Middle East illustrates the reluctance of countries like France, Germany and the UK to jeopardise potential business deals with China through talk of human rights when any high-ranking Chinese official visits.

It’s good to cultivate business ties with these countries to win more business for Maltese companies but this should not be at the expense of standing up for the rights of Christian and other minorities threatened by the rise of fundamentalists in these countries.

Why are our leaders choosing to turn a blind eye to the constant torching of Coptic churches in Egypt or to the imprisonment and even torturing of Christians in Saudi Arabia (guilty of the ‘offence’ of praying in a private house)? Christians in Iraq and Algeria have been facing similar persecution for years now, and have been subjected to terrorist acts daily.

The exodus of Christians from these lands has been well documented in international media portals and has even prompted a visit by the main Christian leaders from the region to Brussels, to call for more support from the European Union.

Surprisingly, however, our country has not been unresponsive to the plight of such fellow Christians in these predominantly Muslim countries.

Is this the price to pay for furthering Maltese business interests and for adhering to political correctness?

Some of our self-professed Christian ministers should put their money where their mouth is and demand, for instance, more equitable treatment of Christians in North Africa and the Middle East. Only then can Christians stop fleeing these lands.