the plight of christians in the middle east

8/21/2019 The Plight of Christians in the Middle East

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The Plight of Christiansin the Middle East

Supporting Religious Freedom, Pluralism,and Tolerance During a Time of Turmoil

By Brian Katulis, Rudy deLeon, and John Craig March 2015


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The Plight of Christiansin the Middle EastSupporting Religious Freedom, Pluralism,

and Tolerance During a Time of Turmoil

By Brian Katulis, Rudy deLeon, and John Craig March 2015


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1 Introduction and summary

6 The plight of Christians in today’s Middle East

14 The experience of Christians in key Middle Eastern coun

21 Recommendations

27 Conclusion

28 Methodology & About the authors

30 Endnotes

Contents


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1 Center for American Progress | The Plight o f Christians in the Middle East

Introduction and summary

Some o he oldes Chrisian communiies in he world are disappearing in he

very lands where heir aih was born and firs ook roo. During he pas decade,

Chrisians around he Middle Eas have been subjec o vicious murders a he

hands o erroris groups, orced ou o heir ancesral lands by civil wars, suffered

socieal inolerance omened by Islamis groups, and subjeced o insiuional

discriminaion ound in he legal codes and official pracices o many Middle

Easern counries.

Te pas year has seen brual arociies commited agains Chrisians and ohers

because o heir religious ideniy by erroris groups such as he Islamic Sae in

Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS. Tese incidens underscore he graviy o he siuaion.

As a consequence, Chrisians have migraed rom he region in increasing num-

bers, which is par o a longer-erm exodus relaed o violence, persecuion, and

lack o economic opporuniies sreching back decades. Tey have also moved

o sae havens wihin he Middle Eas, and he Chrisian presence has become

more concenraed in places such as Jordan, he area conrolled by he Kurdisan

Regional Governmen in Iraq, and Lebanon.

oday’s overall Chrisian communiy in he Middle Eas is esimaed o range

rom 7.5 million o 15 million individuals, wih he larges numbers living in

Egyp, Syria, and Lebanon.1 Tese esimaes vary considerably because o he

massive waves o orced migraion over he pas decade and he sharp growh in

he number o Chrisians rom he Middle Eas living in exile since he sar o

he new millennium. Te oal number o Chrisians remaining in he region has

increased numerically since he sar o he 20h cenury, bu subsanial growh

in he non-Chrisian populaion combined wih decades o migraion mean ha

Chrisians represen less han 5 percen o he region’s overall populaion.2

Insome places such as urkey, his declining Chrisian presence has aken place over

he pas cenury. During World War I, 1915 was a paricularly devasaing year or

Chrisians in he region.3


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A cenury afer hose evens resuled in he deah and orced migraion o millions

o Chrisians, he curren wave o exremism, civil wars, and a complicaed mix o

sae collapse in some places combined wih he re-emergence o auhoriarian-

ism are leading o a new wave o vicims. Te ongoing decline is such ha many

Chrisians in he Middle Eas oday ear ha heir churches will urn ino muse-

ums, raher han places o worship serving vibran communiies o believers.

Te Middle Eas uprisings ha began in 2011 have creaed new pressures on

Chrisians, oher religious groups, and nonbelievers. More han our years afer

he sar o he uprisings, he saus o Chrisians varies considerably across he

region. In Egyp and Lebanon, here is a sronger sense o proecion and securiy

or Chrisians han in places such as Syria and Iraq. Bu he overall picure looks

grim, and he reacions rom he Unied Saes, Europe, and oher key powers o

his new wave o desrucion have been marginal.

Te goal o his repor is o offer an overview o he saus o Chrisians in heMiddle Eas a his momen in ime and o sugges pracical and effecive ways or

he Unied Saes o engage on his issue. Te saus o Chrisians in he Middle

Eas is an imporan leading indicaor o he ype o region ha is emerging.

Chrisians have hisorically aced as a bridge connecing Eas and Wes.

Sadly, he picure o he pas decade is alarmingly negaive. I one o he mos

imporan religious groups in he world coninues o be orced ou o he Middle

Eas, his bodes negaively or pluralism, olerance, and he abiliy o he region’s

people o live inerlinked wih he res o he world. Chrisians are discussed

in his repor because hey represen a significan group wih deep roos in he

region, and heir saus is a baromeer o wheher hose o oher aihs or no aih

a all will be able o live and hrive in he uure Middle Eas.

Tis is imporan a a ime when he Unied Saes and oher counries coninue

o wresle wih he quesion o how o mos effecively couner violen exremism

and o poliically deea erroris neworks and radical ideologies ha undermine

he overall sabiliy and prosperiy o he region. In recen years, he Unied Saes

has oulined a number o differen engagemen sraegies aimed a highlighing he

need or greaer olerance and pluralism as a means o undermine exremism. Te2013 Naional Sraegy on Religious Leader and Faih Communiy Engagemen

released by he Obama adminisraion is one example o such effors.4


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Bu he implemenaion o hese sraegies has been mixed and no as inegraed

as i needs o be wih overall U.S. oreign policy approach, including miliary and

diplomaic effors o respond o he crisis in he Middle Eas. In he meanime,

he overall saus o Chrisians has deerioraed over he pas decade. Some o his

deerioraion is he direc resul o unorced errors: For example, he 2003 Iraq

War and is afermah had devasaing consequences or he Chrisian communiyhere. Some o i is he consequence o flawed engagemen sraegies: For example,

he Obama adminisraion’s decision o posiion U.S. engagemen under he

banner o Muslim world engagemen ailed o effecively promoe pluralism and

olerance and reflec he broad diversiy wihin he Middle Eas. Bu mos o wha

is happening o Chrisians in he Middle Eas is he resul o wider regional rends

relaed o sruggles or power and he use o religion as a ool o build influence

wih consiuencies ha have ulimaely divided socieies.

Te Unied Saes needs o engage on hese issues wih grea care and sensiiv-

iy. Te ac ha exremiss accuse he Unied Saes and oher ouside powers o being so-called “crusaders” who promoe an agenda supporing Chrisians is a

realiy ha creaes many poenial pialls or engaging direcly on his issue. Bu

accusaions rom exremiss should no be used as an excuse or silence or or ak-

ing acion only on he margins.

In 2014, he Cener or American Progress, or CAP, iniiaed a research projec

and policy review examining he saus o Chrisians in he Middle Eas ha

involved field research in a number o key counries in he broader Middle Eas.5

Te effor included inerviews wih imporan leaders involved in he region’s

religious, poliical, social, and economic lie.

Te research culminaed in he ollowing 10 overall analyical findings:

1. Chrisian communiies are caugh up in he broader regional sruggles

or power and influence in he Middle Eas.

2. Te declining Chrisian presence is he produc o hisorical acors

and long-erm rends.

3. Te saus o Chrisians in he Middle Eas varies significanly according

o he poliical, social, and economic condiions in specific counries.4. Basic equaliy in ciizenship is a common challenge or Chrisians in he

Middle Eas.

5. Exremis groups exploi insiuional weaknesses in he jusice, rule o

law, and police sysems o hreaen Chrisians.


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6. Difficul economic condiions and he lack o jobs creae incenives or

Chrisians o leave.

7. Radical ideologies omen socieal inolerance agains Chrisian communiies

and oher religious minoriies.

8. Disuniy and insufficien coordinaion among Chrisians in he region preven

hem rom achieving heir poenial.9. Te role o monarchies and Gul counries is pivoal or Chrisian communi-

ies, bu heir effors and influence remain very mixed.

10. Broader geopoliical ensions beween Russia and he Unied Saes have

a small bu imporan impac on Chrisian communiies o he region.

Based on he above findings, his repor offers he ollowing 10 recommendaions

o address he pligh o Chrisians in he Middle Eas:

1. Expand he ools and resources available o U.S. policymakers o elevae

reedom o religion and conscience as a prioriy in U.S. engagemen inhe region.

2. Build sronger and more diverse neworks and parnerships wih he

privae secor and nongovernmenal insiuions o address he curren

challenges acing Chrisians.

3. Redouble effors o advance inernaional diplomaic approaches o

conflic resoluion in he region.

4. Prioriize assisance o reugees and displaced persons wih specific

responses or Chrisian reugees.

5. Weigh careully he benefis and coss o special visa programs or

Chrisians ha may be seen as encouraging emigraion, aiding in he

exodus, or providing special reamen.

6. Make use o U.S. sraegic communicaions o promoe religious

reedom, pluralism, and inclusiviy as a prioriy.

7. Expand economic developmen and reorm effors in he region.

8. Inves in educaion as a key ool or advancing religious reedom

and pluralism.

9. Use U.S. miliary orce and securiy assisance cauiously and beware

o poenial pialls.

10. Work wih inernaional organizaions and leading churches o preserveChrisian heriage in he Middle Eas and he Arab world.


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Te Middle Eas remains in he mids o an exended and bloody batle or power

and influence ha has allowed exremis groups o rise in prominence. Secarian

and ehnic conflics are conribuing o sae collapse in areas such as Syria and

Iraq and a reasserion o auhoriarianism in oher pars o he region. Te saus

o Chrisians is an imporan sign o broader regional rends in pluralism and

olerance, and adoping more effecive engagemen sraegies o address he pligho Chrisians could help produce greaer sabiliy in he long run. However, his

sraegy will only be successul i he issue is approached wih grea sensiiviy and

care o he broader landscape o change in he region.


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The plight of Christians

in today’s Middle East

Te challenges ha Chrisians in he Middle Eas ace oday have deep roos in

he region’s overall hisory, is religious and culural radiions, and he power

sruggles ha coninue o affec he region. Acceping a single overgeneralized

explanaion o wha is happening oday in he Middle Easor example, view-

ing he conflic and he resuling allou as an essenialis clash o civilizaions

is simply no sufficien because doing so ignores he complexiy o muliple

dynamics a play.

Policymakers, advocaes, and ohers ineresed in amelioraing he pligh

o Chrisians in he Middle Eas are aced wih a significan challenge.

Undoubedly, i would be easier o rally suppor o solve problems ha ocus

on a limied number o roo causes, bu he realiy is ha muliple acors are

shaping he saus o Chrisians in he Middle Eas. As a consequence, any seps

o improve heir saus will require a muliaceed approach involving a wide

range o acors, no jus governmens. Te difficul challenges and sensiive

quesions raised by he opic o religion and poliics in he Middle Eas require

an approach rooed in humiliy and a deeper undersanding o he acors ha

would produce progress and posiive resuls.

Ulimaely, progress on his ron will mean he eliminaion o he direc hreas o

Chrisian communiies in counries orn apar by conflic and exremism and he

esablishmen o an environmen in which hose communiies can replan heir

hisoric roos in places such as he ciy o Mosul in Iraq and key pars o Syria. I

will also require changes o he legal codes in counries across he region ha have

denied equal ciizenship saus o Chrisians and oher non-Muslims, including

hose who do no proclaim adherence o a paricular religion. Finally, i will neces-

siae open and unhindered access or Chrisians across he globe o holy sies,somehing ha remains a major challenge in Iraq, Syria, Israel, he Wes Bank, and

urkey. Tis is a long-erm effor requiring a muliaceed approach.


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CAP’s research uncovered 10 overall rends ha should inorm policies o

improve condiions or Chrisians in he Middle Eas. Tese 10 key analyical

findings include:

1. Christian communities are caught up in thebroader regional struggles for power and influence

Te Middle Eas is in he mids o a fluid period o ransiion and conflic ha

has conribued o he ragmenaion o saes and he breakdown o order. 6 In

his conex, individuals o all walks o lie have become vulnerable as respec

or basic reedoms has deerioraed in specific counries. Chrisian communi-

ies are paricularly exposed and deenseless in key counries. Te Shia-Sunni

secarian sruggles in Iraq and Syria have been especially brual or Chrisian

communiies. Te challenges posed by he rise and all o poliical Islamis

orces in counries such as Egyp have placed Chrisians and oher groups in hecrosshairs o a dangerous batle.

Bu undersanding hese conflics as primarily rooed in religious or heological

dispues is incorrechese conflics are primarily abou power. Te people o he

region share many o he same culural and socieal rais and cusoms. In many

counries where inerviews or his sudy were conduced, respondens repea-

edly discussed he generaional shif ha occurred in he pas ew decades. Several

respondens noed ha in he 1950s and 1960s, one’s religious ideniy was no as

prominen in public lie and poliics as i is oday.

In he inervening period, he growing srains on sae sysems rom demographic,

economic, and social pressures and he rise o religious exremism and poliics

have led o he pressures affecing Chrisians and ohers in he region. Tis com-

busible mix has produced he curren sae o affairs, and he use o religion or

poliical purposes is common in many counries in he Middle Eas. Te poliical

shorcomings o he region have creaed a vacuum ha new acors have exploied

in an atemp o appeal o consiuencies and acquire power using he mos reso-

nan language available. Tis has acceleraed he rend o religious and secarian

divisions in sociey ha have been derimenal o Chrisian communiies.


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2. The declining Christian presence is the product

of historical factors and long-term trends

Te recen breakdown o basic order in some Middle Easern counries has

moivaed people o all walks o lie o depar. Chrisians’ declining numbers are

also parly a resul o he relaive upward mobiliy, economic opporuniy, andincreased capaciy o leave among Chrisians in he Middle Eas. Te Chrisian

exodus is conneced o longer-erm hisorical rends occurring over he pas

cenury in which many Chrisians have had access o educaion, economic

opporuniies, and neworks ha made i easier or hem o leave heir counries

and he region.

Te curren saus o Chrisians is in par a produc o previous eras. In he lae

19h and early 20h cenuries, he esablishmen o Chrisian insiuions by

missionaries, he impac o Wesern colonial powers, and he unequal reamen

o religious minoriies in pars o he Middle Eas under urkish Otoman rulehelped esablish a legacy ha shapes he realiy or Chrisians oday. Chrisians

were a imes singled ou due o heir perceived suppor or Wesern imperial

powers such as France and Grea Briain. A he same ime, some o he mos

prominen voices and hinkers in he Arab naionalis movemen came rom he

Chrisian communiy, such as Michel Aflaq, who led he inamous Arab Ba’ah

Pary ha laer became he paries o he Assad amily in Syria and Saddam

Hussein in Iraq.7 Many o hese poliical hinkers espoused ideas ha ried o

ranscend religious divisions wihin sociey, bu hey ulimaely did no succeed,

as oday’s Middle Eas shows.

Afer he end o World War II, he pos-colonial governmens esablished in he

region varied rom counry o counry, bu here was an overall rend oward

auhoriarian, op-down governance in which he righs o individuals ofen did

no mee inernaional sandards. During he previous cenury, Arab naionalis

movemens helped creae ideniies ha ranscended specific religions and secs,

and his provided Chrisians and oher religious groups wih a proecive umbrella

o a poliical ideniy. Tese hisorical dynamics are sill relevan odaymany

people in Chrisian communiies remain seadas in heir suppor or cerain

leaders such as Presiden Bashar al-Assad in Syria or ear o wha migh ollowhis rule. Te seeds or he basic problems o respec or equal ciizenship righs

winessed in oday’s Middle Eas are he produc o hese previous eras.


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3. The status of Christians varies according to a

country’s political, social, and economic conditions

For his reason, i is imporan o analyze separae counries and ailor approaches

according o he specific challenges in each. For example, Egyp’s Chrisians, he

larges numerical group o Chrisians in he region, generally backed he 2013removal o he Muslim Broherhood rom office, ye here are some reservaions

abou he counry’s curren pah.8

Lebanonwhich has larges Chrisian communiy as a percenage o overall

populaion, alhough precise esimaes are no reliable since he las official census

was conduced in 19329experiences inernal divisions among Chrisian com-

muniies ha view hemselves as more empowered han ohers in he region.

Palesinian Chrisians living under occupaion in he Wes Bank and Gaza ace

he same srains and limis as Palesinians o all walks o lie. In Iraq and Syria, he

exreme violence and breakdown o order have devasaed Chrisian communi-ies. Iraqi Chrisians appear o be more supporive o U.S. and coaliion miliary

engagemen oday agains ISIS han Syrian Chrisians, bu here are divisions in

boh communiies and he siuaion is no saic.

Te conclusion rom his dynamic is ha approaches o suppor religious ree-

dom, pluralism, and olerance require ailored effors, and i is difficul o find

a one-size-fis-all approach or he region. For his reason, his repor provides

snapshos below o he Chrisian experience in specific counries.

4. Basic equality in citizenship is a common

challenge for Christians in the Middle East

In many counries across he region, he laws and poliical pracices end o under-

mine basic human righs and a general sense o equaliy or all ciizensa realiy

ha places special burdens on Chrisians. Chrisians do no wan o have some

proeced minoriy saus bu would raher be reaed as ull equals. However, he

legal codes in many counries do no provide or his. For example, blasphemy

laws ha are used o prosecue individuals have had a chilling effec on basicreligious reedoms, paricularly in he Chrisian communiy.10 Chrisiansalong

wih oher religious minoriies, aheiss, and even secular Muslimsare ofen

hreaened wih imprisonmen or any perceived negaive commens agains Islam

or proselyizing or oher religions in mos Middle Easern naions.


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10 Center for American Progress | The Plight of Christians in the Middle East

5. Extremist groups exploit institutional weaknesses in the

justice, rule of law, and police systems to threaten Christians

In addiion o uneven legal rameworks ha someimes do no adhere o inerna-

ional sandards, many governmens in he region have insiuional weaknesses

ha impede he basic reedoms and righs o individuals. In a number o coun-ries, he lack o rule o law is a major vulnerabiliy in he proecion o religious

reedom and basic righs.

For example, in Egyp’s rural souh, an area known as Upper Egyp, kidnapping

and criminaliy by exremis groups has argeed Chrisians. Many Chrisians view

he response o hese ourages rom he police and jusice sysems as inadequae.

In oher counries such as Syria and Iraq ha are experiencing exreme conflic

and civil war, nonexisen governmen insiuions have lef Chrisians paricularly

vulnerable. In Iraq, many Chrisians lack rus and confidence ha any govern-

men eniies will proec hem, and hey have advocaed or an auonomousregion or Chrisians and a separae mechanism or Chrisians o receive weapons

and raining o figh exremiss.11

6. Difficult economic conditions and the lack

of jobs create incentives for Christians to leave

Anoher broader acor spurring Chrisians o depar he region is he lack o

jobs and inclusive economic growh. Since many Chrisians have greaer eco-

nomic opporuniies, hey can generally ravel more easily o he Unied Saes

and Europe and ap ino broader neworks ha help hem look or new oppor-

uniies and find jobs.

For example, he major challenges o economic growh in he Wes Bank and

Jerusalem as a resul o he Israeli-Palesinian conflic and he coninued barriers

o he ree movemen and access o people and commerce have creaed incenives

or more Palesinians o leave he area over he pas ew years. Tese resricions

have limied he degree o economic developmen and privae-secor-driven

economic growh ha creae jobs. In Behlehem, or example, leaders in hePalesinian Auhoriy and privae iniiaives such as he Behlehem Developmen

Foundaion have ried o encourage invesmen and marke-driven growh bu

have hus ar ailed o demonsrae significan progress.12


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7. Radical ideologies foment societal intolerance

against Christians and other religious minorities

Beyond he poliical, economic, and governance challenges, he rise o violen

exremis ideologies has also negaively affeced Chrisians. Exremis movemens,

including he recen rise o ISIS, have led o new hreas agains Chrisian com-muniies. Tese movemens, which ollow an ulra-orhodox, violen, and skewed

inerpreaion o Islam, are earing apar he already ragile social abric in some

key Middle Easern counries. Counries ha have sharp secarian and ehnic

divisions appear o be mos suscepible o hese groups. Oher Islamis groups,

including he Muslim Broherhood, ofen engage in secarian discourse ha scape-

goas Chrisians and accuses hem o collusion wih he miliary. In Egyp, which

has he Middle Eas’s larges Chrisian populaion, supporers o he Muslim

Broherhood and Salafiss burned dozens o hisorical churches o he ground.13

8. Disunity and insufficient coordination among Christians

in the region prevent them from achieving their potential

Anoher dynamic ha affecs he saus o Chrisians in he Middle Eas is he

inernal division among churches and insufficien coordinaion beween differen

churches on specific issues affecing heir communiies. Muslims and oher aihs in

he region ace similar inernal divisions, bu he relaive smaller size o he Chrisian

communiy places a higher premium on he need or Chrisians o work ogeher.

Te heads o he leading churches have made imporan seps and gesures in his

direcion. Te May 2014 join visi o Pope Francis and he Ecumenical Pariarch

o Consaninople Barholomew I, spiriual leader o he Orhodox churches, o

Chrisian communiies and churches in he Middle Eas is an example.14 Te visi

was ollowed by a join declaraion issued by Pope Francis and he Ecumenical

Pariarch Barholomew I in November 2014 ha deplored he condiions ha

Chrisians in he Middle Eas ace and called or inernaional acion.15

Bu churches and communiies in he Middle Eas are no as unied as hey need

o be in order o address he dauning challenges ha Chrisians ace. For example,here is a divide in cerain churches beween he leadership and clergy and he

lay people abou he disribuion and use o church resources, including propery

holdings, leading o many argumens and persisen disuniy.


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In addiion, despie significan effor o coordinae beween he many differen

churches and denominaions o Chrisians across he region hrough a number

o coordinaing organizaions, poliical divisions beween groups and he diverse

se o challenges ha differ rom counry o counry have made i difficul or

churches o become more unified on basic policy responses o he curren chal-

lenges. One senior Vaican official commened ha his lack o uniy beweendifferen Chrisian leaders is a challenge in imporan counries such as Lebanon,

“where Chrisians should serve as a model or ohers in he region, bu sadly he

leaders are ofen divided.”16

9. The role of monarchies and Gulf countries is pivotal

for Christians, but efforts and influence are very mixed

Monarchies have played a significan role in he broader sruggle or power ha

is affecing Chrisians. In some insances, his role has had a negaive effec onChrisians, paricularly wih he flows o money rom some Gul counries o

exremis and erroris groups ha have argeed Chrisians.17 In oher insances,

some monarchies are credied wih offering suppor o Chrisian communiies

in effors o couner violen exremism. Jordan, a monarchy ha lacks significan

financial resources, has become a sae haven or Chrisians rom Iraq, Syria, and

Palesine, and i has projeced a message o inclusiviy and welcome o uprooed

Chrisians and people o all walks o lie. In he Gul, counries such as he Unied

Arab Emiraes, Kuwai, Bahrain, Oman, and Qaar have sizable Chrisian commu-

niies in he expariae populaion, and hese communiies are generally permited

o pracice heir religion wihou major resricions, in sharp conras o some

neighboring counries, including Saudi Arabia.

Te larges Chrisian communiies in he Middle Eas are ound in republics such

as Egyp, Syria, and Lebanon, no monarchies. Bu in oday’s Middle Eas, mon-

archies have played an imporan role in broader regional power dynamics. Te

increased economic clou o some o hese counries has enabled hem o make

invesmens ha have influenced he overall environmen affecing he region’s

Chrisians. For example, Saudi Arabia and similar monarchies have made massive

invesmens in educaion sysems and schools across he region ha have ailed oadvance pluralism and olerance a imes.


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10. Broader geopolitical tensions, including between Russia

and the United States, affect the Christian communities

In addiion o he compeiion or influence among key acors in he region, sev-

eral Chrisian leaders and individuals noed he percepion ha Russia has played

a more acive role in voicing concerns abou he saus o Chrisians in he MiddleEas han he Unied Saes and European counries. For example, leading figures

in Syrian churches indicaed ha hey believe Russia sood up or beleaguered

Chrisians more han any oher ouside power, a view ha was echoed by some

in he Ecumenical Pariarchae in Isanbul, urkey.18 A number o voices rom

Easern churches noed ha hey view Russian Presiden Vladimir Puin as more

vocal han his counerpars in he Unied Saes abou he violence and pressures

ha Chrisian communiies ace in he Middle Eas.

In sum, Russia has highlighed concerns abou he saus o Chrisians in he

Middle Eas as par o is overall geopoliical sraegy and is effors o engage keypower ceners in he region.


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The experience of Christians

in key Middle Eastern countries

Chrisian communiies ace differen circumsances across he regionhe broad

rends and dynamics noed above offer jus an overview o 10 imporan acors

affecing Chrisians in he Middle Eas. Tis secion briefly describes he specific

challenges ha Chrisian communiies are acing in individual counries.

Iraq: A Christian community overcome

by more than a decade of strife

Te sory o Iraq’s Chrisians in many ways echoes he broader sory o Iraq as

a counry: wha i means o live under a dicaorship, he rocky ransiion and

poliical shifs since hen, and he rise o civil war and brual errorism. Saddam

Hussein’s removal rom power in 2003 was ollowed by years o civil war and vio-

len exremism ha has been harsh on Chrisians in Iraq. Esimaes vary, bu mos

expers conclude ha he vas majoriy o Iraq’s 1.5 million Chrisians have fled

heir homes since he U.S.-led invasion in 2003.19 Many have gone overseas and

ohers have flocked o he Kurdish regions o norhern Iraq.

Some Iraqis inerviewed in his sudy have been displaced along wih heir ami-

lies several imes over he pas decade. Some moved rom Baghdad o Syria and

hen Syria o he erriory o he Kurdisan Regional Governmen. Tousands o

Chrisians have been killed or injured in argeed atacks and execuions by error-

is groups. Te overall lack o securiy makes i difficul o ensure he basic righs

o all groups, including Iraqi Chrisians.

Te rise o ISIS in 2014 has been especially devasaing or he Iraqi Chrisian

communiy, which is one o he oldes Chrisian communiies in he world.ISIS’ seizure o Mosul and surrounding pars o he nearby Nineveh Plains

devasaed Chrisian communiies ha had roos in hose areas reaching back

more han 1,500 years.20 Chrisians were aced wih sark opions rom ISIS:

pay a jizya ax or religious levy imposed in previous eras o Islamic rule, conver,


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or die.21 Mos fled. ISIS erroriss desroyed churches and oher landmarks o

Chrisian heriage. “Tis is no a way o live,” one Iraqi Chrisian man orced ou

o he own o Qaraqosh said. A he ime o his inerview, he was living in an

unfinished building in Ain Kawa in he Kurdisan Regional Governmen capial

o Erbil along wih hundreds o ohers uprooed Chrisians. None o hem had a

clear idea wheher hey would be able o reurn o heir homes.22

Tis dire siuaion has promped some Iraqi Chrisians o call or he esablishmen

o an auonomous sae zone wih inernaional proecion, and ohers have advo-

caed receiving weapons and raining.23 Iraqi Chrisians are divided over wha course

o acion o ake; some oppose he idea o an auonomous zone ha could urher

isolae hem rom Iraqi sociey.24 Moreover, he noion o a separae zone or Iraqi

Chrisians is no suppored by some o he leading churches, including he Roman

Caholic Church. A op Caholic official involved in he Middle Eas called insead

or an inclusive approach ha would ake care o Chrisians in he conex o helping

all Iraqis. “We should suppor human digniy or everyone,” said his op official.25

Syria: The devastation of four years of civil war

Along wih Iraq, he siuaion o Syria’s Chrisians is he mos dire and urgen in

oday’s Middle Eas. Since 2011, Syria has descended ino he chaos o a civil war,

which has racured he counry and opened space or he rise o milian erroris

groups ha have argeed Chrisian communiies. Te lack o any visible peaceul

resoluion o Syria’s conflic on he horizon represens one o he greaes hreas

o sabiliy in he Middle Eas and he Chrisian presence in he region.

Syria’s Chrisians are divided over where heir suppor lies; some Chrisians

have joined he ani-Assad opposiion, while ohers remain aligned wih he

governmen o Presiden Bashar al-Assad. Ohers have joined orces wih Syria’s

Kurdish opposiion.26 Segmens o Syria’s Chrisian populaion have remained

in owns such as Damascus,27 Aleppo,28and Wadi al-Nasara29 despie high levels

o violence, bu ohers have become uprooed and eiher moved o oher pars

o he counry or joined he ranks o he nearly 4 million regisered Syrian reu-

gees living ouside o he counry.30

Represening abou 10 percen o Syria’s populaion o 22 million, he Chrisian

communiy is he second larges in Middle Eas in erms o numbers.31 Bu again,

here are no reliable esimaes due o he lack o recen census daa and he large

numbers o uprooed reugees and inernally displaced persons.


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As in Iraq, Chrisians in Syria have aced deah, pressure o conver, or requiremens

o pay a special ax or non-Muslims rom a variey o erroris groups, including

ISIS. In February, milians kidnapped hundreds o Chrisians in he easern prov-

ince o Hassakeh, urher underscoring he dire siuaion or Syria’s Chrisians.32

Syria’s Chrisians who have been uprooed and displaced inside or ouside o hecounry require much o he same humaniarian assisance ha ohers Syrians

need. Unorunaely, he inernaional communiy has been slow o respond o he

coninuous waves o displacemen.

Ulimaely, a peaceul resoluion o Syria’s civil war is he only susainable pahway

o ensuring he uure o a Chrisian presence in he counry. Te pas our years

o civil war, including he rise o milian exremism and he brual arociies o he

Assad regime, have devasaed he Syrian people. I is clear ha no real resoluion

o he conflic is possible wihou a brokered poliical setlemen.

Egypt: The largest Christian community has

endured multiple waves of change since 2011

Egyp’s Chrisians comprise he larges Chrisian communiy in a single counry

in he broader Middle Eas, wih an esimaed 6 million o 9 million Chrisians.33

Mos Egypian Chrisians belong o he Copic Church, which has a disincive

languagei is no longer spoken bu raher used in religious ceremoniesand

is docrinally similar o he Easern Orhodox Church, belonging o he amily o

Orienal Orhodox churches.

Egyp’s Chrisians have endured complicaed waves o poliical ransiions since

2011 and increased insecuriy has aken is oll on he communiy. Even beore he

iniial revoluion in 2011, Chrisians in Egyp el a sense o persecuion based on

insufficien proecion rom atacks and lack o reedom o build churches.34 Under

he miliary rule o 2011 o 2012, many Chrisians worried abou he poenial rise

o poliical Islam and also voiced concerns abou leniency and lack o accounabiliy

or atacks on Chrisians, including he inamous atack by Egypian securiy orces

on peaceul proesors on Ocober 9, 2011, ha killed 27 people.35

Te 2012 elecion o he Muslim Broherhood and Salafi Islamiss o a major-

iy o he seas in Egyp’s parliamen, ollowed laer ha year by he elecion

o he Muslim Broherhood’s Mohamed Morsi o he as presiden, heighened

concerns among Chrisians in Egyp.36 Te lack o inclusive approaches o


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governing and insufficien ocus on pluralism and olerance in drafing he 2012

consiuion led Chrisians o join he popular proess ha led o Presiden

Morsi’s ouser in he summer o 2013. Te violen crackdown on Islamiss

in Cairo by he pos-Morsi miliary-led governmen in Augus 2013 sparked

a series o deadly atacks agains Chrisians. Exremiss burned dozens o

churches and Chrisian schools in reacion o he violence agains Islamiss.37

Te head o he Copic Church suppored Presiden Morsi’s removal and has

backed his successor, Presiden Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.38 A significan segmen o

Egyp’s Chrisian populaion seems o have suppored his move as well, bu

in inerviews wih a number o Chrisians in Egyp, a diversiy o views was

expressed quesioning his alignmen wih he counry’s curren leader. Some

Egypian Chrisians expressed worries ha his posiioning wih an auhoriarian

governmen could leave hem exposed o a poenial backlash in he long run.

Te cenral heme among many o Egyp’s Chrisians oday is a desire o be viewed as Egypians wih ull ciizenship righs. “Chrisians are no a monolihic

group. Why do some ry o orce his ideniy on hem?”, asked one Egypian

opinion leader rom he Chrisian communiy.39 A religious leader echoed his

senimen, saying “Chrisians should be par o Egyp, and we shouldn’ alk o

Chrisians as a minoriy.”40

Tis desire or increased respec or he basic human righs o all Egypians

remains unulfilled. Egyp’s legal code sill includes resricions on basic religious

reedom, and Egyp’s insiuional weaknesses, including shorcomings in he

police and jusice secors, have lef Egypians vulnerable. Tis has been paricu-

larly rue or Chrisians in cerain areas such as Upper Egyp, where criminaliy

and kidnappings remain a major problem.

Lebanon: Christians have strength in

numbers but remain internally divided

Alhough numerically smaller han Egyp’s Chrisian communiy, he Chrisian

communiy in Lebanon remains more powerul han is counerpars in ohercounries or a number o reasons: Chrisians represen a larger share o he popu-

laion o Lebanon compared wih oher counries in he region; hey have been in

leadership posiions in governmen, poliics, and business lie or decades; and he

long-sanding hisory o Chrisians in Lebanon’s social and culural lie are vial o

he counry’s heriage.


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During he course o he civil wars in Iraq and Syria over he pas decade, Lebanon

has become one o he region’s havens or Chrisian populaions. One o he mos

underesimaed consequences o he flow o reugees ino Lebanon is he srain

placed on he Lebanese educaional and social inrasrucure. Te influx increased

Lebanon’s populaion by one-quarer and cos he poor counry an esimaed $20

billion oal.41

Te seriousness o he siuaion in Lebanon canno be oversaed,and addiional assisance is required in order o enable he governmen o effec-

ively cope wih he siuaion, which ges worse by he day.

In Lebanon, he conessional sysem reserves he presidency or a Chrisian,

while he prime miniser is a Sunni Muslim and he speaker o parliamen is Shia.

Since he erm o Lebanon’s mos recen presiden, Michel Suleiman, ended in

May 2014, he office has been lef vacan afer endless poliical negoiaions.42

Te wo main poliical leaders in he Chrisian communiy are Lebanese Forces

head Samir Geagea and Free Parioic Movemen leader Michel Aoun, who

are biterly divided. Geagea srongly opposes he Assad regime in Syria, Iran,and heir Lebanese parner Hezbollah. Aoun, on he oher hand, has aken he

opposie posiion.43 Tese poliical divisions have weakened he poliical power o

Lebanon’s sizable Chrisian communiy.

Christians in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza

Te lands where Chrisianiy was born have winessed a subsanial dwindling o

he presence o he naive Chrisian communiy over he pas cenury. Tese lands

are he epicener o he Arab-Israeli conflic, and Chrisians living in differen pars

o his area ace a wide range o challenging circumsances.

Te small Palesinian Chrisian communiy in he Gaza Srip aces he mos di-

ficul siuaion. Walled off rom he res o he world and acing severe resricions

on is members’ movemen, access, and abiliy o ravel reely, his small commu-

niy endures in a iny erriory ha has winessed numerous conflics wih Israel

and he rise o Islamis exremiss in he period afer Hamas seized power in 2007.

Te lack o economic developmen and basic uncioning governing insiuions

affecs all Palesinians, including Chrisians in Gaza.

In he Wes Bank, he Chrisian presence has dropped subsanially in

recen decades, including in vial places such as Behlehem, he birhplace o

Jesus. Tis declining presence is relaed o he broader acors ha affec all

Palesinians, including he lack o resoluion o he Israeli-Palesinian conflic,

he resricions on movemen and access pu in place by he Israeli occupaion,


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and he lack o economic opporuniies o produce jobs. Te saus o Chrisians

living in Jerusalem is beter han hose living in he Wes Bank and Gaza Srip,

bu he lack o resoluion o he overall conflic has produced greaer incenives

or Chrisians o migrae o oher counries.

Finally, he saus o Chrisians living in Israel is generally beter han heir coun-erpars in he occupied erriories and conflic-ridden places such as Iraq and

Syria. However, here are deep concerns abou ull equaliy and ciizenship righs.

Te recen move by he Israeli governmen o allow Chrisians in Israel o regiser

heir official naional ideniy as “Aramean” insead o “Arab” provoked conro-

versy and debae among Arab Chrisian ciizens o Israel. Many view his measure

as an atemp o urher divide Israel’s small Chrisian communiy,44 which num-

bers beween 150,000 and 200,000 individuals.45 One risk o his proposal is ha

i could lead o urher divisions among Arab communiies wih Israeli ciizenship.

Chrisians living in he Wes Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and Israel share he concernsabou equal ciizenship under he law aced by Chrisians across he Middle Eas.

Economic developmen in he Wes Bank and Gaza Sripwhich is difficul o

achieve in he absence o serious progress on Israeli-Palesinian negoiaionsis

essenial or improving overall living condiions. Lifing resricions on movemen

and ravel o allow Chrisians o visi holy sies in Jerusalem, he Wes Bank, and

Israel would also be an imporan componen in improving he overall environ-

men or Chrisians, bu securiy concerns remain an imporan acor.

Jordan: A safe haven for Christians from around the region

Jordan has a small naive populaion o Chrisians numbering a ew hundred hou-

sand, bu his communiy has deep hisorical roos and a heriage sreching back

o he earlies periods o Chrisianiy. Successive waves o reugees rom Palesine,

Iraq, and Syria have included large numbers o Chrisians. In he pas decade,

Jordan has become one o he ew sae havens or Chrisians fleeing conflic and

repression in oher pars o he region.

Te one se by he Hashemie monarchy in Jordan has sen he message o olerance

and inclusiviy. Jordan has hosed numerous conerences wih regional and inerna-

ional acors aimed a promoing ineraih dialogue and supporing Chrisians and

ohers o numerous backgrounds.46 Is governmen insiuions, especially is police

and inernal securiy orces, have mainained law and order, which have been impor-

an in preserving he basic righs o all individuals, including Chrisians.


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A leading challenge aced by Jordan oday is how o provide or he massive influx

o reugees rom oher counries. Leading Jordanian churches are playing a role in

rying o provide an adequae response, bu he needs ar exceed he resources and

capaciy. Anoher challenge involves meeing he increased demand or educaional

services, a gap ha church schools have ried o fill bu wih limied resources.


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Recommendations

Te muliple challenges acing Chrisians in he Middle Eas are in many ways

direcly relaed o he problems o people o all aihs; violence, errorism, weak

sae capaciy, and insufficien proecions o basic human righs affec he lives o

all in he region. Chrisians have been paricularly negaively affeced, especially in

counries where heir numbers have dwindled and sae insiuions have crumbled.

Approaching hese dauning challenges requires a wide-ranging approach ha

uses many differen ypes o engagemen and a sense o humiliy in deermining wha is realisic or he Unied Saes and oher ouside acors o accomplish. o

ha end, CAP makes he ollowing recommendaions:

1. Expand the tools and resources available to U.S.

policymakers to elevate freedom of religion and conscience

Te Unied Saes should seek o inegrae is diplomaic and economic engagemen

ools o address he pligh o Chrisians in he Middle Eas. Currenly, religious

reedom is no as inegraed wih overall U.S. diplomaic engagemen and develop-

men assisance in he region, and effors largely cener on reporing on abuses and

working wih nongovernmenal organizaions. Raher han creaing a new posiion

o a special envoy or religious minoriies in he Middle Eas, as some in Congress

have discussed, i would be beter o inegrae he offices ha are already working

on religious reedom wihin he U.S. Sae Deparmen’s overall operaions. Te

Obama adminisraion issued a Naional Sraegy on Religious Leader and Faih

Communiy Engagemen in summer 2013, and he Sae Deparmen creaed he

Office o Religion and Global Affairs ha same monh as a poin o conac o coor-

dinae he effors inside o he deparmen.47

In addiion o his new office, he SaeDeparmen also has an ambassador-a-large or inernaional religious reedom and

he Office o Inernaional Religious Freedom in he Bureau o Democracy, Human

Righs, and Labor. Tese offices are key ocal poins or U.S. diplomaic engagemen

wih religious leaders, civil sociey represenaives, and governmen officials dealing

wih religious reedom around he world. Tese offices monior and produce regular

repors on religious reedom around he world.


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In order o enhance America’s engagemen on he saus o Chrisians in he

Middle Eas, he U.S. governmen should clariy he lines o auhoriy wihin

hese offices and posiions dealing wih religious reedom. Mos imporanly, he

Whie House and he secreary o sae should ake seps o elevae he work o

hese offices in ronline diplomacy and U.S. engagemen sraegies hroughou

he Middle Eas wih he same sense o urgency ha is used on oher issues, suchas he rafficking in Persons Repor ha works o sop insances o human ra-

ficking around he world. Te 1998 Inernaional Religious Freedom Ac allows

or a wide range o responses rom he Unied Saes, ranging rom a privae or

public condemnaion o wihdrawing, limiing, or suspending some orms o U.S.

aid.48 Tese opions are rarely used, bu in ligh o he increasing linkage beween

religious repression and inolerance, he Unied Saes should more acively

implemen hese ools based on he Sae Deparmen’s annual counry repors on

inernaional religious reedom.

In addiion, he adminisraion could provide addiional saff o ocus on heMiddle Eas’s religious minoriies and inegrae his office’s aciviies ino all o he

ronline aciviies o he Sae Deparmen.

Te Unied Saes needs o have an engagemen ramework ha places he need

or basic reedom, pluralism, and olerance in how socieies are governed as a

higher prioriy. Unorunaely, he Obama adminisraion has a imes ramed

much o is work as engagemen wih he Muslim world, which is less han opimal

or engaging all aspecs o diverse Middle Eas socieies.

U.S. engagemen on his quesion needs o be specifically ailored. For example,

as i engages wih Egyp’s curren leaders, he Unied Saes should highligh he

downsides o he curren Egypian laws ha resric religious reedom. In addi-

ion, he Unied Saes should work wih Israel and he Palesinian Auhoriy o lif

resricions on movemen and ensure access o Jerusalem and Behlehem or all

Chrisians.

2. Build stronger and more diverse networks and partnerships

with nongovernmental institutions and the private sector

Te U.S. governmen should recognize he graviy o he siuaion acing

Chrisians in he Middle Eas and promoe pragmaic soluions. In doing so, he

U.S. governmen should parner wih a wide range o churches, chariies, privae


26/35


corporaions, oundaions, and nongovernmenal organizaions. Tese orga-

nizaions enjoy deep relaionships and exensive knowledge and conacs wih

Chrisian communiies hroughou he Middle Eas. In many cases, hese organi-

zaions operae hrough neworks based on rus and ground in knowledge ha

has been buil up over decades o communiy service.

Low-profile delivery o suppor hrough hese parners would allow he Unied

Saes o boh leverage his experience and avoid drawing unwaned atenion o

he very communiies i is rying o assis. In some cases, direc inervenion on

behal Chrisian communiies risks subjecing hem o urher secarian backlash.

Te U.S. governmen coninues o suffer rom a poor overall image a he popular

level. In he course o his sudy, many individuals remarked ha he Unied Saes

is no perceived as undersanding he complexiy o he siuaion in he region,

and recen sraegic communicaions campaigns aimed a improving America’s

image have allen shor o heir goals. Moreover, conspiracy heories are reinorced

by he difficul realiy ha America’s rack record in helping counries achievesusainable securiy in he Middle Eas was marred by he Iraq War.

For hese reasons, he Unied Saes needs o remain modes and humble abou

wha i can achieve in he region, bu i should no use his less-han-sellar

image as an excuse o do nohing or very litle abou he challenges acing

Chrisians in he Middle Eas.

3. Redouble efforts to advance international diplomatic approaches

to conflict resolution and include communities of faith

Te Unied Saes is uniquely posiioned o build broad inernaional coaliions

in order o achieve diplomaic soluions o conflics in he region. One prime

example is he recen effor o achieve a deal on Iran’s nuclear program.

Diplomaic soluions o he Arab-Israeli conflic and Syria’s civil war, as difficul as

hey seem oday, would go a long way oward advancing a more avorable environ-

men in which erroris exremis groups are isolaed and a broader environmen o

respec or basic righs is esablished. A jus and equiable resoluion o he Israeli-Palesinian conflic in a wo-sae soluion would open new pahways or Chrisians

o reconnec o he Holy Land and build ineraih undersanding and rus. An end

o he our-year-old civil war in Syria could esablish a ramework or ensuring he

righs o all ciizens, including Chrisians. All o hese effors would require signifi-

can diplomaic effor and ake considerable ime, bu re-esablishing sraegies o

end hese conflics would produce a more secure environmen or Chrisians.


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In he difficul effor o consruc effecive conflic resoluion and peace-build-

ing processes, he Unied Saes should do a beter job o engaging aih leaders,

including hose who have influenial voices among Chrisians in he Middle

Eas. Churches serve no only as communiies o aih, bu also have grea

poenial or organizing communiy acion in avor o jus and equiable resolu-

ions. From he op leaders o churches such as Pope Francis o members o heregion’s lay communiies, hese aih communiies could help boos he nex

atemps a diplomaic conflic resoluion.

Progress is possible shor o ormal peace agreemens. Diplomaic negoiaions,

rack II alks, and oher orms o local conflic resoluion can be used as venues

or addressing he concerns o vulnerable communiies, including Chrisians.

For example, atemps by he Unied Naions o broker local ceasefires and

expand humaniarian access in Syria can be used o aciliae relie or Chrisian

communiies. Inernaional suppor or poliical oureach o Sunni communiies

in Iraq as par o he wider effor o deea ISIS can give voice o oher minoriyconessional communiies. Fuure Arab-Israeli peace alkswheher ormal or

rack IIcan develop confidence-building measures ha allow he ree flow o

conessional communiies in Jerusalem.

4. Prioritize assistance for refugees and displaced

persons with specific responses for Christian refugees

Te research or his repor revealed relucance on he par o some Chrisians dis-

placed by conflics in Iraq and Syria o live in he same reugee camps as Muslims

and oher displaced people. Te U.S. governmen should work wih inernaional

relie agencies and nongovernmenal organizaion o srenghen proecion

mechanisms or displaced populaions o all aihs in reugee camps. Bu concerns

over personal securiy may neverheless drive displaced Chrisians o seek sheler

ouside o ormal camps wih co-religionis hos amilies. Te U.S. governmen

should hereore also work wih governmens, churches, and local auhoriies o

ensure ha hese hos amilies and communiies can address he dire needs o

hese ciizens, including ood, sheler, clohing, and healh care.


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5. Weigh carefully the benefits and costs

of special visa programs for Christians

Te pligh o Chrisians in he Middle Eas has promped some U.S. and European

lawmakers o propose special visas or Chrisians. Tese proposals receive mixed

views among Middle Easern Chrisians. Some see special visas as necessaryo proec heir communiies, while ohers view hem more pessimisically as

programs ha would conribue o he decline o Chrisianiy in he region. As an

overall guide, he Unied Saes and European counries should ocus on seting

guidelines ha offer special visas or individuals who are in he mos dire need.

6. Make use of U.S. strategic communications to promote

religious freedom, pluralism, and inclusivity as a priority

Te Obama adminisraion has sressed proecion o religious groups such as Yazidis in Iraq and sporadically menioned he pligh o Chrisians, including in

Presiden Barack Obama’s las U.N. General Assembly speech.49

Bu he adminisraion has ofen shied away rom voicing concerns abou

Chrisians in he region, perhaps parly due o ear o how exremiss migh use

such saemens in heir propaganda.

Wha he Unied Saes says maters a grea deal, and he adminisraion should

moun a more concered effor in coordinaion wih a diverse group o aih

leaders in he region, including Muslims, o speak more clearly abou he impor-

ance o religious reedom and pluralism. In is recen renewed effor o couner

violen exremism, he adminisraion should place greaer emphasis on sup-

poring religious reedom.

7. Expand economic de velopment and reform efforts

In building parnerships wih privae corporaions o expand economic develop-

men, he Unied Saes should work o advance overall economic growh and job creaion in crucial areas across he region, such as he Wes Bank and Gaza

Srip. In addiion, he issues o propery righs and resiuion or propery los by

Chrisians in conflics should be a key par o he economic saecraf and engage-

men effors ha seek o address he challenges acing Chrisians in he Middle

Eas. In all U.S.-unded programs, religious balance should be a goal, similar o he

way ha U.S. programs promoe gender balance.


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8. Invest in education as a key tool for

advancing religious freedom and pluralism

Te research or his repor ound ha schools operaed by churches in many

Middle Easern counries serve as ouposs o undersanding across religions, and

he Unied Saes should look or ways o expand suppor or educaion sysemsha oser sronger bonds across diverse communiies. Curriculum reorm is

essenial across he region in order o inroduce essenial exs on ciizenship,

diversiy, and accepance o he oher.

9. Use U.S. military force and security assistance

cautiously and beware of potential pitfalls

In exreme cases such as he rise o he ISIS in Iraq and Syria, he use o miliary

orce may be a necessary ool o help proec communiies, including Chrisians.Te Unied Saes should exercise exreme cauion, however, when i receives

requess or securiy assisance o paricular groups. Currenly in Iraq, he Unied

Saes is allowing Chrisians o arm and equip hemselves or sel-deense.50 Given

he graviy o he siuaion and he ac ha hese communiies eel deenseless,

his response is undersandable, bu he Unied Saes should remain cognizan

o poenial pialls. For example, erroris groups such as ISIS could exploi

any special effors o suppor Chrisians in heir propaganda, which atemps o

rame U.S. engagemen as par o a holy war by crusaders. Any such effors o

arm Chrisians much be placed in he conex o a longer-erm plan o promoing

greaer olerance and cohesion wihin socieies.

10. Work with international organizations and leading churches

to preserve Christian heritage in the Middle East and Arab world

Finally, he Obama adminisraion should work wih he U.N. Educaional,

Scienific and Culural Organizaion, or UNESCO, o lead an inernaional effor

o preserve he religious and culure heriage o Chrisians in he Middle Eas,

including an invenory o basic religious sies and exs wih prioriy given ocounries in conflic or ransiion. Te preservaion o Chrisian heriage could be

prioriized wihin he wider effor as i is he mos endangered.

Te Unied Saes should work wih inernaional organizaion such as UNESCO

o caalogue and produce an invenory o church propery and Chrisian heriage

sies in he Middle Eas in order o proec hem.


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Conclusion

Te ae o Chrisianiy in he Middle Eas is direcly linked o he broader rajec-

ory o hisorical, poliical, and culural rends in he region. Te pas cenury

has seen a seady decline in he overall presence o Chrisians in key pars o

he region, and he pas decade o srie has led o millions o Chrisians o be

uprooed rom heir homes and orced o migrae. Te Unied Saes has largely

been a bysander o hese rends, especially over he pas decade, and some o is

acions have no enhanced sabiliy or done enough o suppor he creaion o an

overall environmen in which he basic righs o all ciizens are proeced.

In he dephs o wha have been some dark years, he seadas presence o

Chrisians in he region is a sign o hope and opporuniy o advance pluralism

and olerance across he Middle Eas. Te Unied Saes can play an imporan

role in urning he recen rends around, paricularly i i builds effecive parner-

ships wih key acors in he governmen, nongovernmenal, and privae secors.


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Methodology

Te inerviews or his sudy were conduced hroughou he Middle Eas in 2013

and 2014 by a eam o researchers rom he Cener or American Progress, includ-

ing he auhors o his repor and oher CAP saffHardin Lang and Mokhar

Awad. Te auhors would also like o hank Ariella Viehe, Hisham Melhem,Samuel adros, and Paul Salem or heir valuable inpu. Te locaions and daes

or he inerviews are ound in endnoe 5. Te respondens or he inerviews,

which were conduced on a nonatribuion basis due o he sensiiviy o he

opic, included a wide range o governmen officials, church leaders, members o

churches, poliical analyss, and journaliss.

About the authors

Brian Katulis is a Senior Fellow a he Cener or American Progress, where his work ocuses on U.S. naional securiy policy in he Middle Eas and Souh Asia.

Kaulis has served as a consulan o numerous U.S. governmen agencies, privae

corporaions, and nongovernmenal organizaions on projecs in more han

wo dozen counries, including Iraq, Pakisan, Aghanisan, Yemen, Egyp, and

Colombia. From 1995 o 1998, he lived and worked in he Wes Bank, he Gaza

Srip, and Egyp or he Naional Democraic Insiue or Inernaional Affairs.

Rudy deLeon is a Senior Fellow wih he Naional Securiy and Inernaional Policy

eam a he Cener or American Progress. He has worked a he organizaion

since 2007 and ocuses on U.S. naional securiy issues and U.S.-China relaions.

DeLeon’s 25-year governmen career concluded in 2001 afer his enure as depuy

secreary o deense, during which ime he served as he chie operaing officer

a he Penagon, a member o he Depuies Commitee o he Naional Securiy

Council, and a member o he U.S. Deparmen o Veerans Affairs Naional

Parnership Council on labor-managemen issues. In earlier Penagon assignmens,

deLeon served as undersecreary o deense or personnel and readiness rom 1997

o 2000 and as undersecreary o he air orce rom 1994 o 1997. For five years,

beginning in 2001, he served as a senior vice presiden or he Boeing Company,

ocusing on global rade issues and Washingon, D.C., operaions.


32/35


John Craig

is a Senior Fellow a he Cener or American Progress. During his

disinguished career as a member o he U.S. Foreign Service, he held numerous

assignmens boh overseas and in he U.S. Deparmen o Sae. He served as a

diploma in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egyp, and Haii. Craig speaks Arabic,

French, and Spanish. He was he ambassador o he Sulanae o Oman rom 1998

o 2001. He was a special assisan o Presiden George W. Bush and served on hesaff o he Naional Securiy Council. He was appoined as Boeing Company’s

regional vice presiden in he Middle Eas in June 2003. Craig joined Te Jadwin

Group as ull parner in March 2008 and ran is Middle Eas and Norh Arica

operaions as managing direcor. Craig has been he ambassador in residence o

he Cener or Global Undersanding and Peacemaking a Elizabehown College

in Elizabehown, Pennsylvania, since July 2010.


33/35


Endnotes

1 Phillip Conner and Conrad Hackett, “Middle East’sChristian population in flux as Pope Francis visits HolyLand,” Pew Research Center, May 19, 2014, available athttp://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/05/19/middle-easts-christian-population-in-flux-as-pope-francis-visits-holy-land; Nina Shea, “The Middle East’sEmbattled Christians,” National Review , December 23,2009, available at http://www.nationalreview.com/

article/228851/middle-easts-embattled-christians-nina-shea.

2 Conner and Hackett, “Middle East’s Christian populationin flux as Pope Francis visits Holy Land”; PBS Newshour,“Facing Uncertainty, Middle East Christians Are Increas-ingly Emigrating,” September 17, 2012, available athttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion-july-dec12-christians_09-17/.

3 Jeff Benvenuto, Rachel Jacobs, and John Lim, “TheAssyrian Genocide, 1914 to 1923 and 1933 up to thepresent,” Rutgers University Center for the Study ofGenocide and Human Rights, available at http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/center-study-genocide-conflict-resolution-and-human-rights/assyrian-genocide-1914-1923-and-1933-pres (last accessed March 2015).

4 U.S. Department of State, “U.S. Strategy on Religious

Leader and Faith Community Engagement,” availableat http://www.state.gov/s/rga/strategy/index.htm(lastaccessed March 2015).

5 CAP staff conducted interviews and research in thefollowing countries: Egypt (November–December 2013;October 2014); Lebanon (April and November 2014);Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank (January 2013 andJanuary 2014); Iraq (November 2014); Jordan (January,March, and December 2014); and Turkey (November2013, April and November 2014). In addition, CAP helddiscussions on this topic in the United Arab Emirates inJanuary and October 2014 and Qatar in May 2014.

6 Brian Katulis and Peter Juul, “U.S. Middle East Policy ata Time of Regional Fragmentation and Competition”(Washington: Center for American Progress, 2014),available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2014/06/16/91809/u-s-middle-east-

policy-at-a-time-of-regional-fragmentation-and-com-petition/.

7 David T. Koyzis, “Christians and Nationalism in theMiddle East: A Brief History,” First Things, August 20,2013, available at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/08/christians-and-nationalism-in-the-middle-east-a-brief-history.

8 Multiple CAP interviews, Egypt, October 2014.

9 Central Intelligence Agency, “The World Factbook:Lebanon,” June 20, 2014, available at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html.

10 John McManus, “Humanist campaign challengesblasphemy laws,” BBC News, January 29, 2015, availableat http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31047401.

11 Ben Kesling and Emre Peker, “Minorities in Iraq FollowKurds in Pushing for More Autonomy,” The Wall Street Journal , July 18, 2014, available at http://www.wsj.com/articles/minorities-in-iraq-follow-kurds-in-pushing-for-more-autonomy-1405669767; Ali Mamouri, “Iraq’sminorities demand weapons, training,” Al-Monitor, Sep-tember 19, 2014, available at http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/iraq-minorities-calls-for-international-protection-arms.html; Nahed Hattar,“Christians in the Region have the Right to ArmedResistance,” al-Akhbar English, August 22, 2014, avail-able at http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21239.

12 Bethlehem Development Foundation, “Our MissionStatement,” available at http://www.bethlehemdevel-opment.org/our-mission (last accessed March 2015).

13 Human Rights Watch, “Egypt: Mass Attacks on Church-es,” August 22, 2013, available at http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churches.

14 Sylvia Poggioli, “The 1,000-Year-Old Schism ThatPope Francis Seeks To Heal,” National Public Radio,May 21, 2014, available at http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/05/21/314270024/the-1-000-year-old-schism-that-pope-francis-seeks-to-heal.

15 Sebnem Arsu, “Pope, in Turkey, Issues Call to ProtectMiddle Eastern Christians,” The New York Times,November 30, 2014, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/europe/pope-in-turkey-issues-call-to-protect-middle-eastern-christians.html; Vatican Radio, “Pope Francis & Patriarch Bartholomewsign joint declaration,” December 1, 2014, available athttp://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-patriarch-bartholomew-sign-joint-decl.

16 CAP interview, Vatican City, December 2014.

17 Robert Windrem, “Who’s Funding ISIS? Wealthy Gulf ‘An-

gel Investors,’ Officials Say,” NBC News, September 21,2014, available at http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/whos-funding-isis-wealthy-gulf-angel-inves-tors-officials-say-n208006; Michael Stephens, “IslamicState: Where does jihadist group get its s upport?”, BBCNews, September 1, 2014, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29004253.

18 CAP interviews, Lebanon and Turkey, April 2014.

19 Tim Arango, “In Iraq, Traditions of Christmas Found Onlyin Memory,”The New York Times, December 24, 2014,available at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/world/middleeast/iraq-christians-ousted-by-isis-cele-brate-christmas.html?_r=0; Greg Botelho, “Amid killingsand kidnappings, can Christianity survive in the MiddleEast?”, CNN, February 27, 2015, available at http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/27/middleeast/christianity-middle-east/.

20 Holly Williams, “Iraqi Christians: ‘We need somewheresafe to live,’” CBS News, August 12, 2014, available athttp://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraqi-christians-we-need-somewhere-safe-to-live/.

21 Daniel Burke, “ISIS to Christians in Mosul: convert,pay, or die,” CNN Belief Blog, July 21 , 2014, available athttp://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/21/facing-fines-conversion-or-death-christians-flee-mosul/.

22 CAP interview, Erbil, Iraq, November 2014.

23 Mamouri, “Iraq’s minorities demand weapons, training.”

24 Peter Henderson, “Iraq’s Christian paramilitaries splitin IS fight,” Al-Monitor, October 30, 2014, available athttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/iraq-christian-paramilitary-forces-nineveh.html.

25 CAP interview, Vatican City, December 2014.

26 Bassel Oudat, “Syrian Christians Strike Back,” Assyrian In-ternational News Agency, November 14, 2014, availableat http://www.aina.org/news/20141114151015.htm.

27 Ruth Sherlock, “Syria’s civil war still rages in the heart ofthe old Christian world,” The Telegraph, November 26,2014, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.html.

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ewhere-safe-to-live/http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/21/facing-fines-conversion-or-death-christians-flee-mosul/http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/21/facing-fines-conversion-or-death-christians-flee-mosul/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/iraq-christian-paramilitary-forces-nineveh.htmlhttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/iraq-christian-paramilitary-forces-nineveh.htmlhttp://www.aina.org/news/20141114151015.htmhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11256090/Syrias-civil-war-stillrages-in-the-heart-of-the-old-Christian-world.htmlhttp://www.aina.org/news/20141114151015.htmhttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/iraq-christian-paramilitary-forces-nineveh.htmlhttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/iraq-christian-paramilitary-forces-nineveh.htmlhttp://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/21/facing-fines-conversion-or-death-christians-flee-mosul/http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/21/facing-fines-conversion-or-death-christians-flee-mosul/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraqi-christians-we-need-somewhere-safe-to-live/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraqi-christians-we-need-somewhere-safe-to-live/http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/27/middleeast/christianity-middle-east/http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/27/middleeast/christianity-middle-east/http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/27/middleeast/christianity-middle-east/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/world/middleeast/iraq-christians-ousted-by-isis-celebrate-christmas.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/world/middleeast/iraq-christians-ousted-by-isis-celebrate-christmas.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/world/middleeast/iraq-christians-ousted-by-isis-celebrate-christmas.html?_r=0http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29004253http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29004253http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/whos-funding-isis-wealthy-gulf-angel-investors-officials-say-n208006http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/whos-funding-isis-wealthy-gulf-angel-investors-officials-say-n208006http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/whos-funding-isis-wealthy-gulf-angel-investors-officials-say-n208006http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-patriarch-bartholomew-sign-joint-declhttp://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-patriarch-bartholomew-sign-joint-declhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/europe/pope-in-turkey-issues-call-to-protect-middle-eastern-christians.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/europe/pope-in-turkey-issues-call-to-protect-middle-eastern-christians.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/europe/pope-in-turkey-issues-call-to-protect-middle-eastern-christians.htmlhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/05/21/314270024/the-1-000-year-old-schism-that-pope-francis-seeks-to-healhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/05/21/314270024/the-1-000-year-old-schism-that-pope-francis-seeks-to-healhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/05/21/314270024/the-1-000-year-old-schism-that-pope-francis-seeks-to-healhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churcheshttp://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churcheshttp://www.bethlehemdevelopment.org/our-missionhttp://www.bethlehemdevelopment.org/our-missionhttp://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21239http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/iraq-minorities-calls-for-international-protection-arms.htmlhttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/iraq-minorities-calls-for-international-protection-arms.htmlhttp://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/iraq-minorities-calls-for-international-protection-arms.htmlhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/minorities-in-iraq-follow-kurds-in-pushing-for-more-autonomy-1405669767http://www.wsj.com/articles/minorities-in-iraq-follow-kurds-in-pushing-for-more-autonomy-1405669767http://www.wsj.com/articles/minorities-in-iraq-follow-kurds-in-pushing-for-more-autonomy-1405669767http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31047401https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.htmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/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28 AFP, “Christians hold out in Syria’s Aleppo despite jihad-ist threats,” Daily Mail , November 26, 2014, available athttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2850680/Christians-hold-Syrias-Aleppo-despite-jihadist-threat.html.

29 Al-Monitor, “Christians in Homs province fear jihadistadvance,” September 9, 2014, available at http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/wado-al-nasara-syria-christians-fear-is-advance.html.

30 Diana Darke, “Syria refugees swell Christian community

in Turkey,” BBC News, August 10, 2013, available athttp://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23614968.

31 BBC News, “Syria’s beleaguered Christ ians,” February 25,2015, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22270455.

32 Michael Pizzi, “ISIL kidnapping underlines ‘grave peril’of Assyrian Christians,” Al Jazeera America, February25, 2015, available at http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/25/isil-kidnapping-underlines-grave-peril-of-assyrian-christians.html.

33 Conrad Hackett and Brian J. Grimm, “Global Christianity:A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’sChristian Population” (Washington: Pew ResearchCenter, 2011), available at http://www.pewforum.org/files/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf; CentralIntelligence Agency, “The World Factbook: Egypt,” June

22, 2014, available at https://www.cia.gov/library/publi-cations/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html.

34 Samuel Tadros, “Religious Freedom in Egypt” (Washing-ton: The Heritage Foundation, 2010), available at http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2010/pdf/bg2487.pdf ;Kristen Chick, “In Egypt, Christians celebrate Easter Sun-day under shadow of Christmas attacks,” The ChristianScience Monitor , April 2, 2010, available at http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0402/In-Egypt-Christians-celebrate-Easter-Sunday-under-shad-ow-of-Christmas-attacks; The Telegraph, “Car bomb inEgypt kills at least 21 outside Christian Church,” January1, 2011, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8234759/Car-bomb-in-Egypt-kills-at-least-21-outside-Christian-church.html.

35 Human Rights Watch, “Egypt: Don’t Cover up Military

Killing of Copt Protestors.”

36 Abigail Hauslohner, “Egypt’s Christians worried byIslamists’ rise,” The Washington Post , January 7, 2013,available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypts-christians-worried-by-islamists-rise/2013/01/07/9db90546-58f3-11e2-88d0-c4cf-65c3ad15_story.html.

37 Human Rights Watch, “Egypt: Mass Attacks on Church-es,” August 22, 2013, available at http://ww w.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churches.

38 Johannes Makar, “The Egyptian Pope’s RiskyPartisanship,” Carnegie Endowment for Inter-national Peace, February 26, 2015, available athttp://carnegieendowment.org/sada/index.cfm?fa=show&article=59195&solr_hilite=.

39 CAP interview, Cairo, Egypt, October 24, 2014.

40 CAP interview, Cairo, Egypt, October 23, 2014.

41 Dana Ballout, “Lebanon to Require Visas for Syrians asRefugees Strain Country,” The Wall Street Journal , Janu-ary 4, 2015, available at http://www.wsj.com/articles/lebanon-to-require-visas-for-syrians-as-refugees-strain-country-1420418670.

42 Michael Young, “Lebanon’s Christian rivals unite only intheir mutual decline,” The National, January 17, 2013,

available at http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalcon-versation/comment/lebanons-christian-rivals-unite-only-in-their-mutual-decline.

43 Nabil Haytham, “Lebanese C

the plight of christians in the middle east

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