Christianity is the most widely persecuted faith worldwide and 4/5ths of this persecution is at the hands of Muslim jihadists. Islam in its final, prophetic, 15th century is taking a more confrontational and supremacist attitude to other faiths.
Persecuted Christians face significant challenges. A flyer for a conference in April facilitated by the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life poses the following options. ‘Should they move or stay (Middle East)? Should they suffer in silence, resist or even retaliate (Nigeria)? Should they rely on “world opinion” and “the international community” or take matters into their own hands? What are their options of self defence? What is the difference between being prepared for martyrdom or for genocide? How should the Church respond to the violence that intends to uproot whole Christian communities from their homelands?’
Misrepresented
Christians and their leaders in Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon repeatedly complain that they do not feel supported by the Church in the West. Their plight is often misrepresented by western media. Archbishop Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria, wrote in The Times on 13 November: ‘It is wrong to claim that insurgency in the north of Nigeria is fuelled more by poverty than by Islamic extremism. Poverty does not explain the killing of 40 schoolchildren – Muslim children – in Potiksum earlier this week. Boko Haram and its kind delight in massacres, slaughters, rape and murders. This is not the face of poverty, but of radical Islamist jihad’.
The Minister of State for International Development, Desmond Swayne, also played it down in the House of Commons on 25 November. He said that Christians who argue that the jihadist’s violence stems directly from Islam were talking manifest nonsense, that there is nothing ISIL comes up with that does not match what Christians have done in history and that passages in the Qur’an that appear to advocate attacks on non-Muslims can be matched with bloodthirsty quotes from the Old and New Testaments.
He refused to recognise any claim of vulnerable religious minorities for help beyond generalised humanitarian help. This notion collapses under its own contradictions. Government sources have made it clear that the continued 0.7% ring-fenced budget for overseas aid is completely dependent on the support of the churches. Yet if the requests of churches for assistance for those who are persecuted are refused, and if the government continues to give aid to regional powers which deny Article 18 of the UN Declaration (religious freedom) and allow murder for blasphemy and apostasy, then support for this government pledge will rapidly drain away.
Bishop Nick Baines of West Yorkshire and the Dales said at his synod on 22 November: ‘Our Christian brothers and sisters in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere need to know that they are not forgotten. We must continue to pray; we must continue to give – to aid agencies, to Christian agencies providing particular types of care and relief – and to act, lobbying our politicians, engaging with the media and shaping debate about our priorities and values. Are we content to live in a country that refuses to address the question of asylum for people who have lost everything and have nowhere to go back to?’.
Direct support
We must make clear to our churches which organisations are definitely supporting the persecuted Christians, since, as often happens, the Christians otherwise get help from no one. The UN-related and government-supported agencies refuse to ‘discriminate’ – stating that to single out Christians would be to do ISIS’s work for them – and of course Muslim agencies/governments will not support Christians. The Christian NGOs who attempt to fill the gap left by political intrigue include Barnabas Fund, Open Doors, Aid to the Church in Need, World Vision and Andrew White’s FRRME. Others such as Christian Aid and TearFund are constrained by DFID’s strings, focussing ostensibly on humanitarian aid to all, but often resulting in non-Christians getting help from all around the compass (UN, Muslim organisations, etc) and Christians getting little or nothing.
As Christians we quite rightly support religious freedom for all. But Paul draws an important distinction; in Galatians 6.10 he calls on us to do good to all people, but especially to those of the household of faith. If we do not care for our own brothers and sisters in Christ what confidence might people have that we would also care for others? Is this institutional reluctance to stand up for Christians or to provide for Christians perhaps an excuse not to acknowledge our obligations?
Repentance
The UK Government has played its own part in the destruction of the Christian community in Iraq, Syria (and also Egypt, Libya, Gaza and Afghanistan). We need to acknowledge the part we have played in their suffering over the years and seek their forgiveness.
In addition, the UK has many alliances and business deals with the States from which funding for ISIS comes. Is our government really committed to doing all in its power to starve violent extremists of funds and political support?
Welcome them into our homes
One tangible expression of our repentance would be to welcome those who need asylum into our homes and churches – and press the government to give them entrance visas. One family per church would meet a major need. When I suggested this in a sermon in our church in August I had three offers at the end of the service. This would be the right thing to do – morally, politically, and practically – and an important expression of the compassion of Jesus Christ.
