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christmas in baghdad

WITNESSES of
FORGIVENESS
What is happening to the Christians in the Arab countries? How can we help them? And why is it important for them to stay where they are? René Guitton, an expert on the Middle East, tells us what can be done before the “silent massacre” going on in Iraq and environs.

by Fabrizio Rossi

“It’s a massacre, and it must be stopped.” René Guitton, author of a  book on the persecutions, Ces chrétiens qu’on assassine, (Flammarion, Paris, 2009), is well informed about what is happening in Iraq. He is a member of the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations and is the recipient of numerous prizes for his many battles for human rights. In his countless journeys, he has met Middle Eastern emirs, patriarchs, and heads of state. Formerly the Morocco correspondent of the TV channel France 2, now in Paris, he is Director of the prestigious publishing house  Calmann-Levy. More than a professional interest, what links Guitton to the Middle East is a network of friendships with Muslims, Jews, and Christians; bishops and lay people. Some of his friends were killed in the attacks that struck the Christian community in Baghdad some weeks ago. “As soon as I got the news, I grabbed the phone. I asked myself, ‘Can I do something? What can I do?’ I felt so helpless.” So, though it’s only a drop in the ocean, he organized a march on November 14th in support of the Iraqi Christians. There were 3,000 supporters and they marched to the foot of the Eiffel Tower to call for justice and protection. And now he is asking for a deeper awareness in living Christmas, “the period in which the persecuted are most threatened, because the value of their martyrdom lies in the witness they offer to us and to the whole world.”

What is happening in those regions?
A real escalation in actions against Christians. The attack on the Twin Towers had already unleashed the instincts of the extremists. The West, which for them has always coincided with Christianity, finally appeared weak. The beginning of the war in Iraq, in 2003, exasperated the opposition between West and East. For the Arab world, Saddam Hussein was a charismatic leader, so the war against his regime was seen as an aggression against the worldwide Muslim community. To this fact, we need to add others, like the threat of the American Pastor Terry Jones to burn the Koran on September 11th.

A provocation that was then withdrawn…
It wasn’t enough. Bishop Louis Sako, of Kirkuk, telephoned me, very annoyed: “Do you realize what is happening?” Just the idea was enough to unleash a wave of violence against the churches throughout the whole Middle East. In this climate, any excuse is exploited for attacking Christians.

What does the sacrifice lived by these persecuted communities tell us Westerners?
These Christians are killed out of hatred for the faith, so they are martyrs. They offer a witness to us and to the world. Let us be clear, though: they don’t want to die. If they could, they would get away, but they can’t. So they are victims. Perhaps it’s not right to speak of “sacrifice.” They are not looking for it.

In this sense, no one would look for it, Jesus Christ for a start. Yet He went on the Cross, and forgave.
In fact, I would prefer to speak of forgiveness, a concept near to that of sacrifice. Theirs is a witness of forgiveness for their aggressors. Think, for example, of Christmas, when the feast coincides with the period in which Christians are most threatened, as if to prevent them from expressing their faith in the event they are celebrating. But looking at what they are living helps us to understand the true value of Christmas: by putting prayer first, we are beside them.

Concretely, in what way can we help the persecuted Christians?
We can do very little since every move provokes reprisals. Just consider that, fearing for their families at home in Iraq, various associations of immigrants did not attend the rally on November 14th. And we are in Paris! Certainly, we have to act, perhaps with economic sanctions: “Either you tackle this problem, or Europe will deny you support and aid.” It’s an example. While we are talking here, they are killing there.

Some countries have already taken initiative–for example, offering visas and hospitality to the survivors.
It surely is a fine humanitarian gesture, but in this way we help to empty the Middle East of Christians. It’s a drama, as many Eastern bishops have said: “It’s wonderful that you support us. But you must help us to stay, not to leave.” Otherwise, we are only playing their enemies’ game. Consider  that, one century ago, one in five of the population was Christian, whereas today, it’s one in fifty. In Lebanon, half of the Christians have fled to the West. In Egypt, with a Christian population of about 7–8 million, there has been an exodus of 1.5 million Coptic Christians to Canada and the United States. These are enormous numbers, and it is a continuous flow.

Why is it so important for the Christians to stay?
Because that land is their home. It is there that everything began. That is why the fundamentalists want them out. The Christians have been living there since the very birth of Christianity. They are citizens of Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, Arabs like everyone else. The only difference is religion, because upon the arrival of Islam, these populations preferred to remain Christian.

But the persecutions are not limited to this area…
Sadly, there are many “Iraqs” in the world, from India to Nigeria, and from Indonesia to Southern Sudan. In these places, Christians are massacred just because they are Christians. Behind these situations, though, conscious or not, there is hatred for the “other” who is not like us. Luckily, in some cases, the authorities have understood and have done something, like in Qatar or in the Emirates, where churches are being built to cater for the Christian populations, immigrants from countries like the Philippines and India. These places of hope are a paradox of immigration.

What is our responsibility in this situation?
We must not keep silent. We cannot sit with folded arms, doing nothing. When I can, for example, I attend the Liturgy in one of the many Chaldean churches in Paris. The liturgical use of Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, is a good sign of faithfulness to the origins. But it’s not only the Christian communities that must be mobilized. I found Muslims, Jews, and atheists protesting against the massacre. It’s something that involves all of us, as men. The point is to let those Christians know that they have not been abandoned–we are with them.