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At Large
Identity Among Middle East Christians
What’s accounts for clear examples of their strong loyalty to Islamic regimes?
In the course of the present unrest across the Middle East and North Africa, it has become clear that questions of identity are going to be extremely important in deciding the future paths of the various countries in turmoil, not only as regards the divide between Islamists and secularists, but also concerning ethnic and sectarian tensions in countries like Syria, Yemen, and Libya.
For Christians in the region, the issue of identity will similarly be important in determining ways to adapt to the changing political order. This naturally raises the problem of how exactly these Christians define themselves. For example, what does it mean to speak of an “Arab Christian”? Which Christians in the region feel the strongest affinity with such a description? Which ones reject it most vehemently?
It is often said that the concepts of Arab nationalism and pan-Arabism were formulated in significant part by Christians who did not wish for their communities to continue enduring discrimination. For instance, one could point to the fact that Michel Aflaq — a founder of the Ba’ath Party — and George Habash, an Arab nationalist thinker who founded the Marxist terrorist group known as the “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,” were both Christians.
However, what is often overlooked is that these Christians who were the most vociferous and staunch proponents of Arab nationalism and the notion of “Arab Christians” have been either Antiochian Greek Orthodox or Melkite Greek Catholics, two Christian sects concentrated in Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. Aflaq and Habash were Antiochian Greek Orthodox, but a case in point for the Melkite Greek Catholics is the current patriarch of the church: Gregory III Laham.
In an interview with the Italian monthly magazine “30Giorni” back in 2005, Laham even went so far as to state that “the Melkite bishop Edelby… would always repeat: we are Arabs, not Muslims…. I add: we are the Church of Islam.”
As for the terrorist attack in October 2010 on the Syriac Catholic “Our Lady of Salvation” church in Baghdad and similar assaults on Christians in the region, Laham characterized the persecution as a “conspiracy planned by Zionism and some Christians with Zionist orientations… that aims at depicting Arabs and Muslims in Arab countries as terrorist and fundamentalist murderers,” according to a report in Lebanon’s Daily Star.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the uprising in Syria, Laham has condemned the Arab League’s suspension of Syria from the organization on the grounds that the move has caused separation in the Arab world, with the Patriarchate Council affirming the following, as noted by the Syrian Arab News Agency: “The criterion of the Arab League’s success will be through its capability to solve the Palestinian cause, not through division or hostility.”
In contrast, among the Maronites in Lebanon and the Copts in Egypt, the sentiment is more divided. One will almost certainly encounter members of both groups who identify as “Arab Christians,” yet there has been a counter-trend on the question of identity that has never existed for the Antiochian Greek Orthodox or the Melkite Greek Catholics. For the Maronites, an alternative identity has been offered in the ideology of “Phoenicianism,” which traces a link between the ancient Phoenicians and the Lebanese of today, besides taking pride in Lebanon’s multicultural nature. A notable proponent of this view has been the well-known poet Said Akl, who reached his centenary last July.
Among Copts, there is the notion of “Pharaonism,” which prefers to stress Egyptian identity as a combination of descent from the Ancient Egyptians, Egypt’s historically close links with the Mediterranean world, and individual nation-state patriotism. This sentiment is shared by some Egyptian Muslims, and one of the most prominent advocates of Pharaonism in the 20th century was the liberal Muslim intellectual Taha Hussein.
Finally, one comes to the issue of identity among the Christians of Iraq. In this case, we find a virtually unanimous rejection of the term “Arab Christians.” Instead, Christians in Iraq identify as ethnic Assyrians, although among some Chaldean Catholics there is a preference for a distinct Chaldean identity.
There is even a political party for Assyrians known as the “Assyrian Democratic Movement,” which aims to secure an autonomous province for Assyrians in the northern Nineveh plains of Iraq.
One might note in objection to my point that Tariq Aziz — the vice-president of Iraq during Saddam’s rule — was a Chaldean. On the contrary, he is overwhelmingly viewed as a traitor by Assyrians. Not only did Aziz drop his Christian birth name Mikhail Yuhanna, but he also abetted Saddam’s Arabization policy in the north of Iraq, which led to the destruction of numerous Assyrian villages and the inhabitants’ forced resettlement in Baghdad and points south in order to make way for Arab settlers.
What is apparent from these observations is that the degree of absorption of the Arabic language into the various churches correlates with the prevalence of the concept of “Arab Christians.” In the cases of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic churches, Arabic has come to dominate as the main liturgical language over Byzantine Greek.
The Maronites and Copts used to maintain Syriac and Coptic respectively as their sole liturgical languages even after the Muslim conquests, but have gradually come to incorporate Arabic to a limited degree as their adherents have adopted Arabic as their language of everyday communication. However, the Assyrian churches, whose adherents primarily speak various Eastern Neo-Aramaic dialects as their mother tongue, still maintain Syriac as their sole liturgical language.
In short, the degree of linguistic and cultural Arabization over time has played more of a part in the formulation of identity among Middle Eastern Christians than a simple desire to avoid persecution at the hands of the Muslims majorities.
About the Author
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University. His website is http://www.aymennjawad.org.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (37) | Leave a comment
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Intelligent Design| 1.5.12 @ 7:54AM
I stopped reading at "What's accounts for clear examples ..."
What trash.
Norma Fares| 1.5.12 @ 8:21AM
The Middle East was never a bunch of people of same race, religion, traditions & culture and language. If Arabic language was used to facilitate communication between some peoples of the Middle East and that became a native language in the majority of named Arab countries – it does make of all its residents Arabs. Moreover, if language was the only criteria to identity a people i.e. Spanish --that is the 2nd most spoken native language by 325 million in 2011 http://geography.about.com/od/.....guages.htm -- it would have made them all Spanish (Spain) which is not the case. By when the world have the ability to understand that the Middle East is NOT ONE but a geography where many people of so many different ethnicities/races/religions are being ruled by Arab, as identity, and the laws of Al-Shariia Al Islamiya, as religion and as living as well?
Say Baptist| 1.5.12 @ 8:27AM
I don't know about trash. I know that my middle-east origin students have many of the attitudes described in the article. Another one: Turkish Christians terrorized by Kurds.
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi| 1.5.12 @ 8:33AM
Intelligent Design, rather than judging the article by a typo in the sub-headline (which authors never write, by the way), why not actually read the contents?
Jacob R| 1.7.12 @ 7:19PM
I wouldn't worry, he doesn't seem to be very discerning.
I don't know what attitudes the other guy is talking about. It's clear to most that Christians in Muslim lands are loyal to their repressive governments to a degree we westerners can't understand--probably because we've made freedom of everything our most sanctified belief.
Timothy L. Pennell| 1.5.12 @ 8:56AM
How long have I been writing about DICTATORSHIP 101? How long have I been saying that this guy is a Dictator, and he's getting away with it, because we have a sycophantic Press, only too happy to Inform us of his Greatness, and Cover Up the rest?
We heard, in 2008, when his ASSOCIATIONS with Communists, and Marxists, and Socialists, and Maoists, and Anarchists were brought up, that WE WERE GUILTY of perpetrating "Guilt by Association". We were lectured that 'Birds of a Feather', don't necessarily 'Flock Together'. And we were derided as RACISTS, when we used the words of CHRIST: "Men shall know you bye the company you keep".
Yesterday, the Man with his Life's Documentation SEALED in a Vault, on an Island State, in the Middle of the Ocean, Crossed the Rubicon. He picked up a Hammer, walked over to the Library of Congress, smashed the case that holds the Constitution, and WIPED HIS *SS with it.
He has decided, by himself, that "I" am not gonna stand by, while a Minority (Irony, anyone?) in the Senate is doing things that will harm this Economy (Projection) while I'm trying to save the Middle Class." (Lie)
"I'm" not gonna stand here. "I'm" not gonna allow it.
I thought he was a Constitutional Professor? I thought that he taught the Constitution? Of course, that was all just one more LIE, from the Media. One more LIE from people like Historian: Michael Beschloss, who told Don Imus that Obama is probably the Smartest person to ever be President, and that his I.Q. "is off the Charts". When asked, by Imus, if he knew what his I.Q. was? Beschloss replied: "I have NO IDEA, but I'm sure that it's really high".
He HIDES his Records, in a Vault, like the Vatican would hide something that would PROVE that there's no GOD. Obamas' Acolytes preach the MYTH about the Man, and it's up to the rest of us, to Prove otherwise.
He was in the U.S. Senate when Harry Reid, and Dick Durbin, and Chuck Schumer, and all of the rest of the SCUM, did the exact same thing, while George Bush was President, as the Republicans are doing, now. Back then, we were told by a Watchdog Media, that The Senate is the Saucer, where things cool down. We were told that the Founding Fathers set it up this way, ON PURPOSE.
We’re not told that, anymore.
Where's the Media? Where's ABC, CBS, NBC, and NPR? They all KNOW this to be true. He's in Direct Confrontation with the Constitution, AGAIN. Everybody knows it, and yet, so far, nobody's doing anything.
"All that Evil needs, to succeed, is for Good Men to do Nothing."
He doesn't talk with his Cabinet. He doesn't talk with Congressional Leaders. And, why should he? Did King George do these things? Did Napoleon? Did Hitler? Did Kim Jung Il?
If he isn't Stopped now? We're looking at Civil War. Anyone, who LOVES THIS COUNTRY, and would wish this guy harm? Might just find themselves, out of options. There's 360 Million people here. And it only takes 1.
To our Friends at the Secret Service: You know your OATH. It's to the Constitution. It's not to HIM. It's to the Constitution. When you take that Oath, you swear to PROTECT the Constitution from all enemies, both Foreign and DOMESTIC.
How do you Define: Domestic Enemy? What are the Parameters? Can a President, ever be that Domestic Enemy? This President is tearing down the Fabric of this Republic. He has divided us in to 2 Camps. We look more and more like present day IRAQ, than we do, The United States of America. We are running out of time.
I have Faith that GOD will not permit this THING to go on long enough, to Destroy this Country. And I believe that, somewhere out there, someone will do what's right, and put an end to the ATTROCITIES, that are being perpetrated against the American people, on an almost Daily Basis.
This needs to be Fixed, through the Proper Channels of Government - The House and the Senate - and through the Media. Otherwise, in a Country of 360 Million people, someone out there might end up feeling FORCED, to fix it the Wrong Way.
I'm just saying.
PJ| 1.5.12 @ 9:21AM
I think your ranting has been misplaced to this essay. In case you haven't noticed it's about the Arabs in the Middle East not about the USA.
Timothy L. Pennell| 1.5.12 @ 9:36AM
I know what it's about. It's not misplaced, at all.
Apparently you need to be REMINDED of what has happened, over there, on HIS WATCH.
The Middle east is ON FIRE, on His Watch. Israel is SURROUNDED by Islamists, where there used to be none, (Egypt/Libya) on His Watch.
Iraq has just been handed to Iran on a Silver Platter, on His Watch.
The ENEMY in Afghanistan is being read Miranda rights on His Watch.
He will hand Afghanistan over to the Taliban, next year, ready or not, on His Watch.
Iran will get their Bomb. Israel will Attack Iran. Hezbollah and Hamas will attack Israel, leading them to use Overwhelming Force, to finish them, once and for all. (something they should have done a LONG TIME AGO) Oil will Cease to Flow. The World's Economies will Drop Dead.
And it will all happen, on HIS WATCH.
I'm just a Messenger, trying to get the information, out there.
If you look at the 2 things I've written, here. You will see that they are Consistent, with one another.
Unless, of course, you're an Idiot? Which I suspect that, you probably are.
PJ| 1.5.12 @ 11:24AM
Like all your prior posts, you go on & on & on.... on the same topic. We all get it; the United States is in trouble.
But this essay is about the Middle East Christians. No where does it say or imply anything about the United States. Stay on topic, little one.
nathan| 1.5.12 @ 1:14PM
I'll go along here for a moment or two.
You will recall that a number of years ago, Iraq invaded Iran. You do remember that, right? The death toll I believe for the Iranians was around say half a million? You may correct me on this, but I believe Saddam was the aggressor and in the course of the action used poison gas. And we backed his play, backed the play of a man we would later condemn as one of the most evil men on the planet. (No irony here?) You will also note that while poison gas was used against the Iranians, they did not respond in kind despite the huge loss of life.
Under the circumstances, would it not be understandable that they would have an interest in what happens in Iraq? Maybe to ensure they are not subject to a similar assault in the future? Just asking.
With regards to Egypt and that wonderful kleptomaniac human rights violating ally of ours, Hosni Muburak. You clearly disagree with what the president did. Fair enough. Okay. Please tell us all what you, as president would have done/could have done differently. Let us do a reset here. Remember, there are a million protestors in the streets of Cairo. The man in the street polling suggested that they didn't give a rat's behind what America did or said. Rather understandable perhaps? I mean if you had been subject to systematic oppression for several decades, and America had enabled it, and now you're rising up against the guy who had stolen the country blind and tortured and abused everyone in sight, you might not be overly interested in what the enablers had to say either.
But go ahead. You or anyone else. Tell us what you would have done differently. You're the Newt Gingrich here. Tell us what you would have said or done that would have kept Mubarak in power in defiance of those million people in the streets of Cairo. We see constant complaints of "He gave away Egypt". Fine, let's do a lesson's learned here. I want someone to tell us precisely what they would have done/could have done to change the minds of those million protestors who were finally done being abused by this evil man.
You have the floor. I'm the idiot here. Tell me what you would have done differently.
Oh and keep in mind IAEA inspectors have been all over Iran. In 2007 the National Intelligence estimate said that Iran had killed its bomb program in 2003. Several former heads of the Mossad agree with that and do not believe any action is required or necessary and no real threat exists. Also as to what Ahmadimmejad actually said, most everyone gets it wrong. He did not say "wipe Israel off the map." Persian specialists (How well do you speak the language?) have said that in the orginal Persian the statement goes like this: "This occupation regime over Jerusalem must vanish from the arena of time." Not quite the same thing?
Timothy L. Pennell| 1.5.12 @ 3:46PM
I would have SHUT MY MOUTH.
Jacob R| 1.7.12 @ 7:25PM
How is that different from saying Israel must vanish from time?
I'm Iranian and I support the huge majority of the people who want peace and modernity and even a bomb. The problem comes when the leader of the country calls other nations the great and little Satans and can't stop talking about destroying and conquering them. We actually could destroy and conquer Iran and we don't talk about it because we have no desire to do it provided they don't do something like say fly planes into our buildings.
gary siebel| 1.5.12 @ 3:55PM
Mr. Pennell,
Have you heard the voices telling you stay home and clean your guns yet?
Sincerely, Gary s
Timothy L. Pennell| 1.5.12 @ 6:43PM
Another great post from RCV.
Why do you even bother?
RCV| 1.5.12 @ 4:33PM
Give it rest, Pennell
John786| 1.5.12 @ 8:56AM
The nomadic arabs from the Arabian peninsula where very small in number as compared to the empires around them. By some miracle which still not fully understood they conquered these empire. And even more miraculously the conquered people adapted their language and religion- ie the conquered people became on the whole arabised through a complex meandering path. This took many centuries. Most of the Christians in the ME converted to Islam. The remaining Christiains have been arabised like all other people in the region. of all the Semitic languages in the ME- Arabic retains much of the pro- Semitic language. The christains have been in the ME forever! and they will remain so. They have been in the vanguard of the Arab struggle against colonisation e.g. In Isreal. The crusaders always targeted Arab christains for slaughter. Some things don't change. I wish them well in these turbulent times.
PJ| 1.5.12 @ 9:16AM
You need to reread your history on the Crusades.
Tony in Central PA| 1.5.12 @ 9:21PM
Actually, there was absolutely nothing like the government of Rome that Christianity had to contend with where Islam developed. That's a big reason why Islam is expansionist and theocratic at its core.
If you want to call conversion under threat of the sword " miraculous ", then I suppose we'll just agree to disagree about what constitutes a miracle.
Jacob R| 1.7.12 @ 7:28PM
The Crusades were a counterattack after the Islamic Ottomans brought Christian Europe to its knees.
Jacob R| 1.7.12 @ 7:30PM
..And other Muslim armies, especially Seljuk Turks before the OE.
PJ| 1.5.12 @ 9:14AM
A very interesting article.
Because there are so many cultures in the Middle East, can it be united by the use of 1 language? No because the foundational culture in this region is Islam. Islam is a dominating religion. It permits other religious cultures to reside in its realm of influence as the "odd uncle-in-law." As long as Islam is the dominate religion-culture in the Middle East, Christianity will never be looked upon as a co-habitator.
Christianity is trying to find a way to survive in a region that rarely tolerates but often persecutes it. It might mean incorporating the local language in its liturgy & playing nice to being defiant & upholding its cultural origins. Of course this may give the impression to the non-Christian that rules & beliefs can be changed which is the wrong impression. The correct impression should be that the Christian religions are not united & should be treated individually.
David T| 1.5.12 @ 10:23AM
The true identity crisis in the Middle East is this: You can't be Arab unless you're Muslim.
Interested Conservative| 1.5.12 @ 2:57PM
Is that an Arab problem or a Muslim problem?
mez| 1.5.12 @ 11:33AM
The Syriac christians are Arameans.
The member of all syriac churches (nestorian "assyrian" church, chaldean church, syriac orthodox/catholic, melkite church) are all arameans and the language is aramaic (syriac)
JimH| 1.5.12 @ 12:50PM
Not sure how much devotion Middle East Christians have to Islamic regimes. There is a history of their supporting nominally secular rulers such as in Saddam’s Iraq, the Shah’s Iran, Syria and Egypt because they were protected from their Islamic brethren.
Appleby| 1.5.12 @ 4:42PM
I have "Arab" [Palestinian][Syrian] relatives who are Antiochian Greek Orthodox and I can assure you they hate non-Arabic Christians just as much as their Muslim brothers do. The true Christians in the Middle East are living the Beatitude that begins "blessed are you when men persecute and revile you, and utter all manner of things against you in My Name..." The true Christians are being refined in the fire in a way that would do Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden a whole Holy lot of good and teach them what Catholicism really is. I'd like to see if either of them would actually stand up and lay their life on the line for Christianity? Somehow I doubt it.
mano| 1.5.12 @ 3:08PM
You forgot to mention the syriac orthodox and syriac catholic groups throughout the Middle East who identify themselves as syriac-arameans. You should also be aware of the strongly aramaic-syriac renaissance among the maronites in Lebanon today. The University of Kaslik has a large research on this.
Nick| 1.5.12 @ 4:56PM
Here is an interesting history of the Coptic Christian church, which I read yesterday:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/.....hristendom
It also mentions, briefly, how the Moslems and the Muslim Brotherhood are persecuting Christians in Egypt with abandon. And, how Catholics are not doing much to help them.
Very sad.
All of the Christians in the Middle East need our prayers, foremost, and our support, secondly. Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters to endure their sufferings with the joy of Christ.
PJ| 1.5.12 @ 5:40PM
Nick you are very mistaken about Catholics not helping the Christians in Egypt & elsewhere in the Middle East. There are at least 2 papal approved charities who are helping them everyday: Aid to the Church in Need & Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
Nick| 1.5.12 @ 6:57PM
PJ,
Thanks for the information. I appreciate it.
Also, I wrote that poorly. I didn't mean to imply that no one was doing anything. Only, that more could be done. Especially, getting the word out, as you have so wonderfully done, here.
God Bless!
Richard Baker| 1.5.12 @ 8:44PM
The answer to the author's question is FEAR.
Margie| 1.5.12 @ 8:54PM
Go here to find out about the persecution of Christians throughout the world, and what the underground Christians are doing to help them by providing Bibles and physical help to them and their families.
http://www.persecution.com/public/homepage.aspx
POST American| 1.6.12 @ 9:24PM
----Great piece! ---BTW--- speaking
of religion
"Understand, even the Baptist
leadership is now 90% Free 'MAY-SIN"
-William Still
(online interview)
SO AGAIN --any time for that first, very first
piece, on the century long infiltration
and subversion of the entire American
Christian establishment (--ALLL denominations)
by sundry Rockefeller-esque 'esk--you--men--
ICK--all--ism', Arminians and 'SOD' dummy
ops.
----------------------------------ANYTIME!
Joe Catron| 1.8.12 @ 11:31PM
"Aflaq and Habash were Antiochian Greek Orthodox"
I don't know about Aflaq, but as a native of Lydda, Palestine, and later a refugee in Jordan, George Habash fell under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, not Antioch.
Melkite_Non_Arab| 1.9.12 @ 3:50PM
I do not agree at all that Melkite Greek Catholics and Antiochian Greek Orthodox all consider themselves as "Arabs". Only those who are originally of Ghassanid ancestry and got absorbed by the Byzantine Empire can consider themselves as such; those only make up roughly 10-15% of all Melkites and Greek Orthodox. However, the bulk of those two sects is made up of Greco-Syrian population, a mix of the ancient Greeks who settled in Northern Syria with the local Syrian Aramaean population. Notable Greco-Syrians are Luke the Evangelist and St. John Chrysostom.
Cbalducc| 1.10.12 @ 1:10PM
There are a lot of Christian denominations in the Middle East. Some are Eastern Catholics in communion with Rome but with their own ancient rites very similar to the Orthodox Churches which aren't in communion with Rome. There are even a few Protestants. According to Wikipedia, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church uses a Byzantine Rite. The Maronite Catholic Church uses a West Syrian Rite.
As for what Damascus-based Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham had to say, either he really believes in the myths of Arab nationalism or he said that to be in the good graces of the dictator Assad. God bless and help the Middle East Christians.
sweeterjan| 5.29.12 @ 2:05AM
In short, the degree of linguistic http://www.ceinturesfr.com/cei.....-c-13.html and cultural Arabization over time has played more of a part in the formulation of identity among Middle Eastern Christians than a simple desire to avoid persecution at the hands of the Muslims majorities