Voices of Arab Christians need to be heard, says author

Humanitarian organizations, churches, and the media have done a lot to let the world know of how Christians in the Middle East are suffering due to the conflicts in their respective countries, and this has drawn the concern of many people around the world. However, an author says there has been double standard in defending them.

In a post on The Huffington Post, James Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute, said that Christians in Levant have been largely ignored or mistunderstood by those in the West. As an example, he noted that because of ideologies regarding the connection of Biblical teachings and Jews, evangelicals have defended Israeli policies while ignoring Christians in Palestines, turning a blind eye on the injustice they suffer.

"Unfortunately, this same blindness also affects politicians from the right and the left," Zogby wrote. "Because criticism of Israeli behavior is considered a taboo, most politicians have cultivated a willed ignorance about Palestinian victims, whether Christian or Muslim."

Similarly, the political and religious leaders in the U.S. have largely ignored the plight of Arab Christians years following the U.S. attacks on Iraq. The author of "Arab Voices" said that political and religious leaders remained silent while the properties of Christians were confiscated and their businesses looted. The number of Christians in Iraq diminished from 1.4 million down to 400,000 as they were forced to leave their homes. The sufferings of Christians in Syria are not so different.

"Only now, with the rise of ISIS, have Western churchmen and politicians begun to pay attention to Syrian Christians—but, as has been the case in Iraq, it is too little, too late," Zogby said. "The bottom line is that these Arab Christians ought to matter and their voices need to be heard—and not only when what they are saying fits our agenda. They are more than just refugees or victims of religious extremism who provide a useful tool for Islamophobes to warn of the dangers posed by Islam."

The author expressed that the survival of the Arab Christian communities is critical to the Levant region, as their communities have been an important part in the development of the area's social fabric and culture.

"Recognizing their rights, listening to their concerns, and attending to their needs can provide lessons for policy-makers," he said. "And the very vulnerability of Arab Christians of the Levant has made them a litmus test for our policies."