Persecution in the Middle East Hits minority Christians!!!

The situation of Middle East Christians is deteriorating to such an extent that they face existential threat and are forced to flee their homeland Mesopotamia, which is the Cradle of Civilization and Christianity.
Revolting is that human tragedy is happening in the 21st century. It goes almost unremarked, as it is not covered by international media. And international governments remain particularly silent and inactive.
It goes without saying the Christians, by their very nature and faith, condemn all conflicts, wars and killing of any single human being whatever its origin and beliefs.
Like in any conflict or war, the minorities suffer the most and do not benefit from any protection.
This is especially true in countries where minorities are not considered as full citizens and are not politically represented.
Even more dramatic is that the minorities and especially the Christians living in Middle East, although being indigenous people of Mesopotamia, are treated as foreigners.

The recent and majors attacks in Syria and Iraq should take away any doubt about the horror and terror lived by all Christians and other minorities in Middle East. This is happening systematically since 2003 in Iraq and since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in March 2011.

In Egypt, the situation is similar and has only become worse since Egypt’s popular revolution which overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. In the past three years, more Christians were killed in Egypt – for the only reason that they were Christians – than in the last 20 years.

The current report focuses on the situation in Iraq and Syria where Christians, mainly Assyro-Arameans, represent smaller percentage of the population compared to Egypt’s Copts. In Iraq and Syria, Christianity could become extinct in the next few years if nothing is done very urgently.

It should be emphasized that the Christians are not begging for financial help or charity even if they need it due to the circumstances; they are not fleeing their homeland for economic reasons but only to save their lives and those of their relatives!
The Christians would rather prefer to stay in their homeland Mesopotamia where they live for many millennia; they therefore request to live safely, freely and in peace and be treated as full citizens in their respective countries. They request the Middle East governments to protect them and allow them to contribute in building a multicultural and secular state and taking part in all societal activities and responsibilities as well as in the public administration.

Since a decade we see the same patterns of atrocities of the 1915 genocide taking place again in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and probably soon in Lebanon and elsewhere if this horrible process does not stop very soon!

Therefore it is the international community and governments’ responsibility to take actions to prevent this extermination.

“It is what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future.” (Paulo Coelho)

Suleyman Gultekin
Independent Assyro-Aramean Activist
Mobile: +32 (0) 488.99.73.93
Mailto: suleyman.gultekin@gmail.com