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The Arabic "nun" - supporting our Christian brothers and sisters
- Thread starter ~Anastasia~
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People need to be aware of the damages going on which are making a world of difference. Something I just found out about awhile ago - in regards to the damages Assyrian culture has gone through:
5000-year-old Assyrian Culture Facing Devastation
"After all, killing the 'kafirs' [non-believers of Islam] was a 'good deed'. They were told 'their place in heaven was guaranteed.' Just like ISIS gangs... and that they would also take their relatives in hell to heaven." — Sabri Atman, Assyrian…
GATESTONEINSTITUTE.ORG|BY UZAY BULUT
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Thanks for bringing the topic up again GXG. The thread is about supporting our Christian brothers and sisters that are being persecuted, however the help that is being given to those fleeing that country are only 1 % from our religion.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pat...syrian-refugees-admitted-us-paris-attacks-are
"No Christians: All 132 Syrian Refugees Admitted to U.S. Since Paris Attacks Are Sunni Muslims"
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pat...syrian-refugees-admitted-us-paris-attacks-are
"No Christians: All 132 Syrian Refugees Admitted to U.S. Since Paris Attacks Are Sunni Muslims"
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Actually, it is an immigration largely of Christians at various points rather than Muslims alone. That is a well-established fact - although the bulk of Christians are still stuck in processing (just as it was with Christians from Iraq who had to wait for years just to be able to flee either into the U.S or the UK). Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom argues that the United Nations refugee processing system “disproportionately excludes them.” According to Shea, it’s difficult for Christians to pass through the bureaucratic channels necessary to obtain refugee status, and they facedangers along the way........and of course, other Middle Eastern countries have been doing what they can to help. I am reminded of Jordan as an example with how they've taken in refugees.
For other places to review:
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I'm not seeing that from anything you've posted other than speculation as to numbers. Fact is they are being overlooked by the UN as refugees, that is if there are any left to speak of.
https://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/category/christian-refugees/
Posted by Ann Corcoran on December 1, 2015
"Checking the religion numbers for the first two months of fiscal year 2016, it is even worse than two weeks ago. Of the 423 admitted so far, 418 are Sunni Muslims. That comes to 99% Muslim and you can expect numbers like that to continue because the UNHCR is picking our refugees and he told an audience at Georgetown Law School recently (here, we were there), that the Christians are not persecuted because the “regime” (Assad) protects them. I guess for the UNHCR, ISIS is not a persecutor!"
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There's nothing speaking of Christians being 1% in any definite numbers whatsoever as that would speculation - something other communities dealing with Refugees have noted consistently and is not as if others are not left.
As another noted:
The myth that the US government discriminated against Christian refugees
Posted by Christopher Coen on November 25, 2015
Some media outlets are trying to foment the false notion that the US and UK governments have discriminated against Syrian Christian refugees. The claim is that the discrimination is “unintentional”. How do the governments “unintentionally” discriminate against Syrian Christian refugees? The assertion is that Christian refugees are avoiding UNHCR refugee camps due to persecution by Islamists and instead housing in churches and Christian houses, and not applying to the refugee program. They claim State department statistics back up this claim since only 2 per cent of Syrian refugees accepted by the US since the conflict broke out in 2011 are Christian (53 Christian refugees compared to 2130 Muslim refugees, out of a total of 2216), though Christians make up 10 percent of the Syrian population. What this ignores is that refugees can also apply for refugee status either directly through US embassies, or though US government-trained NGOs. Secondly, Sunni Muslim refugees make up the bulk of the 2216 Syrian refugees that have so far arrived in the US because they represent 74 percent of the Syrian population and have been the main targets of the Assad regime. The Syrian regime is a coalition of minority groups, including Christians, under the Shia (Alawite) Muslim Al-Assad family. This is why Sunni Muslims are disproportionately represented among Syrian refugees in the US, and not because the US government is discriminating against Christians. An article at Factcheck explains:
Posted by Christopher Coen on November 25, 2015
Some media outlets are trying to foment the false notion that the US and UK governments have discriminated against Syrian Christian refugees. The claim is that the discrimination is “unintentional”. How do the governments “unintentionally” discriminate against Syrian Christian refugees? The assertion is that Christian refugees are avoiding UNHCR refugee camps due to persecution by Islamists and instead housing in churches and Christian houses, and not applying to the refugee program. They claim State department statistics back up this claim since only 2 per cent of Syrian refugees accepted by the US since the conflict broke out in 2011 are Christian (53 Christian refugees compared to 2130 Muslim refugees, out of a total of 2216), though Christians make up 10 percent of the Syrian population. What this ignores is that refugees can also apply for refugee status either directly through US embassies, or though US government-trained NGOs. Secondly, Sunni Muslim refugees make up the bulk of the 2216 Syrian refugees that have so far arrived in the US because they represent 74 percent of the Syrian population and have been the main targets of the Assad regime. The Syrian regime is a coalition of minority groups, including Christians, under the Shia (Alawite) Muslim Al-Assad family. This is why Sunni Muslims are disproportionately represented among Syrian refugees in the US, and not because the US government is discriminating against Christians. An article at Factcheck explains:
From 2013 though Nov. 17, the U.N. says it has referred 22,427 Syrian refugees to the U.S. for “resettlement consideration.” The U.N. could not tell us how many of the 22,427 U.N. referrals were Christian, and the State Department did not know how many Christian Syrians may have been rejected by the U.S. But we know the U.S. is drawing from a limited pool of applicants provided by the U.N. from a predominately Muslim country.
So what religion are the Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S.?
The vast majority are Sunni Muslims, who make up 2,128, or 93 percent, of the Syrian refugees in the U.S. The Sunnis are about 74 percent of the Syrian population, according to the CIA, but “they tend to support the rebels and oppose the Assad regime, and Syrian Sunnis have been subject to ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Alawite minority in recent months,”as the Washington Post reported on Oct. 18, 2012.
This explains why Sunni Muslims are disproportionately represented among Syrian refugees in the U.S., Andrew Tabler, a Middle East expert at the Washington Institute, told us in an email.
Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad’s regime is “made up of Alawites AND other minorities like Christians,” said Tabler, who wrote a 2011 book called “In the Lion’s Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington’s Battle with Syria.”
“The reason why is that most refugees are not displaced because of ISIS, but as a result of bombardments by the Assad regime,” Tabler told us, explaining the large percentage of Sunnis who have been admitted to the U.S. from Syria. “The regime has attempted (but failed) to shoot them into submission. Those fleeing the fighting who are not with the regime have to run to neighboring countries for protection and become refugees. And some of them eventually apply to come to the U.S. as refugees.”
Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA military analyst in the Middle East who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, offered two other possible factors.
“In addition, much of the fighting has taken place in heavily Sunni areas (because most of the country is Sunni),” Pollack said. “Finally, much of the Sunni-controlled territory is controlled by ISIS, and nobody except absolute lunatics WANT to live under ISIS.”
What’s the Demographic Makeup of Refugees?
Both sides in the refugee dispute have been making seemingly contradictory claims about the age and gender of the Syrian refugees — portraying them either as young males who are potential terrorists, or women and children who are victims of the Syrian civil war.
Cruz, in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck on Nov. 18, said 77 percent of the Syrian refugees “pouring into Europe right now” are young males — a claim that others, including Ben Carson, have made. His number is too high, but more important, it’s misleading since the majority of refugees are not in Europe or trying to get to Europe. Instead, they remain in other Middle East nations, such as Turkey and Jordan.
Meanwhile, President Obama said the “overwhelming numbers” of Syrian refugees referred to the U.S. by the U.N. are children and women. That’s true, according to data provided by the State Department.
We will first look at Cruz’s comment. Cruz is referring only to 850,000 refugees and migrants — not all from Syria — who have tried to enter Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. About 62 percent of them are men, according to the U.N., not 77 percent, as Cruz said.
More important, they are just a subset of the total Syrian refugee population of more than 4.2 million.
Chris Boian, a spokesman for the UNHCR, told us the refugees crossing into Europe are typically not registered with the U.N. and will not be referred to the U.S.
“It’s very important for people to know there’s a big, big difference between the relative chaotic scene we’ve seen played out in Europe and the resettlement process in the United States,” Boian said.
Boian said those registered with the U.N. and now living in countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan will be among those who will be referred to the U.S.
As we have written before, the U.N. says there are more than 4 million registered Syrian refugees. The U.N. also provides the demographic makeup of 2.1 million refugees who were registered by the UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. As of Nov. 17, those figures show that 70 percent are female (50.3 percent) and male children under 12 years old (19.7 percent).
Obama, for his part, said in remarks on Nov. 19 in the Philippines that the “overwhelming numbers who have been applying are children, women, families — themselves victims of terrorism.”
We asked the administration for a demographic breakdown of Syrian refugees who are seeking to resettle in the U.S., and it provided a chart that shows 23,826 total applicants — 15,937, or 67 percent, of whom are women (of all ages) and male children (age 0 to 11). Men (age 18 and older) accounted for 25.5 percent.
In short, the demographic breakdown of the Syrian refugees referred to the U.S. is virtually identical to that of the Syrian refugee population at large.
One last thing to consider: Not all 23,826 refugees referred to the U.S. will be admitted to the U.S. The Congressional Research Service says in a February 2015 report that the U.S. typically “aims to consider for resettlement at least half of the refugees” referred by the U.N.
So what religion are the Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S.?
The vast majority are Sunni Muslims, who make up 2,128, or 93 percent, of the Syrian refugees in the U.S. The Sunnis are about 74 percent of the Syrian population, according to the CIA, but “they tend to support the rebels and oppose the Assad regime, and Syrian Sunnis have been subject to ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Alawite minority in recent months,”as the Washington Post reported on Oct. 18, 2012.
This explains why Sunni Muslims are disproportionately represented among Syrian refugees in the U.S., Andrew Tabler, a Middle East expert at the Washington Institute, told us in an email.
Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad’s regime is “made up of Alawites AND other minorities like Christians,” said Tabler, who wrote a 2011 book called “In the Lion’s Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington’s Battle with Syria.”
“The reason why is that most refugees are not displaced because of ISIS, but as a result of bombardments by the Assad regime,” Tabler told us, explaining the large percentage of Sunnis who have been admitted to the U.S. from Syria. “The regime has attempted (but failed) to shoot them into submission. Those fleeing the fighting who are not with the regime have to run to neighboring countries for protection and become refugees. And some of them eventually apply to come to the U.S. as refugees.”
Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA military analyst in the Middle East who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, offered two other possible factors.
“In addition, much of the fighting has taken place in heavily Sunni areas (because most of the country is Sunni),” Pollack said. “Finally, much of the Sunni-controlled territory is controlled by ISIS, and nobody except absolute lunatics WANT to live under ISIS.”
What’s the Demographic Makeup of Refugees?
Both sides in the refugee dispute have been making seemingly contradictory claims about the age and gender of the Syrian refugees — portraying them either as young males who are potential terrorists, or women and children who are victims of the Syrian civil war.
Cruz, in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck on Nov. 18, said 77 percent of the Syrian refugees “pouring into Europe right now” are young males — a claim that others, including Ben Carson, have made. His number is too high, but more important, it’s misleading since the majority of refugees are not in Europe or trying to get to Europe. Instead, they remain in other Middle East nations, such as Turkey and Jordan.
Meanwhile, President Obama said the “overwhelming numbers” of Syrian refugees referred to the U.S. by the U.N. are children and women. That’s true, according to data provided by the State Department.
We will first look at Cruz’s comment. Cruz is referring only to 850,000 refugees and migrants — not all from Syria — who have tried to enter Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. About 62 percent of them are men, according to the U.N., not 77 percent, as Cruz said.
More important, they are just a subset of the total Syrian refugee population of more than 4.2 million.
Chris Boian, a spokesman for the UNHCR, told us the refugees crossing into Europe are typically not registered with the U.N. and will not be referred to the U.S.
“It’s very important for people to know there’s a big, big difference between the relative chaotic scene we’ve seen played out in Europe and the resettlement process in the United States,” Boian said.
Boian said those registered with the U.N. and now living in countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan will be among those who will be referred to the U.S.
As we have written before, the U.N. says there are more than 4 million registered Syrian refugees. The U.N. also provides the demographic makeup of 2.1 million refugees who were registered by the UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. As of Nov. 17, those figures show that 70 percent are female (50.3 percent) and male children under 12 years old (19.7 percent).
Obama, for his part, said in remarks on Nov. 19 in the Philippines that the “overwhelming numbers who have been applying are children, women, families — themselves victims of terrorism.”
We asked the administration for a demographic breakdown of Syrian refugees who are seeking to resettle in the U.S., and it provided a chart that shows 23,826 total applicants — 15,937, or 67 percent, of whom are women (of all ages) and male children (age 0 to 11). Men (age 18 and older) accounted for 25.5 percent.
In short, the demographic breakdown of the Syrian refugees referred to the U.S. is virtually identical to that of the Syrian refugee population at large.
One last thing to consider: Not all 23,826 refugees referred to the U.S. will be admitted to the U.S. The Congressional Research Service says in a February 2015 report that the U.S. typically “aims to consider for resettlement at least half of the refugees” referred by the U.N.
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Again, accuracy... (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...-trump-says-if-youre-syria-and-christianyou-/ )
Between Oct. 1, 2014, and July 17, 2015, according to federal data, 859 Sunni Muslims, five Shiite Muslims and 42 people identified only as "Muslim" arrived in the United States as refugees from Syria, for a total of 906. Meanwhile, 28 Christians arrived from Syria. (Other arrivals included two atheists, two of the Baha'i faith and one with no stated religion.)
So, on its face, Trump’s claim that you "cannot come into this country" if you’re a Christian from Syria is wrong.
Still, this data finds that 96 percent of the refugee arrivals from Syria were Muslim, compared to only about 3 percent who were Christian. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the population of Syria is overwhelmingly Muslim to start with. The CIA World Fact Book says Syria’s population is 87 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian.
In other words, the refugee numbers are a bit more heavily Muslim and a bit less Christian than the population at large, but not dramatically so.
"While there may be higher numbers of Muslims from Syria who have come to the U.S. than Christians, this is not reflective of any policy making it easier for Muslims and harder for Christians," said Shaina Ward, associate director of Refugee Council USA.
Ward noted that the the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees does most of the initial screening of refugees seeking resettlement. UNHCR, she said, "identifies and refers the most vulnerable, whoever they are," using a variety of criteria in addition to religion
More importantly, there is no evidence whatsoever for the most explosive element of Trump’s charge -- that the U.S. government is discriminating against Christians as a matter of official policy.
"The U.S. refugee resettlement program is open to Muslims and Christians, as well as to members of other targeted religious groups," said Jennifer Moore, a law professor at the University of New Mexico.
Karen Jacobsen, a professor at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, agreed, calling Trump’s charge "completely untrue."
"The U.S. government does not discriminate on the basis of religion in refugee admission or resettlement, and if you look at refugee admissions by religion over the past 10 years, rather than just at the Syrian refugees in the past few years, there are likely more Christians than Muslims," Jacobsen said.
Representatives of three human-rights groups we contacted -- Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Refugee Council USA -- also agreed that Trump’s accusation is off-base.
Geoffrey Mock, the Syrian country specialist for Amnesty International USA, agreed, adding that he has "worked with Christians from Egypt and Syria, so I know they are getting in."
Some experts argued that the biggest problem with the refugee flow from Syria is not that it’s discriminatory against Christians, but that the trickle has been so small.
In September 2014, the State Department wrote that "the refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Syria is the worst the world has witnessed in a generation, with more than 2.9 million refugees in the region. More than 9 million people need assistance, including 6.5 million displaced inside Syria."
Yet the U.S. government, as noted before, has let in a tiny fraction of those numbers -- less than 1,000 in the past nine months, and only about 2,500 prior to August 2014.
One reason for the small number of admittances is the long process facing refugees. Once a case is referred from the UNHCR to the United States, a refugee must undergo a security clearance check that could take several rounds, an in-person interview, approval by the Department of Homeland Security, medical screening, a match with a sponsor agency, "cultural orientation" classes, and one final security clearance. The background checks are often particularly complicated for refugees who were forced to flee their homes without the opportunity to gather important paperwork.
Given these requirements, Susan Martin, a professor of international migration at Georgetown University, takes issue with the claim by Trump that if you’re a Muslim, "you can come in so easily."
"I know from my own research and the literature on resettlement that no one comes in 'easily,’ " she said. "The security checks are very comprehensive and very time consuming. When I was looking at resettlement of Iraqi refugees in Jordan a few years ago, I met with a number of families who had been approved for admission to the United States by the Department of Homeland Security but were awaiting their security checks. Most had been waiting for months, including families with young children who were in need of specialized medical care. I don't think any of them would have characterized the process as easy.’ "
A final note: There is one step that the U.S. government could take if it wished. It could give Christian refugees from Syria a leg up on resettlement by granting them status as a "priority 2" or "P-2" class -- "groups of special humanitarian concern identified by the U.S. refugee program," according to the government.
P-2 groups have long included Jews, evangelical Christians, and Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox religious adherents from what used to be the Soviet Union, as well as dissidents from Cuba and a variety of religious minorities in Iran. It also included Vietnamese refugees until 2009 and Bosnian refugees during the 1990s-era civil war. It now includes Iraqis who helped United States military or diplomatic efforts after the Iraq War, as well as certain Burmese, Bhutanese and Congolese refugees.
So far, no group from Syria, Christians or otherwise, has been granted this status.
So, on its face, Trump’s claim that you "cannot come into this country" if you’re a Christian from Syria is wrong.
Still, this data finds that 96 percent of the refugee arrivals from Syria were Muslim, compared to only about 3 percent who were Christian. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the population of Syria is overwhelmingly Muslim to start with. The CIA World Fact Book says Syria’s population is 87 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian.
In other words, the refugee numbers are a bit more heavily Muslim and a bit less Christian than the population at large, but not dramatically so.
"While there may be higher numbers of Muslims from Syria who have come to the U.S. than Christians, this is not reflective of any policy making it easier for Muslims and harder for Christians," said Shaina Ward, associate director of Refugee Council USA.
Ward noted that the the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees does most of the initial screening of refugees seeking resettlement. UNHCR, she said, "identifies and refers the most vulnerable, whoever they are," using a variety of criteria in addition to religion
More importantly, there is no evidence whatsoever for the most explosive element of Trump’s charge -- that the U.S. government is discriminating against Christians as a matter of official policy.
"The U.S. refugee resettlement program is open to Muslims and Christians, as well as to members of other targeted religious groups," said Jennifer Moore, a law professor at the University of New Mexico.
Karen Jacobsen, a professor at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, agreed, calling Trump’s charge "completely untrue."
"The U.S. government does not discriminate on the basis of religion in refugee admission or resettlement, and if you look at refugee admissions by religion over the past 10 years, rather than just at the Syrian refugees in the past few years, there are likely more Christians than Muslims," Jacobsen said.
Representatives of three human-rights groups we contacted -- Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Refugee Council USA -- also agreed that Trump’s accusation is off-base.
Geoffrey Mock, the Syrian country specialist for Amnesty International USA, agreed, adding that he has "worked with Christians from Egypt and Syria, so I know they are getting in."
Some experts argued that the biggest problem with the refugee flow from Syria is not that it’s discriminatory against Christians, but that the trickle has been so small.
In September 2014, the State Department wrote that "the refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Syria is the worst the world has witnessed in a generation, with more than 2.9 million refugees in the region. More than 9 million people need assistance, including 6.5 million displaced inside Syria."
Yet the U.S. government, as noted before, has let in a tiny fraction of those numbers -- less than 1,000 in the past nine months, and only about 2,500 prior to August 2014.
One reason for the small number of admittances is the long process facing refugees. Once a case is referred from the UNHCR to the United States, a refugee must undergo a security clearance check that could take several rounds, an in-person interview, approval by the Department of Homeland Security, medical screening, a match with a sponsor agency, "cultural orientation" classes, and one final security clearance. The background checks are often particularly complicated for refugees who were forced to flee their homes without the opportunity to gather important paperwork.
Given these requirements, Susan Martin, a professor of international migration at Georgetown University, takes issue with the claim by Trump that if you’re a Muslim, "you can come in so easily."
"I know from my own research and the literature on resettlement that no one comes in 'easily,’ " she said. "The security checks are very comprehensive and very time consuming. When I was looking at resettlement of Iraqi refugees in Jordan a few years ago, I met with a number of families who had been approved for admission to the United States by the Department of Homeland Security but were awaiting their security checks. Most had been waiting for months, including families with young children who were in need of specialized medical care. I don't think any of them would have characterized the process as easy.’ "
A final note: There is one step that the U.S. government could take if it wished. It could give Christian refugees from Syria a leg up on resettlement by granting them status as a "priority 2" or "P-2" class -- "groups of special humanitarian concern identified by the U.S. refugee program," according to the government.
P-2 groups have long included Jews, evangelical Christians, and Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox religious adherents from what used to be the Soviet Union, as well as dissidents from Cuba and a variety of religious minorities in Iran. It also included Vietnamese refugees until 2009 and Bosnian refugees during the 1990s-era civil war. It now includes Iraqis who helped United States military or diplomatic efforts after the Iraq War, as well as certain Burmese, Bhutanese and Congolese refugees.
So far, no group from Syria, Christians or otherwise, has been granted this status.
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I think it needs to be kept in mind what the OP of this thread is.....copy of 1st post......
N', or ن in Arabic, is the symbol used by the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) to identify who is a Nazarene - a Christian. It has been drawn on doorways and in front of houses in captured Iraqi cities, allowing militants to quickly assert where the loyalties of the inhabitants lie.
Last week, members of the extremist Sunni Muslim faction drove Christians out of the historic city of Mosul, where members of the faith have lived for the past 2,000 years. They were told to either flee the city, convert to Islam, or pay a tax for the right to be a Christian. Those who refused now risk death "by the sword".
Exerpt from:
http://www.christiantoday.com/artic...pport.persecuted.christians.in.iraq/39026.htm
N', or ن in Arabic, is the symbol used by the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) to identify who is a Nazarene - a Christian. It has been drawn on doorways and in front of houses in captured Iraqi cities, allowing militants to quickly assert where the loyalties of the inhabitants lie.
Last week, members of the extremist Sunni Muslim faction drove Christians out of the historic city of Mosul, where members of the faith have lived for the past 2,000 years. They were told to either flee the city, convert to Islam, or pay a tax for the right to be a Christian. Those who refused now risk death "by the sword".
Exerpt from:
http://www.christiantoday.com/artic...pport.persecuted.christians.in.iraq/39026.htm
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Kylissa already knows full well what the thread is about, as do several others....and if following what the thread actually discusses, it was never about only Christians. For the thread - if keeping up with it honestly - has already discussed all things impacting the Christians as well as what Christians have said in the Middle East when it comes to them noting the need for others in the West to HONOR the Syrian refugees and all other refugees from the Middle East, whether Christian or not. ISIS has harmed both Christians and Muslims so we need to respect that for what it is and not react. And they have already spoken on the need to NOT exaggerate the things done to Christians if reacting to things done by ISIS. It would not honor them - never has - to try and pit the suffering of Muslim Refugees fleeing for their lives against Christian refugees fleeing from their lives....
Both Muslim and Christian refugees have suffered and this is something others in the Middle East have long noted.
Pope Francis: 'Christians And Muslims Are Brothers And Sisters'
The pope took his message of peace to the Central African Republic, where thousands have died in clashes that have split the country along religious lines.
WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM
And this has already been noted before, as mentioned earlier:
[
I watched a movie tonight about a village that had been half muslim and half christian living together for years and suddenly at war with each other. But it was mild compared to the reality. All those people forced from their homes, it's far beyond only christianity being attacked. I have to admit ignorance and bewilderment as to the final count and what it means to the people there.
As it concerns the way that Muslims have often NOT fitted the stereotypes others have had and how often discussion and dialogue has made a world of difference, I'd highly suggest investigating the book entitled "Waging Peace on Islam" Waging Peace on Islam... | 89.9 LightFM
Christine Mallouhi, in her book Waging Peace on Islam , (more here, and here ), shared the story of St. Francis of Assisi, who during the height of the Crusades traveled to Egypt and visited the Sultan Kamil (the nephew of the great Islamic leader Saladin). Francis came in humility and peace, in contrast to the conquering Crusaders. His approach and attitude so impressed the Muslim Sultan that he invited Francis to send his Little Brothers throughout his territory. It is out of this experience that we have perhaps Francis’s wisest counsel: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” He saw the dignity of God in every Muslim person. Such grace toward Muslims was radical in his day, and still is in ours..
As noted before, with regards to the rise of Radical Islam, I do find it relevant that many have noted that it tends to rise in areas where there's high impoverishment of communities/neglect and others who were turned off by what has been represented in Western Christianity.
As noted best elsewhere, "In Egypt, the Fundamentalists are recruited mostly from active youth in their twenties and thirties. They are university students and graduates who tend to be conscientious and ambitious. Furthermore, most of these recruits spent their childhood in villages and little
towns. Ahmad agrees that Fundamen- talism in Egypt is most appealing to these groups." Amazingly, many who went into Extreme Radical Islam came from backgrounds where they were either struggling with socioeconomic realities that were left unaddressed and thus the promise of spiritual blessings for giving their lives became appealing....or others were exchange students who saw A LOT of the ways that Western Culture/Western Christianity (very akin to the Crusades in their view) came in/demonized all in their world. One story I read about was heart-breaking when hearing of an exchange student who came over and was mistreated from day one, with other believers fearing him simply because of the Islamic background he grew up in---and others doing other things to him that made him feel that being a believer didn't really lead to one having concern for others.
For more, one can investigate A Christian Perspective on Islam and Terrorism by Rick Love, PhD (the International Director of Frontiers ).
I remember the link from earlier - and indeed, it is a valid point. Many often see what is happening with Islamist persecution of Christians and then superimpose that onto ALL Muslims - claiming they are concerned for the persecuted and yet they ignore the ways persecution DOES arise for others in the process when inciting violence since many Palestinian or Arabic Christians have noted the peace they have fought to have with Muslims and how their Muslims friends end up being harmed by the rest of the world because they are not represented well....
Gxg, what you say is truth. I am too tired to respond in depth, but maps can be used to distort reality, my Carthography mentor has told me as much. In fact, Cartographers are trained to mislead people for a living to get their POV across. (I am one.)
Political Geography 101 is this idea of "The State", and the "The State" often controls the view of those that follow it. People are conditioned to look at the outside world according to "the state" that they are apart of. Often these ideas are based in a state vs. state mentality, that ignores lesser nations of people in a region. When George Bush invaded Iraq, he ignored the racial and religious tensions in the region. His invasion led to the current situation there, basically an ethnic civil war.
Indeed - and on the issue of what has happened with the the Middle East crisis when others who are Middle-Eastern are told they are not and segregated from others in hot-spot areas - or whenever you even have to entertain questions such as "Does Egypt belong to Middle East or Africa?" when it comes to the subject of identity (and the same in regards to Libya, which is another good example of this - on the continent of Africa but considered part of the Middle East), you realize how Carthography has everything to do with it.
That is the only way you can separate the struggles others have been experiencing within the African continent (including acts of terrorism and displacement like what has happened in Iraq ..Somalia coming to mind) - struggles others in those areas see as a "Middle Eastern struggle" IN(like the Christian militias coming against others as early as Februrary or the Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists in light of Northern Nigerian Culture and other Islamist terror groups in Africa)- and then and ignore where that has occurred while only focusing on what has happened in the area deemed to be the Middle East despite how there is extensive historical references showing an African origin of Islam and Islamic culture spreading across Africa (as noted best in Black Arabia: Black Arabia and the African Origin of Islam: Select Bibliography ). It's no small issue to forget cartography when it comes to the global African prescence.. (as Dr. Runoko Rashidi has said best ), noted best in Black Arabia (Kusha Dwipa) and the African Origin of Islam (more here). No one considers the many migrants who have fled from places being African in appearance because they have been trained to see Middle Eastern as looking one way - not a lot know of others like Abu Kurke Kebato, in his early 20s, who was one of only nine survivors in a boat carrying 72, which had left Libya, only to languish at sea for two weeks before drifting back to Libyan shores (more here in https://voiceofthepersecuted.wordpr...tians-risk-lives-to-flee-war-and-persecution/ ).
If you change the borders and boundaries of an area, you change the perceptions others have toward it.
And as it concerns the visual, I am still in shock over how ironic it is that Christians would raise alarms over the harm being done to Iraqi Christians (a big deal) and yet remain silent for years over the mistreatment of Black Iraqis that has happened for a long time. It's as if they were not worth being acknowledged. “These people have been facing discrimination since the very day their ancestors were brought from Africa to build canals and to turn marshlands into fields for cotton and other crops,” says Saad Salloum, editor of Masarat, a magazine focused on the minorities issue in Iraq. Salloum went on to note that “Unlike the Christians, the Bahai or other religious minorities, the Iraqi blacks haven’t suffered prosecution because of their faith. On the other hand, they don’t enjoy recognition as an Iraqi minority as that is still based on religious grounds.”
If Christians are concerned with the ways others are mistreated in Iraq, I would think they'd also be concerned with the ways others (like the Black Iraqis present for centuries) have been called "slaves" and have had their history in Iraq marked by a tradition of discrimination. I would hope they would also join in protest against prejudicial treatment, economic marginalization and a high unemployment rate.
Arab Racism against Black People in Iraq - YouTube
Iraq is suffering its own version of what Blacks went through in the North when it came to economic discrimination within the U.S (after the Reconstruction) and harm of other kinds - and throughout the U.S occupation of Iraq and our going back into Iraq with the ISIS crisis, there has been silence.
But it seems that was all allowable by others in the West since it is is a "Black" concern...and thus, there was not concern for Iraq again until the ISIS started killing others. If nothing else, there should have been concern when Jalal Thiyab was gunned down - hindering the Civil Rights movement in Iraq. His murder occurred against a backdrop of increasing sectarian violence in Iraq. from April 2013 - with the civil war in neighbouring Syria placing an extra strain on the fragile relations between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims in the country and the death toll in Iraq being high......
As impactful and significant as he was, when he died, you didn't hear a word from the West (or Western Christians involved in advocating for persecuted minorities in Iraq) say anything. With the Iraqi Christians, their silence seemed to indicate how much of the problems goes back to how we see nationalism - including nationalism from the perspective of the Iraqi Christians since it doesn't seem that even they either spoke on it or were concerned.
That seems off to me. Actually, to be truthful, it really does bother me a good bi t that you didn't see any Christians speak on the issue of what Jalal noted as a crisis - and yet with the Diaspora of Christians in Iraq and the ISIS, people have taken to protesting and making it a priority to speak out. It gives the impression that one dire struggle is less important than another when suffering is suffering..
That just seems off, IMHO.
Very true - and as it concerns the issue of state vs. state, there's also the dynamic of nationalism that impacts how others see others. Bush ignored a lot when he went into the situation by ignoring the religious and racial tensions - but too many blame Bush and ignore where the public in the U.S was ignorant of what happened there and continued to assume that there were not divisions already present there. They continued with a lot of the stereotypes and thus Bush could do as he did..
And the minority groups within Iraq are so varied that people cannot afford to not know the differing sides of the conflict. For more, one can investigate Minorities | Masarat
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With regards to the book I referenced earlier, it is definitely something that I do wish others would keep in mind - especially in light of how many are blaming Muslims as if they are all universally responsible for the problems coming at the Middle East instead of seeing the issues for what they are.
Politicians have been very famous for doing just that - especially recently with the recent crisis of the Syrian Refugee issue. In example, I Had this sent my way recently and thought it was so spot on, as I honestly felt a lot of the things happening in our times are tragic and so much fear-mongering is occurring that's uncalled for.
Letter to Dr. Ben Carson
After presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson called the Syrians refugees rapid dogs, Father Theodoros Daoud ,an Antiochian Orthodox Christian priest sends him this letter:
After presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson called the Syrians refugees rapid dogs, Father Theodoros Daoud ,an Antiochian Orthodox Christian priest sends him this letter:
Dear rabid dog Dr. Ben Carson,
I hope this word will not offend you, doctor. If it does, I don’t care because you have offended each one of the 9 million Syrian refugees by calling them rabid dogs. You, along with every politician who caused Syria—the land of Saint Peter and Paul, the Apostles and the saints—to bleed to death, are evil rabid dogs. President Obama, who supports ISIS by supplying them with weapons and money, is an evil rabid dog. John McCain, who founded ISIS together with Hilary Clinton and their supporters and used our tax paying dollars to support terrorism, are evil rabid dogs. Every politician around the world that allowed Christians in the Middle East to be persecuted, beheaded, sold, have their churches destroyed and their bishops kidnapped, is an evil rabid dog. Every country and leader who shook hands with Saudi Arabia and its wahabism, the mother of terrorism, is an evil rabid dog.
Dr. Carson, you call yourself a Christian and you are running towards presidency with your Christian values? What do you know about the refugees? What do you know about the children dying without food or shelter or stranded at sea? Do you how many million among them are Christians? You are using a tragedy as a way to gain popularity and win your race. I thought I could believe in your Christian values, but you proved to be among the many ignorant and dirty politicians who discriminate the children of Christ. Because of you and those likeminded, the refugees, especially the Christians of the Middle East, continue to pay the price of your ignorance.
My people are not rabid dogs. My people are the flock of Christ who were kicked out of their own homes after they destroyed their churches, homes and all their belongings by those supported by the West. Yes, among the refugees you might find evil people who benefited from this crisis, but the majority are people of values, education, and love.
Without us, the Christians of the Middle East, neither you nor anyone in the West could have known or heard of Christ.
Dr. Carson, you may be a good doctor because of your medical education, but that degree does not make you an educated and wise leader. Maybe you read the Gospel, but I highly doubt that you really understood it. These refugees are human beings and most of them are Christ’s children. They will be the reason of your judgment and the judgment of all the politicians who are playing the dark game in the judgment day.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:33
Have you dr. Carson known the Truth? I doubt it.
Sincerely,
Father Theodoros Daoud
رسالة إلى المرشح الرئاسي الأمريكي دكتور Ben Carson
November/20/2015
بعد أن دعى المرشح الرئاسي الأمريكي الدكتور بن كارسون اللاجئين السوريين بالكلاب المسعورة، رد عليه الأب ثيوذورس داود الكاهن المسيحي الأنطاكي الأرثوذكسي بهذه الرسالة:
حضرة " الكلب المسعور" الدكتور Ben Carson
أرجو ألاّ تشعر بالإساءة حضرة الدكتور بسبب هذه التسمية وإن كُنتَ شعرت بالإءساءه فلا فرق عندي، لأنك أسأت إلى ٩ ملايين لاجئ عندما نعتهم بالكلاب المسعورة.
أنت وكل سياسي سبّب لسوريا -أرض بولس وبطرس وجميع الرسل والقديسين - النزف حتى الموت، انتم هم الكلاب المسعورة. الرئيس أوباما من دعم داعش بالأسلحة والمعدات والمال هو كلب مسعور وشرير. جان ماكين الذي أسس داعش مستعملاً مال ضرائبنا ليدعم الإرهاب هو كلب مسعور وشرير. كل سياسي حول العالم سمح باضطهاد المسيحيين في الشرق الأوسط ، سمح بقطع رؤوسهم ، ببيع نسائهم، بتدمير كنائسهم وبيوتهم وبخطف أساقفتهم هو كلب مسعور وشرير أيضاً. كل بلد أو زعيم تحالف مع السعودية ووهابيتها -أم الإرهاب وأصله- هو كلب مسعور وشرير أيضاً.
دكتور كارسون،
أتسمي نفسك مسيحي وتسعى للرئاسة بقيم مسيحية؟ ماذا تعلم عن اللاجئين ؟ ماذا تعلم عن الأطفال الذين يموتون بلا طعام أو مأوى أو مشردين وراء البحار؟ أنت تستعمل مأساتهم لتبني شعبية أو لتصل للرئاسة. بداية اعتقدت أني قد أصدِّق القيم المسيحية التي ناديت بها، لكنك أثبت الآن أنك لست أفضل من السياسيين الوسخين والعنصريين ضد أبناء المسيح. بسبب جهلك وبسبب جهل أمثالك دفع اللاجئون وبخاصة مسيحيو الشرق الأوسط ولا يزالون يدفعون الثمن.
أبناء شعبي ليسوا كلاباً مسعورة. أبناء شعبي هم خراف المسيح الذين شرِّدوا من بيوتهم بعد أن دُمرت مع كنائسهم وبعد أن وضع الأشرار - المدعومين من الغرب - يدهم على كل ممتلكاتهم.
نعم، بين اللاجئين ثمة أشرار الذين استفادوا من الأزمة ولكن غالبية اللاجئين هم أناس أصحاب قيم وعلم وثقافة ومحبة.
دكتور كارسون،
قد تكون طبيباً جيداً بسبب شهاداتك الطبية لكن تلك الشهادات لا تجعل منك إنسانا مثقفاً وقائدا حكيماً.
ربما قرأت الكتاب المقدس ولكني أشك بقوة أنك تفهمه. هؤلاء اللاجئون هم بشر وغالبيتهم أبناء المسيح. إنهم في يوم الدينونة العظيم سيكونون سبب دينونتك أنت وكل مَن مِن السياسيين يلعب لعبة الشر الظلامية.
" تعرفون الحق والحق يحرركم. " يوحنا ٣٣:٨
حضرة الدكتور، هل عرفت الحق؟. أنا أشك بذلك.
ألأب ثيوذورس داود
I hope this word will not offend you, doctor. If it does, I don’t care because you have offended each one of the 9 million Syrian refugees by calling them rabid dogs. You, along with every politician who caused Syria—the land of Saint Peter and Paul, the Apostles and the saints—to bleed to death, are evil rabid dogs. President Obama, who supports ISIS by supplying them with weapons and money, is an evil rabid dog. John McCain, who founded ISIS together with Hilary Clinton and their supporters and used our tax paying dollars to support terrorism, are evil rabid dogs. Every politician around the world that allowed Christians in the Middle East to be persecuted, beheaded, sold, have their churches destroyed and their bishops kidnapped, is an evil rabid dog. Every country and leader who shook hands with Saudi Arabia and its wahabism, the mother of terrorism, is an evil rabid dog.
Dr. Carson, you call yourself a Christian and you are running towards presidency with your Christian values? What do you know about the refugees? What do you know about the children dying without food or shelter or stranded at sea? Do you how many million among them are Christians? You are using a tragedy as a way to gain popularity and win your race. I thought I could believe in your Christian values, but you proved to be among the many ignorant and dirty politicians who discriminate the children of Christ. Because of you and those likeminded, the refugees, especially the Christians of the Middle East, continue to pay the price of your ignorance.
My people are not rabid dogs. My people are the flock of Christ who were kicked out of their own homes after they destroyed their churches, homes and all their belongings by those supported by the West. Yes, among the refugees you might find evil people who benefited from this crisis, but the majority are people of values, education, and love.
Without us, the Christians of the Middle East, neither you nor anyone in the West could have known or heard of Christ.
Dr. Carson, you may be a good doctor because of your medical education, but that degree does not make you an educated and wise leader. Maybe you read the Gospel, but I highly doubt that you really understood it. These refugees are human beings and most of them are Christ’s children. They will be the reason of your judgment and the judgment of all the politicians who are playing the dark game in the judgment day.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:33
Have you dr. Carson known the Truth? I doubt it.
Sincerely,
Father Theodoros Daoud
رسالة إلى المرشح الرئاسي الأمريكي دكتور Ben Carson
November/20/2015
بعد أن دعى المرشح الرئاسي الأمريكي الدكتور بن كارسون اللاجئين السوريين بالكلاب المسعورة، رد عليه الأب ثيوذورس داود الكاهن المسيحي الأنطاكي الأرثوذكسي بهذه الرسالة:
حضرة " الكلب المسعور" الدكتور Ben Carson
أرجو ألاّ تشعر بالإساءة حضرة الدكتور بسبب هذه التسمية وإن كُنتَ شعرت بالإءساءه فلا فرق عندي، لأنك أسأت إلى ٩ ملايين لاجئ عندما نعتهم بالكلاب المسعورة.
أنت وكل سياسي سبّب لسوريا -أرض بولس وبطرس وجميع الرسل والقديسين - النزف حتى الموت، انتم هم الكلاب المسعورة. الرئيس أوباما من دعم داعش بالأسلحة والمعدات والمال هو كلب مسعور وشرير. جان ماكين الذي أسس داعش مستعملاً مال ضرائبنا ليدعم الإرهاب هو كلب مسعور وشرير. كل سياسي حول العالم سمح باضطهاد المسيحيين في الشرق الأوسط ، سمح بقطع رؤوسهم ، ببيع نسائهم، بتدمير كنائسهم وبيوتهم وبخطف أساقفتهم هو كلب مسعور وشرير أيضاً. كل بلد أو زعيم تحالف مع السعودية ووهابيتها -أم الإرهاب وأصله- هو كلب مسعور وشرير أيضاً.
دكتور كارسون،
أتسمي نفسك مسيحي وتسعى للرئاسة بقيم مسيحية؟ ماذا تعلم عن اللاجئين ؟ ماذا تعلم عن الأطفال الذين يموتون بلا طعام أو مأوى أو مشردين وراء البحار؟ أنت تستعمل مأساتهم لتبني شعبية أو لتصل للرئاسة. بداية اعتقدت أني قد أصدِّق القيم المسيحية التي ناديت بها، لكنك أثبت الآن أنك لست أفضل من السياسيين الوسخين والعنصريين ضد أبناء المسيح. بسبب جهلك وبسبب جهل أمثالك دفع اللاجئون وبخاصة مسيحيو الشرق الأوسط ولا يزالون يدفعون الثمن.
أبناء شعبي ليسوا كلاباً مسعورة. أبناء شعبي هم خراف المسيح الذين شرِّدوا من بيوتهم بعد أن دُمرت مع كنائسهم وبعد أن وضع الأشرار - المدعومين من الغرب - يدهم على كل ممتلكاتهم.
نعم، بين اللاجئين ثمة أشرار الذين استفادوا من الأزمة ولكن غالبية اللاجئين هم أناس أصحاب قيم وعلم وثقافة ومحبة.
دكتور كارسون،
قد تكون طبيباً جيداً بسبب شهاداتك الطبية لكن تلك الشهادات لا تجعل منك إنسانا مثقفاً وقائدا حكيماً.
ربما قرأت الكتاب المقدس ولكني أشك بقوة أنك تفهمه. هؤلاء اللاجئون هم بشر وغالبيتهم أبناء المسيح. إنهم في يوم الدينونة العظيم سيكونون سبب دينونتك أنت وكل مَن مِن السياسيين يلعب لعبة الشر الظلامية.
" تعرفون الحق والحق يحرركم. " يوحنا ٣٣:٨
حضرة الدكتور، هل عرفت الحق؟. أنا أشك بذلك.
ألأب ثيوذورس داود
[Straight spoken, from the perspective of others tied to Middle Eastern Christians impacted by the things in the Middle East (and yes, it is a problem to accept anything politicians say without any resistance if you're already biased to them in your ideological camp). Seeing Luke 13:31-32 where Jesus noted "Go tell that FOX...." in regards to Herod because of his harming his family (as was the case with his cousin John the Baptist killed for addressing political situations of immorality in Luke 9:7-9 and Luke 3:21-23)) & keeping Him from reaching the marginalized, Jesus did not mince words simply because Herod claimed to advocate for his people (Jews/Israel) - and can't say I have issue with folks doing so today. Definitely have seen this sentiment A LOT with regards to numerous Middle-Eastern believers who are very tired of the fear-mongering, the outright bigotry and inconsistency when it comes to how our nation has historically dealt with immigrants in any time of war (as the same was said of the Chinese during the Chinese Exclusion Laws following their immigration/the fear mongering done to them and seeing them as a threat and of Hispanics fleeing countries where WE caused mess in their lands by our intervention- fleeing for their lives because of our meddling).
For both our president AND other potential presidential leaders, no one is with excuse on this one and no gets a pass if really wanting to avoid partiality.
God said “I was a stranger and you invited me in.”“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you.” These verses all speak of the duty Christians have to take in the stranger, the foreigner, the refugee - and none of them make exclusions on the basis of race, creed or ethnicity.
And for others wishing to have good presentation - if wanting to study the facts on how much things evolved when the West got involved (WHICh IS THE REAL enemy, NOT ISIS)- I'd encourage anyone to take time to process bit by bit and do self examination on what our actual government has allowed/condoned (http://www.collective-evolution.com/.../20/truthbehindsyria/ ).
As it concerns ISIS, for an excellent site (as comments are often quite good too) one may consider http://www.moonofalabama.org/
For another, I am Glad someone else said it frankly with the level of terrorism which we have done globally from the West - and in alliance with other nations condoning it in the Middle East (http://theantimedia.org/islamic-extremism-what-youre-not.../ ) & (https://www.facebook.com/TheAntiMedia/posts/527367367388303 ).
Discrimination toward Christians from Syria AS well as ISIS because of the dynamics with Muslims is something many working with immigrants have long pointed out when it comes to people noting the ways that the U.S. did the same antics with Iraq with demonizing all of those who were Eastern Christians after the U.S. chose to go in and make a mess of things (more shared before years ago when we began arming the rebels).
And again, as much as we keep focusing on Radical Islam as the enemy, it is saddening we don't consider how much we need to be fearful for what's happening within our own side of the street. As said before, in my view, there's more than enough reason to consider that the ISIS (ISIL), Al Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood … Muslim terrorist organizations are the creation of western shadow government intelligence agencies and the creations that Western Powers have made will come back to harm them - more shared in ISIS : A CIA Creation to Justify War Abroad and Repression at Home - The Vigilant Citizen and The Horrifying Rise of the ?Death Cult? of ISIS - and Its Occult Roots - The Vigilant Citizen ...as well asISIS Militants Use Bullets Made in U.S., Iran, 19 Other Countries - NBC News and ISIS Militants Use Bullets Made in U.S., Iran, 19 Other Countries - NBC News ANDUnauthorized Retransfers: A Challenge to Security and the Legitimate Arms Trade | Spotlight | The Stimson Center | Pragmatic Steps for Global Security
We supplied weapons/guns to others in Iraq (as in Egypt and Lybia) and then demonized the people fleeing for their lives.....and genocide was condoned as a result. And unfortunately, it's astounding how much profit is being made from all of this since so much corporations working with others in governments (since not everyone in government is aware of mess or supportative) are the ones pushing things.....with things out in the open. Toyota being a prime example:
The Mystery of ISIS' Toyota Army Solved
GLOBALRESEARCH.CA
Why Does ISIS Have So Many Toyota Trucks?
MEDIAITE.COM
Lord of War (http://anecessaryevil.weebly.com/index.html ) comes to mind immediately on the matter with the reality of gun running and how much war doesn't make sense if seeing it justified in one place but allowed in another .....unless weapons sold to both sides is present.
How the US Helped Create Al Qaeda and ISIS
COUNTERPUNCH.ORG
Under the Disguise of The "Battle against Terrorism": The U.S.,…
GLOBALRESEARCH.CA
Officials: ISIS Arose From US Support For al-Qaeda In Iraq
MINTPRESSNEWS.COM|BY NAFEEZ AHMED
Now the truth emerges: how the US fuelled the rise of Isis in Syria and…
THEGUARDIAN.COM|BY SEUMAS MILNE
Invading Iraq 2.0: ISIS Propaganda, Proxy Wars and…
GLOBALRESEARCH.CA
Obama's Gun-Running Operation: Weapons and Support for "Islamic…
GLOBALRESEARCH.CA
CIA Gun-running, Qatar-Libya-Syria.
GLOBALRESEARCH.CA
Logistics 101: Where Does ISIS Get Its Guns?
Propaganda and Islam: What you’re not Being Told
TRUEACTIVIST.COM
ACTIVISTPOST.COM|BY ACTIVIST POST
That said, what I find fascinating is how many are quick to assume all Syrians are the potential enemies when even the passports were not authentic or deemed to automatically be from Syrian. In fact, what was noted was that the terrorists themselves were from the are - homegrown. Terrorists were never simply Middle Eastern and thus going after the Middle East won't do
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With regards to loving the people impacted by the problems in the Middle East, we have to be willing to cease with this claim that "It's only the Christians that matter!!!" since Jesus NEVER advocated for His people to have such a mindset. This podcast came immediately to mind from one of the ministries I support with regards to reaching out to Muslims (http://truthaboutmuslims.podomatic.com/.../2015-09-22T17... ) when it comes to God's heart to Muslims - and why many quick to react saying "Muslims and Christians have nothing in common whatsoever" (despite where St. Paul already said in Acts 17:27-28 that humanity itself is the offspring of God/His children and Jesus already noted that even those called Prodigals are still sons of God who are lost).....
John of Damascus: A Christian in the Court of the Caliph
Christendom and the Rise of Islam
Part of our Islam 101 series, we look at the rise of Islam in the midst of Christendom in the…
TRUTHABOUTMUSLIMS.PODOMATIC.COM
Additionally, this is a good word on God's heart for others and seeking to have wisdom on how to interact with others based on what your relationship with them is like rather than what you see on the T.V....
Lessons from an Apple Barrel and The Dangers of Assigning Identity
Everyday Muslims are being assigned biased identities by the media. How can we as Christians keep from doing the same and how can doing the opposite help…
TRUTHABOUTMUSLIMS.PODOMATIC.COM
As another from the UK Wisely noted:
Jesus vs Xenohpobia
Isaiah 16:3-4 says: “Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” This is in the middle of a prophecy against Moab, that warns the kingdom for an upcoming disaster. In the previous chapter, God says: “My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction.” (Is 15:5).
It is thus clear that even though this catastrophe is described as being the result of God’s judgment due to the idolatry of the Moabite people, He still cares for them and wants people to give them shelter from the ones who destroy them. Even people who do not worship the Lord still deserves love, care and humanitarian aid.
The other passage is Isaiah 21:13-15:
Again, this is a prophetic warning about the upcoming war that will strike the Arab people, but still the point that Isaiah makes is clearly that when disaster comes, refugees should be given help and refuge. He does not want innocent refugees to suffer and die, and so his prophecy is a forewarning to Dedanite caravans as much as it is a prophecy of judgment against Arabia.
It is important to remember that in Biblical times, passports, border controls and deportations hardly existed. Nations didn’t “choose” to receive immigrants or not, there was no distinction between “legal” or “illegal” immigration just as there is no distinction between legal and illegal rain. In a world with poverty and war migrants will unavoidably move to safer and richer nations. The Biblical response then, is to provide shelter, food and the Gospel to those seeking refuge.
Isaiah 16:3-4 says: “Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” This is in the middle of a prophecy against Moab, that warns the kingdom for an upcoming disaster. In the previous chapter, God says: “My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction.” (Is 15:5).
It is thus clear that even though this catastrophe is described as being the result of God’s judgment due to the idolatry of the Moabite people, He still cares for them and wants people to give them shelter from the ones who destroy them. Even people who do not worship the Lord still deserves love, care and humanitarian aid.
The other passage is Isaiah 21:13-15:
A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, bring water for the thirsty; you who live inTema, bring food for the fugitives. They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
It is important to remember that in Biblical times, passports, border controls and deportations hardly existed. Nations didn’t “choose” to receive immigrants or not, there was no distinction between “legal” or “illegal” immigration just as there is no distinction between legal and illegal rain. In a world with poverty and war migrants will unavoidably move to safer and richer nations. The Biblical response then, is to provide shelter, food and the Gospel to those seeking refuge.
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