The Cradle of Our Faith

1
The Cradle of Our Faith

• The enduring witness of the Christians
  of the Middle East

love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
2
Introduction
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
3
An Enduring Witness

• This slideshow is based on a booklet printed by
  the PC (USA).
• The seven countries profiled in this slideshow
  span two continents and vast stretches of
  geography.
• Our continuing mission in the Middle East
• The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a
  long-standing relationship with Middle Eastern
  Christians.
• Presbyterian missionaries began arriving in the
  Middle East in the 1820s, establishing schools,
  hospitals, and Protestant churches, many of which
  continue to flourish to the present day as
  leading institutions for education and health
  care.

4
Living Stones

• The Christians who live in the Middle East today
  are the living stones of the Early Church
• a vital, dynamic presence in a region that is
  both the cradle of ancient civilizations and the
  site of contemporary geopolitical developments
  that affect us all.

5
At its roots

• At its roots, Christianity is an Eastern
  religion, born and matured in the Middle East.
  The great diversity of Christian peoples, sects,
  and denominations in the Middle East is a
  testament to the fact that the region has been a
  vitally important corridor among empires
  throughout the centuries. It is also a testament
  to the diversity of the peoples who have chosen
  to follow in the steps of Christ and his apostles
  who opened up the faith to the whole world.

• But now, after two millennia of continuous
  presence, Christianity is on the decline in its
  birthplace. The Christian communities of Egypt,
  Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel/Palestine, Jordan,
  and Syria have all experienced a dramatic
  decrease in numbers, shrinking in some countries
  to a mere 10 percent of their former size over
  the last century. These are communities that
  trace their roots to the first century of
  Christianity.

6
Christian Exodus

• Many point to the rise of fundamentalist Islam as
  a primary cause of the diminishing numbers of
  Christians in the birthplace of Christianity. The
  dwindling numbers, however, cannot, be reduced to
  a single issue. Christians from each of the
  countries treated in this book have a unique
  narrative.
• The root causes for the declining numbers are
  diverse, complex, and often interrelated,
  including economic necessity, human rights
  abuses, political repression, corruption in
  governments, and quality of education.

7
No Mans Land

• Because of a common perception that America and
  Europe are made up of Christian nations, the
  Christian communities of the Middle East have
  become symbols of the West in the minds of their
  neighbors. In these days of the clash of
  civilizations mindset, Middle Eastern Christians
  can feel lost in a no mans land, lacking full
  acceptance by East or West. Though deeply and
  thoroughly Eastern in history and culture, they
  are now seen as allies of the West because of
  their religion.

8
Backlash

• Because of this connection, Christian churches
  often bear the brunt of misdirected local anger
  when Western Christians are perceived as
  aggressively hostile to Islam. Christians
  experienced a backlash in reaction to Pope
  Benedict XVIs speech in September 2006 that
  offended Muslims. After the Popes statement,
  attacks in the West Bank and Gaza caused damage
  to five churches. Around the same time, two
  churches in Iraq were damaged and two priests
  were killed.

9
Conflict Turmoil

• In a region devastated by turmoil and conflict,
  wars between states, civil wars, revolutions,
  ethnic cleansing, and foreign interventions have
  caused untold hardship to the peoples of the
  Middle East since the end of World War I.
• A huge wave of Armenian refugees was scattered
  around the Middle East in 1915 during the
  Armenian genocide in Anatolia (now Turkey), when
  half of the worlds total Armenian population was
  massacred. As a result, there are substantial
  Armenian populations throughout much of the
  Middle East.

10
End of Ottoman Rule

• Ottoman rule over the Middle East through the
  nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was
  resented throughout the region as the empire fell
  into decline and corruption. The defeat of
  Ottoman Turks in World War I brought colonial
  British and French mandate rule, which was
  resisted by emerging militant nationalist
  movements.
• Within a quarter of a century, the Arab states of
  the Middle East had achieved independence from
  the European colonial administrations
• Egypt in 1922 (nominal) and 1954 (full)
• Iraq in 1932
• Syria in 1940
• Lebanon in 1943
• Jordan in 1946

11
No Self Rule for Palestine

• When Israel was formed in 1948, Mandate
  Palestine, unlike its neighbors, was not granted
  self-rule and self-determination, but became a
  zone of mounting conflict. Britain not only
  maintained its colonial presence but presided
  over a massive influx of European Jews fleeing
  European anti-Semitism and Nazism, which
  ultimately led to the partition of Palestine.
• Sixty years after the end of colonial rule
  elsewhere in the region, Palestinians (both
  Christian and Muslim) living under the forty-year
  Israeli occupation continue to yearn for
  statehood, independence, and self-determination.

12
A Jewish State

• The Western-sponsored establishment of a Jewish
  state in the Arab Middle East, predictably,
  brought stresses to relations among Middle
  Eastern Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Sadly, the
  Mizrahi Jewish communities that once prospered in
  Alexandria, Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, and Tehran
  are now shadows of their former vital selves or
  are extinct.

• The wars of 1948 and 1967 created waves of
  Palestinian refugees whose descendents number in
  the millions, many of whom still live in United
  Nations administered refugee camps in the region.
  
• There are over 4 million refugees in the greater
  Middle East and a total of 8 million worldwide.
  According to the United Nations, Palestinian
  refugees comprise one-third of the global refugee
  population.

13
Recent Turmoil

• Since the U.S.-led military invasion of Iraq in
  2003, an estimated 40,000 Iraqi Christians have
  fled to Syria as a result of death threats by
  religious extremists. Although exact figures
  cannot be confirmed, Christians continue to flee
  Iraq in large numbers. Fortunately, many Iraqis
  fleeing their country have found security and
  religious freedom in neighboring Syria.

• During the Israel-Hezbollah war in the summer of
  2006, Syria received Lebanese refugees fleeing
  Israeli attacks on their country. The Syrian Red
  Crescent Society provided food, water, and
  medical care, while the government opened schools
  and other institutions to accommodate Lebanese
  citizens.

14
Syria
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
15
Syria
16
Syria Statistics

• Total area
• 71,183 sq. miles
• slightly larger than North Dakota
• Population
• 18,881,000
• Languages
• Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian,
  French, some English
• Religions
• Sunni Muslim, 74 Alawite, Druze, other Muslim
  sects, 16 various Christian groups, 10 plus
  tiny indigenous Jewish communities
• GDP per capita
• 3,900

17
Christians Today

• With approximately 1.8 million believers, Syria
  has the second-largest Christian population in
  the Middle East, after Egypt.
• From the earliest days of the church, Syria has
  provided a place of refuge from persecution.
  Today, Syria continues to offer security,
  humanitarian relief, and religious tolerance to
  refugees fleeing violence in the region,
  including Iraqis and Lebanese.

18
An Ancient Christianity

• The ancient Arameans of the Old Testament, who
  inhabited the country from about the first
  millennium BC, are the ancestors of the
  present-day Syrians.
• A great majority of these Arameans spoke Aramaic
  until about the seventh Christian century, when
  the rise of Islam made Arabic the official
  language.
• Aramaic is still used in the liturgy of the
  Syrian, Chaldean, and Maronite Churches.

19
A Diverse Christianity

• The majority of Syrian Christians belong to the
  Eastern communions, which have existed in Syria
  since the earliest days of Christianity. The main
  Eastern groups are the autonomous Orthodox
  churches the Uniate (Eastern Rite churches,
  which are in communion with Rome) and the
  independent Nestorian Church.
• Even though each group forms a separate
  community, Christians nevertheless cooperate
  increasingly through their ties with the National
  Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon and the
  Middle East Council of Churches.

20
A Richness of Liturgies

• The largest Christian denomination in Syria is
  the Greek Orthodox Church of Syria. The
  designation Greek refers to the language of
  liturgy, not to the ethnic origin of its members.
  Arabic is also used.
• The second-largest Syrian Christian group is the
  Armenian Orthodox, or Jacobite, Church, which
  uses an Armenian liturgy. Many of these Armenian
  members of the great Christian family of Syria
  escaped the massacres and deportations that took
  place in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) from the
  early 1890s to the early 1920s.

21
Arab Christians

• With the exception of the Armenians, most
  Christians in Syria are Arab, sharing pride in
  the Arabic culture and traditions. In proportion
  to their number, more Syrian Arab Christians
  participate in political and administrative
  affairs than do Muslims. Especially among the
  young, relations between Christians and Muslims
  are improving.

22
Shaping Church History

• The abundance of archeological remains dating to
  the early Christian Era, as well as the currently
  functioning churches dating back to the fourth
  century, attest to the uninterrupted presence of
  the Christian community in Syria as well as its
  important role in shaping Christian history.

23
Government Recognition

• Christian holidays are official state holidays
  and members of the clergy are excused from
  military service.
• Christians in Syria enjoy considerable rights
  within its secular system and perceive the regime
  as their protector. Christians find it easy to
  obtain authorization to repair or build churches
  and to pray or have processions in public without
  harassment. Religion is not mentioned on identity
  cards.

24
The Apostle Paul Syria

• The ancient wall that surrounds the Old City of
  Damascus was built during the Roman Era. The
  Street Called Straight (Acts 911) is the
  2000-year-old Roman Via Recta.
• St. Pauls Church in Damascus was built in the
  fourth century on the site where the Apostle Paul
  hid from his enemies. It was from this city wall
  that Paul was lowered in a basket by his
  disciples, to later become the apostle to the
  Gentiles.
• There were already Christians in Damascus when
  Paul was converted on his journey there. Paul was
  on his way to Damascus to persecute those same
  Christians, many of whom had fled persecution
  themselves.

25
We Pray Together

• . . . that the Syrian government will continue to
  provide religious freedom as well as refuge for
  those fleeing danger and persecution in
  surrounding countries.
• . . . for the safety and well-being of Iraqis of
  all faiths who have found refuge and hospitality
  in Syria since the invasion of Iraq.

26
Lebanon
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
27
Lebanon
28
Lebanon Statistics

• Total area
• 6,448 sq. miles,
• 0.7 times larger than Connecticut
• Population
• 3,874,050
• Languages
• Arabic, French, English, Armenian
• Religions
• Muslim, 59.7 (Shi¹a, Sunni, Druze, Isma¹ilite,
  Alawite or Nusayri) Christian, 39 (Maronite
  Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic,
  Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian
  Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic,
  Chaldean, Assyrian, Coptic, Protestant) other,
  1.3
• GDP per capita
• 6,200

29
The Creation of Lebanon

• Lebanon was created in 1920 by France out of the
  Greater Syria colonial mandate with the aim of
  establishing a Christian-majority nation within a
  Muslim-majority region. Since then, Lebanon has
  struggled to build a unified national identity
  out of its multi-confessional diversity.

30
Christians no longer a majority

• Lebanon is the only Middle Eastern country where
  Christians were once dominant and still retain
  considerable political power.
• As the Christian population has declined relative
  to others, so has their influence. Although an
  official census has not been taken since 1932, it
  is estimated that Christians now comprise only
  about 35 percent of the population.

31
Power Sharing

• The relative size of its various religious
  communities is a deeply sensitive issue
  Lebanons 1975-1990 civil war was fought largely
  along sectarian lines.
• Many Muslims believe that Christians hold
  disproportionate political and economic power.
  Some Lebanese Christians do not identify
  themselves fully as Arabs.
• To assure political representation of all
  religious communities, Lebanons constitution
  prescribes a power-sharing formula under which
  the president is a Maronite Christian, the
  speaker of the Parliament is a Shia Muslim, and
  the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim.

32
The Maronite Christians

• The Maronite community, named for a Syrian hermit
  named St. Maron, is Lebanons largest Christian
  group, with a population the size of all other
  denominations combined.
• The Maronites began as a schismatic sect of the
  Orthodox Church in the 7th Century and were
  considered heretical for subscribing to
  Monothelitism. Cast out, many Maronites sought
  refuge in Lebanons mountains. Their descendents
  live in mountain villages throughout the country
  today and Maronite monasteries continue to have a
  strong presence.

33
The East West Split

• A split endures to the present day in what is
  commonly called Eastern and Western Christianity.
  
• This is not to be confused with the split between
  Rome and Constantinople, the Catholic/Orthodox
  split which occurred later in the 11th century.
• The Catholic and Orthodox Church are both in the
  Western branch of Christianity

• Maronites ended up as part of the Western church
  they have been in full communion with the Roman
  Catholic Church since the Crusader period. Today,
  their patriarch has the rank of cardinal.
• The East-West schism among Christian sects of the
  Byzantine Empire occurred in the era of Islams
  emergence and partly explains the unprecedented
  speed of Islams expansion.

34
Refugees in Lebanon

• Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in
  Lebanon live in overcrowded refugee camps,
  struggling to meet basic human needs. They are
  barred from working in dozens of professions,
  receiving Social Security, or owning or
  inheriting property.

35
Israel-Lebanon War 2006

• The Israel-Hezbollah war lasted 34 days during
  the summer of 2006 and cost the Lebanese economy
  well over 2.5 billion.
• Roughly one million Lebanese were displaced,
  1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed (a third of
  them children) and 15,000 homes were destroyed.
• An estimated one million unexploded Israeli
  cluster bombs continue to cause death and injury
  in southern Lebanon.

36
PC (USA) and Partners

• Presbyterian missionaries arrived in Lebanon in
  the 1820s and have had a strong presence ever
  since, founding schools and graduate learning
  centers such as the American University in Beirut
  and the Near East School of Theology.
• The NEST provides a Protestant seminary education
  for students from the entire region. The Middle
  East Council of Churches (MECC), which plays an
  important role in the work of social justice
  throughout the region, was based in Beirut for
  many years.

37
We Pray together . . .

• . . . for a government that represents Lebanese
  of all confessions and a determination among all
  Lebanese to work for the good of the country.

38
Jordan
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
39
Jordan
40
Jordan Statistics

• Total area
• 57,226 sq. miles,
• slightly smaller than Indiana
• Population
• 5.9 million
• Languages
• Arabic English widely understood
• Religions
• Sunni Muslim, 92 Christian, 6 (mostly Greek
  Orthodox, some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian
  Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and
  Protestant) other, 2 (some Shi¹a and Druze)
• GDP per capita
• 4,700

41
The Old Testament in Jordan

• Why did the the men of ancient Israel find the
  women of ancient Jordan irresistible? King
  Solomon was famous for his love of foreign
  women, including Moabites, Ammonites, and
  Edomites.
• Nehemiah mentions the many marriages of Jewish
  men to women from Ammon (Amman) and Moab (central
  Jordan). Moses wife Zipporah hailed from Midian
  (southern Jordan). And Ruth of Moab was
  great-grandmother to David.

42
More Old Testament

• Twenty miles south of Madaba is Mukawir, ancient
  Machaerus, the fortress built by Herod the Great.
  Here Herod imprisoned John the Baptist and Salome
  danced.
• The Old Testament records Moabs conquest by the
  Israelites, after which it was granted to the
  tribe of Reuben. After the Moabites regained
  control of the area in the ninth century BC,
  Isaiah (152) gloomily prophesied, Moab shall
  howl over Nebo and over Medeba Lot sought
  refuge from the Lords fire and brimstone in
  Jordan, and Moses, Aaron, and John the Baptist
  all died there.

43
Moses at Mount Nebo

• At 2,700 feet above sea level, Mount Nebo
  rises above the Dead Sea (1,400 feet below sea
  level), providing a panoramic view across the
  Jordan Valley to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Moses
  is believed to have been buried on Mount Nebo
  after looking from its heights into the Promised
  Land he would never enter. (Deuteronomy 3417)

44
From the Roman Era to Islam

• During the Roman Era, Christianity spread rapidly
  in what is now central Jordan. By 451, Madaba had
  its own bishop. In its heyday from the third to
  the seventh century AD, Madaba was the major
  Christian center on the east bank of the Jordan
  River, drawing scores of Christian pilgrims and
  residents.
• Madaba surrendered without a struggle to the
  Muslim armies in the early seventh century, which
  allowed the city to retain its Christian
  identity. Churches were built and
  Christian-themed mosaics were laid for at least a
  hundred years into the Muslim Era. Abandoned
  during the Mameluk period (1250-1517), Madabas
  ruins lay untouched for centuries.

45
The Crusaders

• Petra, southern Jordans magnificent Nabatean
  rose-rock city, was also abandoned beginning in
  the eleventh century. When the Crusaders arrived
  in the Jordan area in the early twelfth century,
  Christian monks still inhabited the Monastery of
  St. Aaron on Jebal Haroun, the highest mountain
  in the Petra area.
• To defend this territory, the Crusaders built a
  string of fortresses, including the great
  fortress at Karak. By 1189, however, the last of
  the eastern fortresses, the Li Vaux Moise castle
  near Petra, surrendered to Saladin, opening the
  way for the Muslim armies to liberate Jerusalem
  and effectively ending the foreign domination of
  Jordan.

46
Ottoman Rule to the present

• Four centuries of Ottoman rule (1516-1918)
  brought a period of general stagnation to Jordan,
  as the Ottomans were primarily interested in
  Jordan for its importance to the pilgrimage route
  to Mecca.
• Modern-day Jordan gained independence from
  Britain in 1946 and became the Hashemite Kingdom
  in 1950. King Abdullah II claims a direct lineage
  to the prophet Mohammed.

47
Modern Jordan

• Jordan affirms Islam and has at the same time
  been open to modernization. In general, Muslims
  and Christians live together in Jordan with
  little tension or discrimination.
• Jordans religious minorities are well integrated
  into urban neighborhoods and society.
• Since the establishment of the Hashemite Kingdom,
  Christians have been guaranteed freedom of
  worship, religious education, and parliamentary
  representation. More than half the Christian
  population is in the middle or upper class in
  Jordan and is highly educated, which has led to a
  high level of participation in public
  administration.

48
Jordans Refugees

• Since Israels founding in 1948, Jordan has taken
  in over 1.7 million Palestinian refugees. Today,
  Jordanians of Palestinian descent comprise over
  half the population. Jordans future is
  inextricably tied to developments between
  neighboring Israel and the Palestinians.
• Jordan was a destination for Palestinians fleeing
  the conflict in Kuwait in 1991. Since 2003,
  Jordan has received hundreds of thousands of
  refugees (Christian and Muslim)from neighboring
  Iraq. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR,
  Iraqi refugees absorbed by Jordan total over
  700,000, with more arriving every day.

49
Todays Christians

• Jordanian Christians today are mostly Greek or
  Eastern Orthodox with Armenian, Syriac, and
  Coptic churches representing the Oriental
  Orthodox Church.
• There are also Greek Catholic (Melkite), Armenian
  Catholic, and Latin Catholic churches in Jordan.
  Evangelical (Protestant) churches include
  Anglican, Lutheran, and Baptist churches whose
  missionaries began arriving in the mid-1800s.
• Christian churches have a significant impact on
  society because of schools and hospitals founded
  by the various denominations.

50
We Pray Together

• for Jordans people as they struggle to welcome
  many thousands of Muslim and Christian Iraqi war
  refugees.
• for Christian schools, hospitals, and other
  institutions that minister to the needs of all
  Jordanians.

51
Break
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
52
Iran
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
53
Iran
54
Iran Statistics

• Total area
• 1 million sq. miles,
• slightly larger than Alaska
• Population
• 67 million (July 2006 est)
• Languages
• Persian and its dialects, 58 Turkic and its
  dialects, 26 Kurdish, 9 Lori 2 Baluchi, 2
  Turkmen, 2 other, 1
• Religions
• Shia Muslim, 89 Sunni Muslim, 9 Zoroastrian,
  Jewish, Christian, and Bahai, 2
• GDP per capita
• 8,300 (2005 est.)

55
From Pentecost to Today

• Parthians and Medes - ancient Persian tribes -
  are listed among the first Christian converts in
  Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 29). Christianity,
  as mobile as its ancient adherents, has deep
  roots in what was called Persia.
• Since that first day of Pentecost, there has been
  a continuous Christian presence in Iran.
• The actual number of Christians in Iran is
  difficult to determine. United Nations figures
  estimate there to be 300,000 Christians, while
  Iranian government sources are sometimes quoted
  as giving a total of 110,000.

56
The Armenians

• The majority of Irans Christians are ethnic
  Armenians who live throughout Irans main cities.
  They are seen in Iran, as elsewhere in the Middle
  East, as highly skilled and industrious.
• Although there have been moving borders and
  cultural exchanges between Persians and Armenians
  from time immemorial, a great wave of Armenians
  came to be part of Persia in the late 1500s when,
  as a result of wars with the Turks, the Persians
  gained a large number of Armenian subjects.
• In 1606 the shah founded New Julfa, just south of
  Esfahan in central Iran. By granting land to the
  Christian Armenians for their resettlement, they
  were encouraged to carry on their religion and
  commerce away from the main Islamic centers. New
  Julfa today is still a predominantly Armenian
  city.

57
The Black Church

• St. Thaddaeus Cathedral (also known as Qara
  Kelissa, the Black Church) is in remote
  northwestern Iran near the border with Turkey.
  
• It is thought to have been erected in 68 AD and
  is dedicated to Thaddaeus (the disciple Jude),
  who was martyred while spreading the gospel in
  Iran - and, who according to tradition is buried
  here along with Simon (Simeon).
• The church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1319
  and reconstructed to its present form by 1329.
  
• Once a year, Armenian pilgrims from all over Iran
  gather to celebrate the Day of St. Thaddeus in
  July.

58
The Assyrians

• The other large group of Christians are the
  ethnic Assyrians whose numbers historically have
  been greater in Iraq than Iran. These Christians
  represent the oldest split in Christianit -
  between the Church of the East and the rest of
  Christianity Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant.
  This split dates to the Council of Ephesus in 431
  AD, with the parting of the Assyrians.
• Today, unofficial estimates indicate that an
  Assyrian Christian population of approximately
  10,000 follow Eastern rites and are found in Iraq
  and Iran, and in Diaspora communities, including
  a small minority among the St. Thomas (Mar Thoma)
  Christians of southern India.

59
PC(USA) in Iran

• Protestant missionary ministry in Persia began in
  the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Much of
  the work was directed toward supporting
  indigenous churches and improving education and
  health care.
• Unlike the older, ethnic churches, they engaged
  with the Persian-speaking community. Their
  printing presses produced religious material in
  various languages.
• Some Christians moved to Protestantism. Churches
  using the Persian language still thrive within
  Iran.

60
Living as a Minority

• Under the Islamic Republic regime of Iran, all
  churches that predate Islam are recognized,
  including the indigenous Armenian and Assyrian
  congregations, who alone are granted a number of
  rights such as parliamentary representation.
  Despite its long history in Iran, Christianity
  has nonetheless often been feared as sympathetic
  to alien, Western ideals.
• Protestant churches formed in Iran within the
  last 150 years face particular problems of
  acceptance and toleration, though to a lesser
  extent than do members of the Bahai and Sufi
  faiths.

• At its inception, Islam was the state religion,
  and, by definition, conversion out of Islam was
  looked upon as treason.
• Since it is considered apostasy to convert from
  Islam to any other religion, Protestant converts
  from Islam are not recognized. Nevertheless, the
  doors of the new Evangelical churches are open to
  all and some of these congregations are growing.
• Most Christian denominations continue to shrink
  due to emigration.

61
Exodus

• Many Iranian Christians, as part of the general
  exodus of Iranians after the 1979 Islamic
  Revolution, have emigrated -- mostly to the
  United States, Canada, and Western Europe. In
  1975, Christians numbered about 1.5 of the total
  population. In 2000, only about 0.4 of Irans
  population were Christians.
• Statistically, a much larger percentage of
  non-Muslims than Muslims have emigrated out of
  Iran.

62
We Pray Together

• for minority religious groups facing
  discrimination, that they may have freedom of
  religious expression, equal employment
  opportunities, and acceptance and
  tolerance in society.

63
Israel/Palestine
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
64
Israel/Palestine
65
Statistics for Israel/Palestine
West Bank

• Israel
• Total area
• 12, 877 sq mi
• slightly smaller than New Jersey
• Population 7 million
• incl. about 450,000 in the Occupied Territories
• Languages
• Hebrew, Arabic, English
• Religions
• Jewish, 76.4 Muslim, 16 Arab Christian, 1.7
  other Christian, 0.4 Druze 1.6 unspecified
  3.9
• GDP per capita
• 24,600

• West Bank
• Total area
• 3,596 sq. mi.,
• slightly smaller than Delaware
• Population
• 2.46 million, incl. 700,000 refugees displaced
  from Israel), not including about 400,000 Jewish
  settlers
• Languages
• Arabic, Hebrew (Jewish settlers and many Arabs),
  English (widelyunderstood)
• Religions
• Muslim, 75 (mostly Sunni) Jewish, 17
  (settlers) Christian and other, 8
• GDP per capita
• 1,100 (2003 est.)

66
Israel/Palestine

• Christians in Israel/Palestine experience many of
  the same profound stresses as their sisters and
  brothers elsewhere in the Middle East.
• In addition, together with their Muslim
  neighbors, they endure unique hardships rooted in
  the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

67
Birthplace of Christianity

• Bethlehem the birthplace of Jesus
• Jerusalem the city of his resurrection
• The Christian Church was born in Jerusalem at
  Pentecost (Acts 2) and has continued
  uninterrupted in the Holy Land for more than
  two millennia
• despite the domination of the Roman Empire, the
  collapse of Byzantium, the rise of Islam, five
  centuries of Ottoman rule, and the effects of two
  world wars.

68
Muslim Presence

• Muslim Arabs took Jerusalem in 638 and held
  control of the city until the Crusades began in
  1095. Though the Crusades spanned over two
  hundred years, their after effects have been felt
  throughout the Middle East in the centuries
  since.

69
Two Millenia of Christian Presence

• Today, Christians in Jerusalem are a powerless
  minority, as they were at the time of Jesus.
• Though Christians over the millennia have
  afforded Jerusalem special significance and gone
  to battle to control Jerusalem, Jesus was
  uninterested in Jerusalem as property, instead
  directing his disciples to go out of the city and
  take the good news with them.
• In the 20th century, the most drastic change in
  demographics occurred with the 1948 birth of
  Israel, which guaranteed citizenship to any Jew
  in the world. About 5 million Jews have
  immigrated to Israel.
• Today in Israel, Christians comprise less than 2
  percent of the total population, living primarily
  near the Galilee cities of Haifa and Nazareth as
  well as Ramle, Lydda, and Jaffa.

70
The Christian Community

• The largest Christian community is the Greek
  Catholic (Melkite), followed by the Greek
  Orthodox, Latin-rite Catholic and Maronite. There
  are Armenians, Anglicans, Lutherans, and other
  smaller congregations.
• Christian communities in Israel do not receive
  state funding equal to that of Jewish communities
  for education, health care, infrastructure, or
  housing.
• Eligibility for many educational and social
  services is based on military service. Most Arab
  citizens of Israel (Christian and Muslim) cannot
  serve in the military.

71
Current Conditions

• The expropriation of Palestinian land for the
  security wall and the construction and expansion
  of Israeli Jewish settlements has been a
  consistent and growing problem for Palestinians
  (Christian and Muslim) ever since the occupation
  of the territories during the 1967 war.
• This picture shows the entrance to Bethlehem, now
  a virtual prison behind a 25ft high concrete wall.

72
An Exodus of Christians

• Life has become so difficult that many
  Christians, often more able to emigrate than
  their Muslim neighbors, have left, seeking
  stability, security, and economic opportunity in
  Western countries.
• The Christian population of the West Bank and
  East Jerusalem, around 20 percent a hundred years
  ago, has shrunk to a mere 1 percent.

73
An Exodus of Christians

• Tourism and agriculture, vital to the Palestinian
  economy, have been profoundly impacted by
  movement restrictions, land seizures, razing of
  planted areas, demolitions, and settler violence.
  Israel controls all borders between the
  Palestinian territories and neighboring
  countries.
• Movement, residency, and immigration are
  controlled by Israel through issuance (and
  non-issuance) of permits for Palestinians and
  non-Palestinian workers and visitors in Jerusalem
  and the territories.

74
Dire Needs

• The Christians of Gaza trace their roots back to
  the apostle Philip. Today, there are fewer than
  2,000 Christians living in this small, densely
  populated zone with almost 1.5 million Muslims.
  The vast majority of Gazans are refugees and
  their descendants, displaced from Israel during
  the 1948 and 1967 wars.
• Seen here, the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children
  in Gaza City receives Presbyterian Hunger Program
  support. In addition, a California Presbyterian
  church has adopted a classroom there for five
  years.

75
A Double Minority

• Christians in Israel/Palestine face special
  difficulties as a double minority to Jews and
  Muslims. Cognizant of their congregations dire
  condition, the patriarchs of the Christian
  denominations in Jerusalem issue an annual joint
  statement to the world about the condition of
  Christian life in the Holy Land.

76
Presbyterian Presence

• For this reason, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
  has partner churches in Israel/Palestine that
  serve Lutheran and Anglican Arab congregations.
  Our closest partners are the Episcopal Church of
  Jerusalem and the Middle East and the Evangelical
  Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land
  (ELCJH).

• In the mid-nineteenth century, comity agreements
  among Protestant missionaries determined that the
  Anglicans and Lutherans were to provide witness
  to the Holy Land, while the Presbyterians were to
  send missionaries to Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran,
  and what would later become Lebanon.

77
PC(USA)

• The work of the PC(USA) is primarily in
  ecumenical relations, education and health
  services, development and relief, interreligious
  dialogue, human rights and justice,
  reconciliation and peace.

78
we pray together

• . . . for churches and other organizations
  working to meet human needs, to build
  understanding and respect between Jews and Arabs,
  and seeking a just peace.

79
Iraq
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
80
Iraq
81
Iraq Statistics

• Total area
• 270,985 sq. miles,
• just over twice the size of Idaho
• Population
• 27 million,
• 1.5 million internally displaced persons (UN -
  10/06)
• Languages
• Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, Armenian
• Religions
• Muslim, 97 (Shia, 60-65, Sunni, 32-37)
  Christian and other, 3
• GDP per capita
• 3,400 (2005 est.)

82
Cradle of Civilization

• This is where the Bible begins. Iraq, the land
  between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, is the
  cradle of civilization. Known as Mesopotamia -
  Greek for land between two rivers.
• Iraq is the modern-day name for the lands known
  in the Bible as Babylonia, Chaldea, and Assyria.
• Abraham and Sarah hailed from Ur of Chaldea, now
  a ruined ancient city in the southern part of
  Iraq near Basra. Heeding Gods call, they
  traversed 750 miles to settle in Palestine near
  what is now the West Bank city of Hebron.

83
The Nestorians / Assyrians

• There has been a Christian presence in Iraq since
  the first century, including various Orthodox
  churches, Chaldean Catholics, and Church of the
  East Assyrians. The Assyrians - also called
  Nestorians - emerged as a distinct Christian
  group in 431 AD at the Council of Ephesus and
  spread rapidly eastward.
• The Nestorians of the early Assyrian Church,
  through their universities in the fourth to sixth
  centuries, had a key role in bringing Greek
  philosophy, science, and medicine first to the
  Persian world, and from there to the Islamic
  world during the Abassid Caliphate (758-1258),
  whose seat of power was Baghdad. It was from the
  Nestorian university of Nisibis (in today¹s
  southern Turkey) that the forgotten works of
  Aristotle and Plato were transmitted back to
  medieval Europe.

84
Assyrian Contributions

• Assyrian scholars of both Nestorian and Jacobite
  denominations contributed greatly to the
  advancement of the Islamic civilization,
  translating major works of medicine, philosophy,
  mathematics, astronomy, and other sciences from
  Syriac and Greek into Arabic. In the same period,
  Christian physicians were famous for their
  medical skills and training facilities.
• The arrival of the Crusaders, followed by the
  Mongols, incited anger against non-Muslim
  communities. The Assyrian population was reduced,
  surviving mostly in the plain of Nineveh and the
  mountains north of Mosul, but also in Turkey and
  Iran.

85
Syriac and Aramaic in Iraq

• All Assyrian churches share the Syriac language
  (a form of Aramaic) and a common history with
  Chaldeans, sometimes called Chaldo-Assyrians, who
  broke away in 1552 from the Church of the East
  and reunited with the Roman Catholic Church. Both
  groups are ethnically Assyrian, and claim to be
  heirs of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia.

86
Suffering of Christians

• Like the Armenian Christians, Assyrians have
  suffered persecution and, over the centuries,
  resisted attempts to be stripped of their
  language and culture.
• Under Ottoman rule, they sided with Britain
  during World War I, while Iraq under the same
  rule was allied with Germany. After the
  dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Assyrians were
  protected under the British Mandate that ruled
  Iraq. Upon the departure of their British patrons
  in 1933, the situation deteriorated, and
  thousands of unarmed Assyrians were executed. The
  Assyrian Patriarch fled to exile in Cyprus, then
  to Britain, and eventually to Chicago, where he
  reestablished his seat in 1939.

87
Nestorians

• Nestorians trace their origin to the Council of
  Ephesus in 431AD, when their religious leader,
  the Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, broke
  away from the Byzantine Orthodox Church. Isolated
  from the rest of Christianity, the Nestorians
  have preserved many of the rites and traditions
  of the Early Church that have disappeared
  elsewhere and they still use an Aramaic-based
  liturgy.
• The Nestorians, who penetrated China during the
  Tang Dynasty with missionary activity beginning
  in 635AD, are credited with bringing the secrets
  of silk farming to Byzantium.

88
Modern Era

• During Saddam Hussein¹s purging of the Kurdish
  population of Iraq in the 1980s, hundreds of
  Assyrian villages were destroyed, their
  inhabitants scattered as refugees in cities or
  neighboring countries. Dozens of ancient
  churches, some dating to the early centuries of
  Christianity, were bombed to ruin. The teaching
  of the Syriac language was prohibited and
  Assyrians were forced to give their children
  Arabic names. Those seeking government jobs were
  forced to sign ethnicity papers identifying
  themselves as Arabs.

• The fall of Saddam Hussein, once seen as having
  the potential to bring peace to Iraq, has
  unleashed unprecedented violence against the
  Christian community in Iraq. After decades of
  living in relative harmony with the Muslim
  majority, Iraqs ancient Christian minority is
  threatened as never before.

89
PC(USA) in Iraq

• The PC(USA) has had a vital local presence in
  Iraq since its mission work began there in the
  mid-nineteenth century. Our denomination
  maintains a supportive partnership with the
  Presbyterian churches of Iraq.
• There are five active Presbyterian congregations
  in Iraq two in Baghdad (one Arabic-speaking, the
  other Assyrian) and one each in Mosul, Kirkuk,
  and Basra. Before the fall of Hussein,
  Presbyterians and other Protestants in Iraq
  numbered between 3,000 and 3,500.
• The PC(USA) participates in much-needed relief
  and development work in Iraq through the Middle
  East Council of Churches, as well as through
  direct support.

90
Violence in Iraq

• Before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March of
  2003, there were approximately one million
  Christians living in Iraq- roughly 5 percent of
  the population. Iraqs leaders have denounced
  attacks against Christians, but a series of
  bombings targeting churches indicates that
  Christians are now equated with the occupation,
  regardless of their actual views.
• With the violence of war and the backlash of
  extremist activity, Christians have been leaving
  at unprecedented rates. By October 2006, more
  than half had left Iraq, joining families around
  the world or finding refuge in Jordan and Syria.

91
We Pray Together

• for the building up of a government able to keep
  peace among Iraqs religious and ethnic
  communities.
• that Christians in Iraq will be accepted by
  their Muslim neighbors and contribute to the
  rebuilding of the nation.

92
Egypt
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
93
Egypt
94
Egypt Statistics

• Total area
• 383,300 sq. miles,
• slightly more than three times the size of New
  Mexico
• Population
• 78,890,000 (July 2006 est.)
• Language
• Arabic
• Religions
• Muslim (mostly Sunni), 90 Coptic Christian, 9
  other Christian, 1
• GDP per capita
• 3,900 (2005 est.)

95
Egypt in the New Testament

• Get up, the angel commanded, Take the child
  and his mother and escape to Egypt. Obedient to
  the angels warning, Joseph took Mary and the
  infant Jesus in the night and left for Egypt.
• (Matthew 213-15)
• The place that served as a haven for the Holy
  Family from Herods murderous jealousy is today
  home to between approximately 6 and 11 million
  Christians, the largest Christian community in
  the Middle East.

96
A Continuous History

• The Gospel was brought to Egypt in the first
  century by the apostle Mark.
• The Coptic Orthodox Church traces its continuous
  history back to Marks evangelizing work in
  Egypt. The Coptic Catholic Church, the Greek
  Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church and
  the Syriac Orthodox Church have all had a
  presence in Egypt for centuries.

97
The Coptic Church

• From the first century until medieval times,
  Egypt was a Christian country. By the fifth and
  sixth centuries, the majority of the population
  of Egypt was Christianized. Today, the Coptic
  Orthodox Church is the largest denomination in
  Egypt, with about 6 million believers.
• The word Coptic is generally used to refer to any
  Egyptian Christian. The term comes from the Greek
  for Land of the Copts, Agyptos.

98
The Role of Alexandria

• Egypts capital, Alexandria, was an important
  center of religion and philosophy in the late
  Classical period, situated at the crossroads of
  trade routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe. It
  was also one of the first melting-pot cities,
  in which Jews, pagans, and Christians lived
  together, blended traditions, and traded
  influences.
• In the early days of Christianity, Alexandria was
  a Greek city with the worlds largest Jewish
  population. It was in Alexandria, as well as
  Antioch and Constantinople, that Christian
  doctrine developed away from its strictly Jewish
  founding traditions.

99
Living together with Islam

• Islam came to Egypt with the Arab invasion of 642
  AD. Contrary to some reports, there were no
  forced conversions in the seventh century and
  conversion of significant numbers to Islam did
  not begin until the ninth century.
• Today, Christian-Muslim relations are generally
  good. Christian churches function with government
  permission and acceptance.

100
Christians in Society

• As Egyptian society has become increasingly
  conservative, social contact between Muslims and
  Christians has decreased and misunderstandings
  have increased. Christians feel discrimination as
  a result of the delays typically encountered when
  churches request permission to build or remodel.
  Discrimination is also an issue with neglect of
  the Christian historical period in public school
  curricula, lack of Christian media images on
  television, and exclusion of Christians from
  certain high-level government positions.
• Still, Egyptian Muslims alleged to be extremists
  are much more likely to be subject to human
  rights abuses than Egyptian Copts.

101
The Birth of Monasticism

• The Christian monastic tradition is rooted in the
  mysticism of the Middle East. In the fourth
  century, the ascetic Anthony fled bustling
  Alexandria to find contemplation through
  isolation and tranquility in the desert, and the
  monastery was born.
• Within a century of its founding in Egypt,
  monasticism took hold in Italy and France, and by
  the eighth century had reached Scotland.
• Seen here, St. Catherine¹s Greek Orthodox
  Monastery, site of the Burning Bush in the Sinai,
  was founded by monks in the fourth century and is
  now home to priceless manuscripts, books, and
  icons.

102
PC(USA) in Egypt

• The Evangelical (Protestant) churches of Egypt
  date to the 1850s. Presbyterian mission work in
  Egypt began in 1854. The Evangelical
  (Presbyterian) Church of Egypt grew as part of
  the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) until Egypt
  gained complete independence from British rule
  almost a century later.
• The churchs Synod of the Nile has a highly
  developed program of witness and mission,
  including eight presbyteries and about 300
  churches and worship centers. The PC(USA) has
  strong partnerships with the Synod of the Nile
  and other organizations such as the Coptic
  Evangelical Organization for Social Services
  (CEOSS), and the Evangelical Theological Seminary
  at Cairo (established in 1863).

103
We Pray together

• for Coptic Christians and Muslims working to
  live together in harmony and mutual understanding
  for the good of the country.

104
Closing Prayers
love one another as I have loved you. John 1512
105
Let us pray for all the people of the Middle East
. . .

• We pray together
• that lasting solutions will be found to the
  problems of the Middle East.
• that Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others will
  seek mutual understanding and work together to
  overcome extremism of all kinds.
• We pray together
• for elderly and ill Middle Eastern Christians as
  the capacity of their shrinking communities to
  care for them becomes increasingly fragile.
• for the Jinishian Memorial Program, a foundation
  administered by the PC(USA) that supports the
  Armenian community in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,
  Armenia, Turkey, and Jerusalem.
• We pray together
• that Christians will not feel compelled to
  emigrate, but remain rooted in the region.
• that opportunities and ways be will be increased
  to share the gospel of Christ.

106
Let us Pray

• As Presbyterians, as Americans, and as
  Christians, we remember the peoples of the Middle
  East in these painful and difficult times,
  whatever their religious affiliation.
• We pray for all the people of the Middle
  East, and we especially lift up our brothers and
  sisters in Christ, the living stones of the
  Early Church, as they strive to maintain a
  presence throughout the Middle East. Let us stand
  witness to these vulnerable Christian communities
  and hold them in prayer.
• In Jesus name, We Pray. Amen.