By Rami Dabbas - March 2, 2020
Christians would rather stay out of the Middle East’s raging conflict, but they invariably become the most prominent victims. Even in the region’s quieter countries, Christians face routine persecution. And it’s been that way for millennia.
Syria: Although many Christians were indigenous to the land, over the centuries countless numbers were forcibly converted to Islam. Pockets of native Christians remain in what’s known as the Assyrian Church. Today, the Syrian regime punishes any Muslim who converts to Christianity.
Jordan: Often portrayed as the most moderate of Arab Muslim countries, Jordan still legally prohibits Muslims from converting to Christianity, and forbids Christian men from marrying non-Christian women. Christians in Jordan, while they are free to worship in churches, must submit to various aspects of Sharia law.
Egypt: Egypt has by far the largest Christian population of any country in the Middle East, but that hasn’t helped them in terms of quality of life or national influence. Egypt’s Coptic Christians are prohibited from holding certain high-level government positions, and are routinely discriminated against in society. For instance, many sports clubs will not admit Christians unless they convert to Islam. Young Christian women are often kidnapped and forcibly converted, with little or no intervention by the authorities, and the destruction of Christian property more often than not goes unpunished.
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