Jihad Watch Reports Persecution of Christians Increasing in Iraq

Robert Spencer, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades, The Truth About Muhammad and Stealth Jihad, reports on Christian persecutions in various places in Iraq. For example, he reports on the bombing of five churches in Baghdad that occurred on the same day Aziz Rozko Hanna was shot dead. Spencer maintains it’s a bad enough situation that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad has said recently, “I fear the extinction of Christianity in Iraq and the Middle East.” Sieman’s fear, Spencer writes, is substantiated by his report of the decline in Christians from 1909 when the percentage was 20 percent and now when it is 5 percent, for which Spencer cites no references. He states this is related to the Islamic militancy so that discrimination against Christians by Muslims is happening all over the world. In Spencer’s opinion these problems will only increase as Obama seeks to pull out troops from Iraq. Reports like these, which gives two specific incidents that occurred on the same day and another incident related occurring in 2006 is given as news. Many people would anticipate Christian persecution to be a pattern in Arab countries as a consequence, because it is the thesis of the article. But is that occurring, or does religious strife occur within other religious communities? What are the facts about Christian persecution in Arab countries and does that measure at the same percentage level that Muslims are persecuted in Christian or Jewish countries? Although Spencer’s political orientation and texts might make him appear biased, it turns out his pronouncement about persecution is borne out by the investigation of numbers of groups, not just evangelical Christians and right-wing ideologues. Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act or IRFA In 1998, with the cooperation of evangelicals, Jews, Catholics and Tibetan Buddhists, all of whom were concerned enough to demand a law where every year a list of “countries of concern” that violate religious freedoms is produced. From this list the President can initiate sanctions. Indeed “to suggest that the persecution of Christians is not a serious problem is nonsense,” William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA, told a reporter during the Clinton years. On July 1 a Muslim mob in Pakistan burned down 100 Christian homes. Still others note Pakistan is a hotbed of violent religious dissent and point to the killing of Christians and members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Mirpurkhas, Sindh, in 2005 by members of the Sunni Muslim radical groups. Muslims counter that missionaries and those who support fundamental teachings don’t examine persecutions that have taken place by Christians against Muslims and others. They point to the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Yet examining material available through online libraries and the Internet does not show current news of widespread, targeted, massive violence of Christian against Muslim in the contemporary world. Spencer’s report of widespread persecution of Christians is reinforced by reports by both liberal and conservative groups. Most anticipate the problems involving persecution will increase with radicalization of certain groups. Knowing the facts, even peaceful Muslims have declared, helps everyone maintain watch.