Across the Middle East, ancient Christian communities are shrinking—and fast. From Syria to Iraq and Gaza, Christianity is retreating from the lands where it first took root.
This article points out one of the most glaring lies of the Intifada.
While the vast majority of Muslims & supporters of Palestine cry "genocide" against "Palestinians" the "Palestinians" in Gaza, the West Bank and other locations has more increased 10 fold (https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/157272#:~:text=The%20Israeli%20occupation%20has%20been,Gaza%20Strip%20for%202025) since 1948. Meanwhile the Christian population in all Middle East Muslim dominated countries has decreased by 90% . The declining number of Christians in the Middle East is primarily the result of Islamist intolerance/persecution.
If there is any group suffering from intolerance or genocide in the ME it is clearly the Christians and not the "Palestinians". Thanks you for highlighting the truth. I only wish that you had also been even more direct about the Islamist intolerance/persecution
This piece captures something really important about minority survival calculus under authoritarian rule. Firas's fear wasn't irrational - he was reading the incentive structures correctly, even if supporting Assad felt morally wrong to outsiders. I remember covering similar dynamics in Libya back in 2011, where some minority groups backed Gaddafi not out of loyalty but pure risk assesment. The tragedy is that his prediction about post-Assad Syria basicaly came true, with that Mar Elias attack being exactly the kind of sectarian violence he anticipated.
This article overlooks several critical factors contributing to the regrettable decline of Christian communities. One major omission is the role of proxy wars, manufactured conflicts, and brutal dictatorships imposed or sustained through external support in many of the countries mentioned. These conditions generated widespread pressure on citizens to flee—not primarily for religious reasons, but due to economic collapse, political repression, and lack of personal security.
Ironically, many of these regimes portrayed themselves as “protectors of minorities,” a narrative that served as a convenient justification for continued outside backing. At the same time, Western countries—often influenced by specific lobbying efforts—offered special immigration pathways and asylum considerations for Christian minorities. While well-intentioned, these policies unintentionally accelerated the depopulation of historic Christian communities from their native regions.
Conversely, several countries governed by Islamic-inspired legal frameworks experienced an influx of Christians from the Middle East and elsewhere, largely because they offered tangible economic opportunities, financial incentives, and relative stability. This reality directly contradicts the simplistic claim that Islamic-influenced civil laws are the primary driver behind the decline of Christian populations.
At best, such a claim represents a shallow analysis; at worst, it is factually misleading. The erosion of Christian communities is far better explained by geopolitical engineering, economic deprivation, selective migration policies, and prolonged instability than by religious legislation alone.
Interesting. Could you name examples of where this happened, and which time period you were referring to: "several countries governed by Islamic-inspired legal frameworks experienced an influx of Christians from the Middle East"? Haven't heard of this, and it would be a worthwhile addition to broader discourse.
This article points out one of the most glaring lies of the Intifada.
While the vast majority of Muslims & supporters of Palestine cry "genocide" against "Palestinians" the "Palestinians" in Gaza, the West Bank and other locations has more increased 10 fold (https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/157272#:~:text=The%20Israeli%20occupation%20has%20been,Gaza%20Strip%20for%202025) since 1948. Meanwhile the Christian population in all Middle East Muslim dominated countries has decreased by 90% . The declining number of Christians in the Middle East is primarily the result of Islamist intolerance/persecution.
If there is any group suffering from intolerance or genocide in the ME it is clearly the Christians and not the "Palestinians". Thanks you for highlighting the truth. I only wish that you had also been even more direct about the Islamist intolerance/persecution
It amounts to unintended ethnic cleansing by all means; Aleppo was one-third Christian as late as 1940 and is now less than 1%.
This piece captures something really important about minority survival calculus under authoritarian rule. Firas's fear wasn't irrational - he was reading the incentive structures correctly, even if supporting Assad felt morally wrong to outsiders. I remember covering similar dynamics in Libya back in 2011, where some minority groups backed Gaddafi not out of loyalty but pure risk assesment. The tragedy is that his prediction about post-Assad Syria basicaly came true, with that Mar Elias attack being exactly the kind of sectarian violence he anticipated.
This article overlooks several critical factors contributing to the regrettable decline of Christian communities. One major omission is the role of proxy wars, manufactured conflicts, and brutal dictatorships imposed or sustained through external support in many of the countries mentioned. These conditions generated widespread pressure on citizens to flee—not primarily for religious reasons, but due to economic collapse, political repression, and lack of personal security.
Ironically, many of these regimes portrayed themselves as “protectors of minorities,” a narrative that served as a convenient justification for continued outside backing. At the same time, Western countries—often influenced by specific lobbying efforts—offered special immigration pathways and asylum considerations for Christian minorities. While well-intentioned, these policies unintentionally accelerated the depopulation of historic Christian communities from their native regions.
Conversely, several countries governed by Islamic-inspired legal frameworks experienced an influx of Christians from the Middle East and elsewhere, largely because they offered tangible economic opportunities, financial incentives, and relative stability. This reality directly contradicts the simplistic claim that Islamic-influenced civil laws are the primary driver behind the decline of Christian populations.
At best, such a claim represents a shallow analysis; at worst, it is factually misleading. The erosion of Christian communities is far better explained by geopolitical engineering, economic deprivation, selective migration policies, and prolonged instability than by religious legislation alone.
Interesting. Could you name examples of where this happened, and which time period you were referring to: "several countries governed by Islamic-inspired legal frameworks experienced an influx of Christians from the Middle East"? Haven't heard of this, and it would be a worthwhile addition to broader discourse.