Dear Mr. Alexanadros

Submitted by Debanjan Banerjee (India), Dec 31, 2012 at 10:19

Dear Mr. Alexandros,

I want to state something here. In the beginning of the 20-th century Christian communities were considered as the most flourishing of the communities in West Asia. In the elsewhere Ottoman Turkey at most times Christian viziers would be the leading intellectuals , merchants and public servants. So now a century and a decade later , why is this picture in West Asia ?

I would say 2 things did take place. One was that the people in the region identified themselves more with nationalistic tendencies which originated from the Western world and in the end of the century it was the Western-backed wars which decimated the once-flourishing Christian communities. Iraq not very far back had a Christian as it's vice-president and now well it is history thanks to a small-height oil trader from Texas. Similar fate may await for Christians in Syria.

Begging to the Western governments may not herald too much in terms of positive outcome for these persecuted Christians. I doubt that in the Western governing class , Christianity of any form is considered a serious thing apart from the reason to get voters out in some parts of rurral USA. So in my view the Chrisitan communities can only apply to the good senses of their Muslim rulers since it is a law in Islam to treat minorities with justice and equality as we experienced during the Ottoman rule.

Thanks and regards with best wishes

Debanjan

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