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UNITED KINGDOM/MIDDLE EAST: Crisis at the crossroads of faith
By John Newton
Father Samir Khalil Samir SJ speaking at Birmingham Oratory for ACN's Light of the World event
A leading Vatican expert on Islam laid bare the impact of extremism on Christians in the Middle East to listeners at Aid to the Church in Need’s Birmingham event on Sunday (27th June).
Father Samir Khalil Samir, an Egyptian-born Jesuit now based in Lebanon, went on to appeal for action to safeguard the Church’s continued presence in a region where its survival is under threat.
Making the keynote address at the Birmingham Oratory event, Father Samir Khalil Samir spelled out the problem of extremism – both in the Middle East and the West.
Listen to Father Samir Khalil Samir’s talk on Christianity and Islam in the Middle East (NB There are some problems with the sound quality in this recording)
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Focusing mostly on the Middle East, he categorised countries in the region according to a sliding scale of anti-Christian oppression, with Saudi Arabia being the worst.
Father Samir, who is coordinating preparations for this autumn’s Middle East Synod of Bishops in Rome, said: “Christians in Saudi Arabia cannot even gather in their houses to pray. This is the worst situation, where human rights are practically unknown.”
He said that in many parts of the Middle East Christians have dwindled to a tiny minority: “For many, the only solution is emigration – proselytism, announcing Christ to everybody is forbidden,” he said. “There is no equality.”
Father Samir explained that from the end of the 1960s onwards, some Middle East countries – especially Saudi Arabia – took advantage of new-found oil wealth to bankroll militant Wahibi Islam. This, he said, has now spread far and wide, including to the West.
“They built mosques, mostly paid by Saudi Arabia but also Teheran [the capital of Iran], sending with the mosques preachers and imams and they gave them this very narrow vision of Islam,” he explained.
There had been a dramatic move towards Christian oppression dating back to the 1970s, Father Samir said.
He went on to stress the need for dialogue with Islam, adding that the Middle East faithful played an indispensible role in this area.
He said: “The question is: ‘Who is able to [have] dialogue with Islam?’ In fact, although the situation is hard for Arab Christians, the main people holding dialogue with Muslims and bringing change are precisely the Arab Christians.
“We are involved in dialogue every day. We work together, we go to school together.”
The priest, who has established 20 schools and written at least 40 books, underlined the need for joint projects with Muslims, aimed at breaking down ignorance and mistrust and promoting education.
Father Samir said that Islam “is in crisis” amid growing insecurity among Muslims about the relationship between faith and modernity. At the same time, though, he made clear that theological discussion was extremely difficult because of differing views on Jesus Christ and the Bible as well as the Prophet Mohammed and the Qu’ran.
Father Samir, who is a university professor in Beirut and Paris, as well as the Gregorian in Rome, said: “We need your help – we need your spiritual help, your prayer to support people in a region where there is oppression. We need your support for projects which promote education and peace.”
Nearly 100 people were present for The Light of the World event. They also heard an update from Aid to the Church in Need’s UK national director Neville Kyrke-Smith on his recent visit to Ukraine.
Mr Kyrke-Smith went on to praise Aid to the Church in Need friends and benefactors for their help and support.
Reporting on how the charity has given significant help to enable the Church in Ukraine to recover from communism, he spoke of Aid to the Church in Need’s support, especially for catechists, seminarians, religious Sisters as well as monks and priests.
He quoted Father Orest Demko, a seminary vice-rector, who said: “We have to be Christ’s hands in this world. You at Aid to the Church in Need have been the hands of Christ for us.”
John Pontifex, Aid to the Church in Need’s UK head of press and information, reported on the struggle to bring emergency and longer-term help to earthquake-stricken Haiti, where Aid to the Church in Need gave immediate assistance and support for seminarians.
He also reported back on his trip to Pakistan where the Church is increasingly under threat from extremism, a problem compounded by increasing over-population and dwindling natural resources.