The non-Muslim population of Turkey has crashed since the turn of the twentieth century. I'd be curious to know more about the reasons. Perhaps this incident gives a clue.

Posted by: jewdog at December 17, 2007 10:16 AM

The tiny remnant of Christians remaining in Turkey are under siege.

Centuries ago, Turkey was a majority Christian country. From the initial bloody Muslim incursions into Anatolia as early as the mid-seventh century, to the first sieges of Constantinople in 674 and 718, to its eventual fall in 1453, to wholesale massacres of Armenians and Greeks in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, most Chrisians were murdered, fled, converted out of fear, were forcibly converted as jannissaries or forced marriages of Christian girls to Muslims.

Today Turkey is 99 per cent Muslim. It seems they're going for a full 100 percent.

Posted by: gravenimage at December 17, 2007 10:17 AM

I won't think it would be much of a mystery..........the real mystery is why the EU would allow Turkey to join. Or why the Turkish government can't admit that the Armenian genocide occurred.

Posted by: tanstaafl at December 17, 2007 10:36 AM

Will the EU turn a blind eye to this (which to me seems likely) and if so, why?

Posted by: sadatoni at December 17, 2007 10:56 AM

What I don't understand is why the West, in particular its churches, are not speaking out on this slow (and inevitable?) "genocide" of its fellow Christians at the hands of Islam? Well, I guess the concern is that any outcry would put the few remaining Christians in an even more perilous position.

Posted by: HOV Dummy at December 17, 2007 11:07 AM

Best article on the stabbing was done by AP, who listed all the previous attacks over the past several years. Milan Corriere della Serra (sic), however, noted that the attacker had been attempting to convert for three years, and had been working with this priest. For reasons we well know, priests in Muslim countries are very leery about taking converts, unless the convert is very, very serious. It's the consequences, you see. Then Corriere della Serra went on whining about proselytizing, etc., forgetting the context.

The father is expected to recover, the wound was not that serious, unfortunately.

Posted by: longtime lurker at December 17, 2007 11:56 AM

HOV Dummy:

The West does not speak out on the murder of Eastern Christians because they lump them together will Roman Catholicism (two distinctly different faiths, if you look past the visual similarities), and they have the narrow view that anything they can associate with Roman Catholicism should be dismissed as insignificant and false. (Some Protestant churches have dropped the word "catholic" from the Nicene Creed because, even though the word is Greek in origin and means 'universal', they associate it with Roman Catholicism, and they can't adjust their thinking.)

The Protestant West doesn't really consider Eastern Christians Christian (See Christianity Today article from 2006 on evangelicals in Russia, "The Orthodox actually think of themselves as Christian.") If an Eastern Christian dies because he's a Christian taking up space in an Islamic country, it does not count as martyrdom. If a Western Protestant goes to an Islamic country and is actively evangelizing or is an Islamic convert who is murdered, then that is a tragic martyrdom.

The murder of Eastern Christians is marginalized because the West does not know about Orthodox Christianity, doesn't value it, doesn't understand the history of the region: that the middle east was Christian, prosperous, educated, and wealthy until the Caliphate murdered and enslaved the Christian population. The most brilliant theological minds in Christian history were born, raised, educated, and died in areas now part of dar-al-Islam. Some valiant Christians have endured in those areas to this day, but they are leaving or dying every day.

In the East, this is the history of our people. We are trying to warn America of what is coming and communicate the horrifying history of our people to the world, and it is falling on deaf ears: Congress & the Armenians. Smyrna in the 1920s. Istanbul in the 1950s. Cyprus in the 1960s. Does anyone make a movie about what happened in these regions to Christians? Why not? How many Armenians are in the movie and entertainment industry? Someone needs to start making movies that tell the 1300 year history of Islamic terror and the heroic actions that have taken place to save individuals. Of course, the reality is so horrifying that you really couldn't portray it accurately. And the Christians always lose, so that is a depressing end. But entertainment is the way to educate.

But why doesn't the History Channel do some shows on the destruction of the Indian libraries, medicine, cities, and culture by Islam? Why don't they do some shows about the prosperous, educated people of Cappadocia and the substantial Christian centers that disappeared in the seventh century -- yes, some Christians survived and ruled under the Caliphate, but what happened to city after city of Christian women and children sold into slavery after their men and boys were slaughtered? Why was there famine -- when those boneheaded Arab nomad jihadists who didn't know how to farm couldn't keep the farms of the dead Christians going? Why isn't a show done about the "Bread Basket of Rome" -- North Africa, and the destruction of the cities, the ruins of huge Christian Churches, and how the orchards and fields of North Africa lay fallow for 1300 years until the 1940s -- and they still have never regained the agriculture that fed Rome to this day. What about the Islamic role in the slave trade from the seventh century to today? What about the fall of Constantinople in the fifteenth century? What about the Gates of Vienna?

The conundrum is: there is more than enough material to work with for historical show themes, Just as there are for movies, but no one is taking it on. Why? No one has written a best seller that will translate easily to a screen play? Is it just not easy for screen writers to learn all this stuff and write a screen play.

I think America is hungry for this information. I think that is is possible to make a great deal of money from these historical facts -- it just takes someone with talent to develop the storyline and use the historical situation as the dramatic back drop. This would educate America quickly. It would probably also draw a lot of fire from the Islamic community -- more fodder for freedom of speech lawsuits. Better do it fast before we get too many Islamic judges in America.

Posted by: thelittlegreekwoman at December 17, 2007 11:57 AM

thelittlegreekwoman:

Unfortunately it won't happen anytime soon. The History Channel is no longer, its The Monster Truck Channel. Every once in a while it throws us history buffs a bone, but it has since lost it place of prominence as my first choice. Besides, THC doesn't have the fortitude to actually dive deep into the root causes of divisions of the West and the muslims. And Hollywood. Yeah, don't hold your breath on that one. Hollywood hasn't had a strong conservative voice since John Wayne.(Reagan having left Hollywood for politics much earlier) Sure several actors are conservative, but they keep mainly to themselves, with a few notable rebels. Your idea has merit, just don't expect anyone in the media to take up the cause anytime soon. And with the latest "war" films falling like a stone in water don't expect to see many more war flicks of any type soon. Heck even the so-called "family" films haven't fared well. It'll take a revolution in Hollywood before your thoughts see any light, unfortunately.

Posted by: Kevin at December 17, 2007 1:52 PM

It is interesting that early Christianity spread by virtue of the violence done to its adherents, in direct opposition to Islam, which has only spread by virtue of violence perpetrated upon others. We have no real way of knowing how many actual Muslims there are in the world, for how many would remain Muslim if given the choice? How rapidly would Christianity spread in China and the Middle East if the authorities allowed anything like a free marketplace of religion?

Very odd as well that Muslims call their mass murderers "martyrs," but it is nevertheless consistent with their bloody history. According to Birzer, the actual Christian martyrs of the second and third centuries were "an inspiration to a decadent population, devoid of any higher understanding, but still seeking something higher than itself." He cites the example of St. Perpetua, who, "when a gladiator approached her in the arena... took the gladiator's trembling hand and guided it to her throat." Repeated countless times, these saints "became the dying witnesses to a purpose in this life and the life beyond. Their blood led to mass conversions among a lost Roman people." But who would convert to Islam as a result of watching teenage boys engage in mass murder after being manipulated by psychopathic and genocidal fanatics? Where is the appeal, except to eternal hatred?

Excerpt from -
On the Varieties of Martyrdom: Past and Present, Interior and Exterior

Posted by: Malinois at December 17, 2007 2:20 PM

It’s ‘fast jihad’ in slow mo. A little stabbing here, an isolated murder there, perhaps a couple of suicide killings separated by space and time, and so what’s to worry about. Go back to sleep… ancora e la notte… dormi, dormi.

Posted by: Battle_of_Tours at December 17, 2007 3:57 PM

OT, but...so far as I can tell, the church media in my country have generally preserved a deafening silence about Mr Rami Ayyad, an Arab Baptist Christian, who was murdered by Muslim thugs in Gaza City in October.

The latest issue of the Bible Society newsletter in Australia did contain about four paragraphs concerning his death. But in the entire article neither the M-word nor the I-word were mentioned.

In other words: Mr Ayyad was not given the full honors due to him as a Christian martyr. The report was headed 'tragic death in Gaza' when it should have read 'Arab Christian martyred by Muslims in Gaza'.

The report gave the impression that he had been a victim of random thuggery such as might happen to anyone, of any faith, anywhere, rather than coming out and telling the truth: that he was deliberately executed BY MUSLIMS because he was a Christian who - by publicly exhibiting and selling the BIBLE in a 'muslim' city - had broken the de facto 'dhimma' that Hamas is imposing on non-Muslims within their 'territory'.

littlegreekgirl - I am 'evangelical Anglican', myself: but I pray for ALL Christians, of whatever background (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) who suffer persecution from Muslims. And like you I wish some moviemaker with guts would stand up and tell the stories, the stories of the martyrs, the stories of the defeats - and the stories of the victories, too.

Lurkers ahoy! - is there anyone who writes plays, or movie scripts? Come on! Summon a muse of fire.

On topic: all Christians who, like this Catholic priest, attempt to explain Christian beliefs to Muslims, have to take this dreadful risk when they do so - a Muslim may feign interest in the gospel, and even go so far as to feign conversion, but purely in order to infiltrate, weaken and attack the church.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at December 17, 2007 4:53 PM

thelittleittlegreekwoman:
Thank you for you comment, I do not think the average American knows much about Eastern Christians or their treatment by Muslims. I do not think it is as much prejudice as ignorance. The United States was founded and at least until fairly recently dominated by Western Christian thought, Catholics and Protestants. Education in the US focused more on this heritage.

The treatment of Eastern Christians by Muslims has been covered a little in mass market outlets, for example, there was,the novel, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh" by Franz Werful. This was an international bestseller, in the 1920's, I believe. In the 1950's there was Elia Kazan's film, "America America." In the 1980's, Marjorie Housepian wrote the acclaimed, "Smyrna 1922." A more recent mass audience media exposure was Canadian, Atom Egoyan's 1990's film "Ararat." Many other efforts exist including passages in Nikos Katzanzakis's novels. Consider also the comments by Turkish writer, Orhan Pamuk.

Still it is true that what you allude to is close to unknown in the US outside the academic world. We know all about Rome, but next to nothing about the Constantinople. Most school kids have heard the name of Caesar. I doubt one in 100 Americans could identify Justinian and Theodora or Haigia Sophia. Very few Americans even realize that most of the Middle East and North Africa were once Christian. So I agree, a great mass appeal film or book on the Eastern Christians would be a welcome addition to our culture.

Posted by: Alek at December 18, 2007 1:42 AM

Once again the "secular" Turks give us an example of how peaceful they are and how westernized they have become!

Posted by: HereticInfidel at December 18, 2007 10:20 AM

The Swedish Press did not report anything on the stabbing. As the little greek woman mentioned History Channel and Discovery Channel seem to be taken from inside and turned to propaganda machines! TRUTH is replaced by shortsighted interests.

We have to be careful and study History. Recently I read about the Arab conquest of Iberia! I was shocked to read (and verify after checking with the Jewish Encyclopedia) that the Jews encouraged the invasion and even threw the gates of several Spanish cities open to the Arabs. That was a grievous mistake! I think that something similar is happening now!

WE should be very careful! After all the late president of Turkey Turgut Ozal had stated
"We will conquer Europe from inside! Europe is dying out and we become the majority due to our nativity rates!"

Posted by: Atheist at December 18, 2007 11:44 AM

The Little Greek Woman wrote:

Why isn't a show done about the "Bread Basket of Rome" -- North Africa. . .
................

Good point. When I was a child I was not surprised that Arabs were so poor, because I assumed they all lived in sterile deserts. Later, when I learned that North Africa had served as the Roman Empire's "bread basket", I was just confused--wasn't that all just part of the Sahara? What happened?

Well, Islam happened. Remember, North Africa was so fertile using nothing more than first century agricultural methods.

The amazing transformation of Israel, with its fertile "Green Line" should be instructive, but even today you hear commentators talking as though Israelis just somehow snatched up all the fertile land, and left the Muslims with the dregs.

Posted by: gravenimage at December 18, 2007 4:37 PM