Pope Francis with Coptic Pope Tawadros
“‘The living conditions of Christians arouse great worry, who in many parts of the Middle East endure the consequences of current tensions and conflicts in a particularly burdensome manner,’ said the pontiff, naming Syria, Iraq, Egypt and ‘other parts of the Holy Land that sometimes drip with blood.'”
Of course, the plight of Christians in the Middle East is not due solely to their being caught up in “current tensions and conflicts.” It is also due in part to Islamic teachings, notably those that classify them as kuffar harbi, infidels at war with Islam, for refusing to accept subjugation as dhimmis under Sharia — particularly in Egypt. These teachings enjoy great currency among, for example, Egypt’s Salafis, who called on the Copts to pay the jizya, and the Copts refused — thus forfeiting their right to live.
Any full discussion of the plight of Middle Eastern Christians should discuss such doctrines and what can be done about them by people of good will — but such a discussion is foreclosed by claims that it would be “Islamophobic.” Nonetheless, the Pope is skirting dangerously toward “Islamophobia” when he calls for “respect for everyone’s right to a dignified life and freedom to profess their own religion.” Does that include people who want to leave Islam? Is the Pope subtly rebuking Islam’s death penalty for apostasy, taught by all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence?
“Pope Francis says worried about Middle Eastern Christians,” from ANSAmed, November 21 (thanks to Insubria):
(ANSAmed) – VATICAN CITY, NOVEMBER 21 – Pope Francis on Thursday called for respect of human rights and the end of persecution for Christians in the Middle East.
”The living conditions of Christians arouse great worry, who in many parts of the Middle East endure the consequences of current tensions and conflicts in a particularly burdensome manner,” said the pontiff, naming Syria, Iraq, Egypt and ”other parts of the Holy Land that sometimes drip with blood”.
The pope called for ”respect for everyone’s right to a dignified life and freedom to profess their own religion” in the Middle East.
”The Bishop of Rome will not rest as long as there are men and women of any religion with injured dignity, deprived of life’s necessities, robbed of their futures, forced to the status of refugees and displaced persons,” declared Pope Francis in a hearing at the plenary session of the Congregation of Oriental Catholic Churches. (ANSAmed).