Presbyterians for Middle East Peace believes that the next General Assembly needs to correct the absurd idea that Christians throughout the Middle East are not suffering and being persecuted. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are in a crisis situation. However, Christians do not suffer alone. The persecution of Christians must always be viewed within the suffering of millions upon millions of Muslims who are being persecuted for their faith beliefs as Sunnis, Shiites or adherents of other Islamic traditions. The General Assembly needs to call for an immediate end to the persecution of all people in the Middle East who are being targeted for violence because of their religious beliefs.
The divestment debate in the PCUSA has subsided for the time being. It creates an opportunity to regain our perspective as peacemakers. A simple yet profound first step would be to unleash ourselves from the dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict so we can see what is plain for anyone with eyes to see: the suffering of Christians and Muslims in the Middle East who are being persecuted for their faith. We cannot and will not forget the Palestinians and Israelis. Both peoples deserve justice and peace. However, we cannot allow that tragic conflict to obscure our vision of the larger issues at play in the Middle East as a region.
Additional Resources from The Washington Post, New York Times, Newsweek and The Guardian.
Has the world 'looked the other way' while Christians are killed?