Arab Christians can serve as a bridge between East, West, observers say
May 16, 2014 - The significance of where Jesus was believed to be baptized on the
banks of the River Jordan at the start his public ministry is not lost to Arab Christians,
who are deeply aware of their rich religious and cultural heritage. Indeed, their
Middle Eastern ancestors are counted among the world's earliest Christians and the
guardians of the faith throughout the ages. "Arab Christians are very important and
their role is even more important," said Father Nabil Haddad, director of the Jordanian
Interfaith Coexistence Research Center. He made the remark while surveying the lush
green scenery of the Baptism Site, which Pope Francis plans to visit on May 24, the
first day of his 3-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Pope is expected to offer
words of encouragement to the Christian community, whose numbers in the region are
dwindling because of conflict and violence, as well as promote better ties with Muslims.
Fr. Haddad said that Arab Christians have to realize the importance of their role
and at the same time, their brothers and sisters must give them space to perform that
calling.
"I have always felt that Eastern Christians are a bridge. They are
the best ambassadors for the East to the West. At the same time, they are the best
ambassadors of the West to the East. As a bridge, it is a two-way bridge, not a one-way
bridge. This is what makes the Arab Christian role very important and very unique,"
he told Catholic News Service (CNS). As an Arab Christian, Father Haddad has dedicated
much of his life's work striving for peace, interfaith coexistence and reconciliation
in the troubled Middle East. Christians are among the numerous minority communities
that make up the region's diverse religious landscape. They have faced discrimination,
persecution and even death mainly during times of conflict past and present. The
research center was established in 2003, formalizing two decades of work on interfaith
collaboration and understanding and building on centuries of cooperation among people
of different faith traditions.
In the aftermath of the Arab Spring upheavals
that saw longtime rulers toppled in Egypt and other countries and conflict roiling
Syria, Father Haddad said Christians must work with their Muslim neighbors to create
a "new culture of citizenship," where each person is respected and has equal rights
under the rule of law. "We need civil societies where there is equality of citizenship.
This is very important. This is the best Arab Spring that we can dream of," he said.
"We need to show our Muslim brothers and sisters that we are unique and that it is
important for us to stay in the Middle East," he added. "So it is important to protect
the Christian presence, not only for the Christians themselves, but for Muslims also
to present a good witness of religious tolerance." But extremism and militancy gaining
ascendency in the region coupled with better economic opportunities abroad have siphoned
the Christian population from their ancestral home. Jordan is an overwhelming
Sunni Muslim majority country. The number of Christians in Jordan is uncertain. The
U.S. State Department's 2012 Report on International Religious Freedom identifies
between 1 and 2 percent of Jordan's nearly 7 million people as Christian. "Jordan
is a unique country. First, the constitution reserves the rights of all citizens,
regardless of religious differences. Second, we have a good, moderate leadership which
considers the whole society as one family," said Father Rifat Bader, spokesman for
the Catholic Church in Jordan.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and senior members
of the Hashemite royal household have been credited for undertaking initiatives aimed
at buttressing moderate Islam and promoting religious tolerance. "Christians are
very committed to their country and contribute greatly to the good of the society,
not just through commerce, but through schools, hospitals and numerous charitable
organizations," said Father Bader, who directs the Catholic Center for Studies and
Media in Amman, Jordan's capital. Mohammad Momani, Jordan's minister of state for
media affairs and communications, underscored the point during a recent visit to the
Baptism Site. "Jordan is one of the few countries in the region where Christians
can practice their faith freely. This is something that we are proud of. This is also
something that we try to nurture and protect," he said. (Source: CNS)