"Convert or else" - The Spine

13.10.2008

"Convert or else"

Some people fear for their livelihoods. Other people fear for their lives.

Of course, sometimes livelihood is life.

The world has a terrible record in salvaging either one if the threat to them is a mass phenomenon. Some threatened folk can't even get the attention of others.

And Christians are the most unfashionable of victims.

In India, according to this morning's New York Times many Christians are given the choice: "Embrace Hinduism...Otherwise, you will be killed..." No, they were not told to "embrace Islam..." It was Hinduism to which they were supposed to convert. Or else.

Threatening Christians, however, is still a habit among Muslims. As one can tell from the calvary of the Copts of Egypt. Or of the Christian faithful in what is said to be Palestine, where the number of those who worship at the cross falls every day. In Bethlehem, the Christian population has fallen from perhaps 75% to 30%.

But, in Iraq, even in the "new" Iraq, the Chaldeans, acolytes of an autocephalous Catholic church, like the Maronites, face not only threats of death but actual death. Clerics have been murdered and ordinary men and women of belief. Mostly around Mosul. Two suicide bombs went off yesterday. Why do pious Muslims so much fear their neighbors who pray to Jesus?

Posted: Monday, October 13, 2008 4:05 PM with 6 comment(s)

Comments

You must be logged-in to comment.

Not a subscriber? Click here to get a digital or print and digital subscription to The New Republic!

Andrew Davis said:

And . . . why is this a new phenom? Christians have been living in these lands for longer than Islam was around.

October 13, 2008 4:26 PM

ratnerstar said:

Pssst, Marty, I want to let you in on a secret. In any group that believes they possess absolute, undeniable, and all-encompassing truth, there will be a subset that fears and/or hates people who believe otherwise. This goes for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, atheists, communists, fascists, Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, environmentalists, gun advocates, Pro-Lifers, Pro-Choicers, alien abduction theorists, my Condo Associates Board, etc.

The point of civilization is to keep those people in check. Sadly, civilization is rather weak in Iraq.

October 13, 2008 4:35 PM

jacksondyer said:

ratnerstar said

"Pssst, Marty, I want to let you in on a secret. In any group that believes they possess absolute, undeniable, and all-encompassing truth, there will be a subset that fears and/or hates people who believe otherwise. This goes for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, atheists, communists, fascists, Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, environmentalists, gun advocates, Pro-Lifers, Pro-Choicers, alien abduction theorists, my Condo Associates Board, etc."

True but too genera to be useful.

When was the last time a prolifer, or a vegetarian, or a libertarian true believer cut off the head of a meat eater.

Get real.

Besides there is no such thing as an extreme fascist, they are all exteme!

October 13, 2008 8:21 PM

nbarry said:

"Why do pious Muslims so much fear their neighbors who pray to Jesus?" Because Iraq's Jews have been long gone from that country and therefore cannot be persecuted internally.

October 13, 2008 8:42 PM

noga1 said:

I don't think that persecution of one group deflects from the simultaneous persecution of another. In medieval Spain, both the Arab and Jewish minorities were singled out for persecution. That, btw, did not prevent the Arabs from persecuting the Jews and vice versa. THe Arabs resented the Jews because Jews were more secure, being subjects of the king, while Arabs were subjects of local authorities. AS for the Spaniards, they were equal-opportunity persecutors. But being Christian, they were a tad more obsessive about the Jews. Of the two communities, Jews were considered more important, more intellectual, more profitable and therefore all the more killable. Nothing has really changed, has it?

October 14, 2008 10:10 AM

sleepyavl said:

Listen Peretz, I share your apprehensions about current Islam. But haven't you noticed that the article was about HINDUS forcing Christians to convert? Hindus, dude.

You seem pretty demented, like the old uncle in Sartre's book, who responds any questions by haranguing the English. Hindus, Christians? Oh, let's talk about Muslims. You're the King of Non-Sequitur.

October 15, 2008 1:24 AM