Christians around the world just celebrated the nativity of our Saviour, gathering in churches to hear the story of the Holy Family from the Middle East. Much work remains to be done before Christians can celebrate Christmas without fear in the place where it all began two millennia ago. – Picture above : Iraqi Christians celebrate in church

Toufic Baaklini is a Lebanese-American and president and chairman of the Board of Directors of In Defense of Christians and has committed years of service to preserving the historic Christian communities of the Middle East, he shares about the dire situation for Christianity in the Middle East.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote of the plight of Christians in the Middle East. He states: “Many have left. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes.” warning that

“across the region Christian communities that were the foundation of the universal Church now face the threat of imminent extinction.”

Toufic writes that the descendants of the very first Christians living in communities in the Middle East persevere in their faith in Christ yet they live with violence, unrest and persecution, many having to flee their homes and countries.

In Lebanon due to opening their doors to two million Syrians feeling civil war, the nation of four million have had challenges to their infrastructure, economy and education system as more children are being born to the refugees than to the Lebanese citizens.

Christians in Iraq are returning and rebuilding but they are scarcely what they were. The population of Christians in Iraq has dropped from 1.5 million prior to 2003 to fewer than 250,000 today.

The Coptic Church in Egypt has been the target of terrorist violence in recent months. In 2017 128 Coptic Christians were killed due to their faith causing Christians to leave Egypt in record numbers.

Source:  voiceofeurope.com