Libyan conflict puts Christians in the crosshairs
The vast deserts of Libya are mostly empty of Christianity. Pockets of underground Christians exist, but they are shrouded in secrecy. There is no opportunity within Libya for religious freedom. And yet, the country’s civil war includes a strong narrative regarding the persecution of Christians.
Libya is a nation of two rival domestic governments backed by competing regional foreign powers. Turkey supports the United Nations recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), and Egypt supports the opposing Libyan National Army (LNA). Last year, Turkey made clear that the Libyan conflict is one of their foreign policy priorities and consequently increased its military involvement.
This decision has not only made the civil war more complex, but has also put Christians across the three nations directly into the crosshairs of geopolitical maneuvering.
Accusations of Islamic conquest and genocide toward Christians are frequently utilized by each of these nations, despite the authorities’ records of violating religious freedom. It is a strategy that brings only harm to Libyan, Turkish, and Egyptian Christians who first came into the conflict’s crosshairs in early 2019.
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Featured picture shows a Libyan postal stamp from the peaceful era before the “Arab Spring” and the civil war.
