The Plight of Christians in Iraq and Africa: The Obscenity of Silence

In a recent New York Times op-ed, Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, asked "Why is the world silent while Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East and Africa?"

That's a great question.

As Lauder pointed out, "In Europe and in the United States, we've witnessed demonstrations over the tragic deaths of Palestinians who've been used as human shields by Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza."

Likewise, the United Nations "has held inquiries" into the goings on in Gaza. "But," Lauder adds, "the barbarous slaughter of thousands upon thousands of Christians is met with relative indifference."

As Lauder tells Times readers, "The Middle East and parts of central Africa are losing entire Christian communities that have lived in peace for centuries." And for examples, he cites Boko Haram's preying on Christians in Nigeria and the "half a million Christian Arabs (that) have been driven out of Syria" during the past three years. And then, of course, there's ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Lauder writes that "Historians may look back at this period and wonder if people had just lost their bearings." He asks why "there are no flotillas traveling to Syria or Iraq" and why "the slaughter of Christians" doesn't activate the "social antennas" of "the beautiful celebrities and aging rock stars."

Not mincing any words, he called the world's indifference to ISIS' mass execution of Christians "obscene."

And of course, he's right. And the saddest part is that what Lauder writes is true also of Western Christians. In an interview on BreakPoint This Week, Georges Sada, a former Iraqi Air Force General and a Christian, told me that Iraq's Christians had been let down by their brethren in the West. They expected Americans to save them and their ancient community, and it didn't happen. Read more

ISIS does not make a distinction between Mid-Eastern Christians, Western Christians, and Western liberals. In ISIS' eyes they are all worshipers of the cross. They are all infidels. ISIS like other Islamic extremist groups views the secular West as Christian and equates Western secular values with Christian values.