Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Pompeo Champions the Faithful

Christmas is anything but a season of peace and joy for millions of Christians around the world today.

After more than a century of intermittent genocide, persecution and forced removals, ancient Christian populations in much of the Middle East are on the edge of extinction.

Iraq's Christian population, estimated at 1.4 million as recently as 2003, fell by almost 90% in the chaos that followed the American invasion.

Roughly three quarters of Syria's Christian population, estimated at two million before the current civil war, are refugees.

Egypt still retains a large Christian population, but Copts face pervasive discrimination and, especially in rural areas, violence.

As authorities in Beijing work to enforce ideological conformity and restrict debate among China's 1.4 billion people, the Christian population is experiencing heightened scrutiny and pressure.

The extraordinary violence being deployed against Christians, Muslims and members of religious minorities like the Yazidis and the Baha'i-at levels not seen since the last era of Communist persecution-should serve as a wake-up call.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-champions-the-faithful-11577144946?mod=hp_opin_pos_3

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