Arab Christians are nationalists, not 'fifth-columnists'

28 November 2005

Arab Christians have always been an integral part of Arab society. Yet they have also been uniquely situated to play a vital role in the confrontations between the Arab world and the nominally Christian West. Ever since European powers intervened in the Middle East, from the Napoleonic campaign through the current "war on terrorism," Christians continue to hold a unique position.

Arab Christians have a greater understanding of the West, its languages, culture, politics and methods. Through certain shared knowledge, connections, as well as the education of their children in the West or in Western Christian missionary institutions, Arab Christians have been better able to understand, appreciate and ultimately resist the political influence of the West and its attempts to dominate their homeland.

Those who expect or accuse Arab Christians of siding with the West, and of being a "fifth column" for outsiders, have been consistently proven wrong. To the contrary, the unique position of Arab Christians, with their knowledge and understanding of the West has always been used to promote the interests of the Arab world and press for its positions at every turn of the road. Even Christian institutions created by missionary funds and efforts, such as the American University of Beirut, turned out to be hot-beds of Arab nationalism and think tanks for creatively promoting the interests of the Arab world in confronting the West. Arab Christian institutions, such as schools, hospitals and non-governmental organizations, which are often funded by Christian churches in the West, continue in the same tradition to promote the interests of their people, especially in the face of invasion, occupation or aggression by the West.

Part of the reason for this, of course, is that there was nothing religious, or Christian, about the onslaught of the West. Arab Christians were cognizant from the beginning that they were facing colonial and imperial interests that threatened their societies and that wanted to dominate its resources and populations for purely secular gain. Therefore, they saw no more contradiction in fighting off these forces than the original Christian Arabs saw a need to fight the European Crusaders, who, incidentally, wreaked havoc with Arab churches and subjugated local Christians no less than their Muslim counterparts.

This history is well worth remembering in the current context when again the confrontation between the Arab world and the West uses religious terms and is presented as a struggle between Western Christianity and Islam. To be sure, much of the political effort of Arab Christians found expression in secular nationalism, for which they were early pioneers and zealous advocates. From publicists and writers such as George Antonious to Albert Hourani to Michel Aflaq to George Habash to Edward Said, Arab Christians have been prominent leaders in the Arab nationalist movement. One of the tenets of that movement has always been setting aside religion as a matter of personal choice and insisting on equal responsibility of Christians and Muslims in the national enterprise. Their slogan was "religion belongs to God, but the homeland belongs to all."

While Arab nationalism was not anti-religious in its secularism, it was always emphatic in acknowledging the equality of Christians and Muslims, and the need to leave religion to the spiritual sphere. Still, Arab Christians recognized that their societies were culturally and socially Muslim and participated in that culture, dreaming of a revival of a modern, relevant, vibrant, tolerant form of Islam.

As secular Arab nationalism suffered great defeats in its struggle against the West and Israel, and as Arab regimes professing to champion that ideology turned into ineffective and corrupt dictatorships, political Islam increasingly became a significant force, and presented itself as an alternative. Of course Arab Christians could not partake of this new movement, and viewed it with deep distrust, but they remained loyal to their nationalism and to their societies.

Their efforts are now needed more than ever, both by their own communities and the West. It is needed by the West to counter those who wish to turn the current war on terrorism into a religious war between the Judeo-Christian world and Islam. Christian efforts are needed to explain the Arab point of view to the West in terms the latter can understand and appreciate. Christians are also needed to explain to Arab communities what they know about the West, its values and institutions.

There are enough negative stereotypes and ignorance in both communities about "the other," and in the current poisonous atmosphere such ignorance, stereotypes and negative perceptions are extremely destructive. Arab Christians are able to play that very important role today, precisely because of the authenticity of their loyalty and organic belonging to their society - an identification and identity that is centuries old and that has proven itself under much more trying circumstances in the past.

Jonathan Kuttab is a Jerusalem-based Palestinian human rights lawyer and peace activist. THE DAILY STAR publishes this article in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service.