Throughout history Arab Christians have co-existed relatively peacefully with their fellow Arabic-speaking neighbours, the Muslims and Jews. They have also made their mark on Arab civilization throughout the centuries and continue to leave a footprint as some of the finest poets, physicians, writers and government officials.
Christianity originated in the Middle East, and Arab Christians (or Christians who speak Arabic) have actually been around for longer than Arabic-speaking Muslims. Many Arab tribes followed Christianity as early as the first century. The first mention of Christianity in Arab lands appears in the New Testament as the Apostle Paul talks about his journey in Arabia following his conversion (Galatians 1: 15-17). Islam spread rapidly through much of the world from the 7th century AD onwards through the Islamic conquests, but many Christians chose not to convert and hung on to their pre-existing beliefs.
Arabs Aren’t Always Muslims…
Today, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan are home to the world’s largest populations of Arab Christians (or Christians who speak Arabic). Worldwide Arab Christian communities that have migrated from these countries and others are particularly strong in the United States and Central and South America.
Many Arab Christians also moved to Europe, West Africa and Australia. Christian emigration from the Middle East has increased because of political and economic pressure, from Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war, from the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories and from Iraq for obvious reasons.
Side by Side with Islam and Judaism
As fellow believers, Christians in predominantly Muslim parts of Middle East have always held certain rights under Shari’ah law to practice their religion without persecution or pressure to convert to Islam. This is how it’s been for centuries, although the original deal was sealed by the payment of a tribute known as ‘Jizyah’ in either cash or goods in exchange for their safety and freedom of worship. There were of course, some who were tax exempt, including women, children, hermits, the old, the poor and the sick.
After the advent of Islam, Christianity all but disappeared in certain countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and the Arabian Peninsula. Lebanon contains the largest number of Christians in ratio to its total population (an estimated 40%.) Thanks to not a verbal agreement between Lebanon’s different denominations, the Lebanese president is always a Maronite Catholic Christian.
Arab Christians in Different Countries
In Syria, current estimates put the Arab Christian population at about 10%. The number has decreased since due to lower birth rates and higher emigration rates than their Muslim counterparts. Most Syrian Christians are Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic, and there is also a Syriac Christian minority.
7% of Jordan’s population is made up of Arab Christians. Small but mighty, this minority hold are represented by 10% of the Jordanian parliament. Jordanian Christians are granted time off work by the public and private sectors to attend Divine Liturgy or Mass on Sundays and to celebrate all Christian religious ceremonies in public. All Christian religious ceremonies are publicly celebrated in Jordan. Christians have established good relations with the royal family and Jordanian government officials and even have their own courts for matters of personal status.
In Saudi Arabia, all Christian activities, even for foreign workers, are strictly forbidden.
Did You Know? Famous Arab Christians Include:
- Lebanese author Kahlil Gibran, who spent most of his life writing about his Christian beliefs and philosophy on love.
- Mexican actress Salma Hayek (Lebanese Catholic).
- Michel Aflaq, founder of the Baath Party (Syrian, Greek Orthodox Christian).
- Carlos Menem, president of Argentina from 1988 to 1999, (Syrian, converted to Roman Catholic from Islam).
- Singer Shakira (Daughter of a Lebanese father and Colombian mother).