Christian Arabs threatened from all sides — Israel, Middle East, Arab and Islamic Worlds, too
This week I got a chance to meet a Christian Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Nadia Hilou (Hilo). She is a member of the labor Party, and is the only Christian Arab woman, one of 17 total women, and one of two Arab Christians in the Israeli parliament. Nadia was the guest on my radio show in Chicago (RadioChicagoland). The segment interviews are podcast through a lot of sites including iTunes. (The link is on the web site).
She has an interesting story to tell about the challenges she faces as a Christian Palestinian in a Jewish and Islamic World, in the Middle East and as an Arab living in Israel. What’s amazing about her is that she was elected not from a “quota” seat which is the only way Christians can ever be elected in the Arab World — including in Jordan where my cousin has held a seat in the Jordanian Senate, in a seat reserved for Christians — but rather as a candidate appealing to a broad constituency that include some Christian Arab Israelis, some more Muslim Arab Israelis and a a majority of Israeli Jews. She still won a seat and maybe she foretells the future of “Democratic” Israel.
Most Arabs cannot win in Israeli elections unless they run on Arab lists in Arab regions. Israeli Jews will not vote for them, reflecting Israel’s Jewish society which seeks to exclude Christian and Muslim citizens. But that’s no different than the traditions in the Arab World, Look at Iraq. If President Bush had an ounce of intelligence in his brain — he doesn’t, although he has become more compassionate towards the Palestine-Israel conflict, although it has taken 7 years — he would have recopgnized that you can’t bring Democracy to Iraq. Sunnis vote for Sunnis’ Shi’ites vote for Shi’ites. Assyrians vote for Assyrians. Turkomen vote for Turkomen. Kurds vote for Kurds and so on. It’s a fact of life in the Arab World too, and in Palestine, the cloests thing the Arabs have to a “Democracy” — it’s as much a Democracy as is Israel.
I hope you enjoy it. And if I can figure out how to place it on our MEY podcasts, I’ll try. 
Also, I think that for Christian Arabs is that Jews often embrace them more than Muslims. As a Christian Arab comedian, for example, I am excluded from the Muslim Comedy circuit and from the activist comedy circuit, partly because of my “moderate” views which the other comedians either do not want to address (because it’s bad for their careers) or they disagree with. I understand that. But Christian Arabs are excluded from almost every aspect these days of the Muslim Arab society.
Secular Arabs are being eclipsed by the Islamic activists and today’s Muslim, who, it seems, focuses on him or herself rather than on the larger Arab Nation. Arab Nationalism has been replaced by Islamicism. Christian Arabs are marginalized, patronized and exploited mainly to score points against Israel.
And the mainstream American media, including even places like the so-called “progressive” Public Television also has pushed aside Arab Christians, and that is an amazing thing ocnsidering that American Christians essential are the descendents of Palestinian Christians. One day Arab Christians will eventually disappear. And that’s bad news for Christianity, the Arab World and especially for Israel.
Ray Hanania
(I also now write for The HuffingtonPost.com.)
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“Also, I think that for Christian Arabs is that Jews often embrace them more than Muslims. As a Christian Arab comedian, for example, I am excluded from the Muslim Comedy circuit and from the activist comedy circuit, partly because of my “moderate” views which the other comedians either do not want to address (because it’s bad for their careers) or they disagree with. I understand that. But Christian Arabs are excluded from almost every aspect these days of the Muslim Arab society.”
Maybe because it’s called “Muslim Comedy” for a reason. I wouldn’t want to join a “Christian Arab” comedy circuit since I know and respect the fact that it’s for Christian Arabs only.
If it was just “Arab”, then I could understand and criticize the exclusion. But come on, you’re grasping for straws here.
You’re greatly exaggerating all of this Muslim-Christian conflict within the Arab world. Do you want to be like the Maronites now, like Brigitte Gabriel?
It is a fact that many Muslims refuse to address that Christians are abused in the Islamic and the Arab World. I think you missed the point, but I don’t think your intention was to address the point. The hostilities between Christian Arabs and Muslim Arabs are a fact of life that people like you would like us to not address because it undermines your “cause” against Israel.
We used to all be Arabs. That is the point you conveniently miss in my comments, and of course, take them out of context.
If anything is greatly exxagerated, it is the pressure to prevent Christian Arabs from expressing their views about these issues without being ostracized or intimidated.
Ray Hanania
http://www.hanania.com
PS “Danial” … are you also slandering all Maronites? Because they are Christian Arabs from Lebanon who are also abused? So I guess they have no rights either?
Ray Hanania
You mean the ones who subscribe to the fascist Phalangists? Every Maronite I’ve encountered openly supported the massacres that the Phalangist fascist animals committed in Lebanon during the Civil War. These people love the criminal Samir Geagea and I have no sympathy for them. They continue to engage in a victimization mentality and blame Muslims for the civil war even though it was their own Goddamn fault because they couldn’t handle the fact that they are not as dominant as they used to be when they were the slaves of their French masters. They were also the most powerful during the 60’s and 70’s so excuse me if I don’t take their claims seriously.
Too bad those “Moronites” don’t consider themselves to be Arab. In fact, those clowns think they are secular Europeans conceived in a test tube in the French Riviera. They think they are more French than Arab. If it were up to them, they would have made French the national language of Lebanon instead of Arabic. Not even the former French colonies in Indochina would do such a thing like the Maronites would.
And what Christian Arabs in Lebanon are being abused? Last I checked, none of the Melkites, Greek Catholics, and Orthodox Arabs are victims of abuse.
Oh really? So I suppose the actions to protect Christians in Pakistan by Asma Jehangir and Hina Jillani mean little to you? Does the fact that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was an Indian Catholic named A.R. Cornelius?
You’re saying that Muslims refuse to address the abuse of Christians, yet I don’t see Christians in the West or in the Arab world addressing the abuse of Christians under the hands of Hindu fanatics in India. Why not comment on that Ray?
First of all, my “cause” has nothing to do with Israel. Yes I am against the government of Israel in the sense that they are undermining the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. But I am not against the existence of Israel, since I realize that it is a fact of life that we will have to live with.
I’m against hostilities against others because of their faith, so it is safe to say that I am more concerned about Muslims oppressing Muslims and often killing them than I am about the “cause” against Israel, so you got it wrong there mate.
No one is stopping them from expressing their views. Brigitte Gabriel and Walid Shoebat are often free to express their polemic rantings on a regular basis, as long as the green flows.
Lay off the hyperbole buddy.
To add onto Danial’s point, Armenians (who are not only Christian, they aren’t even Arabs!) don’t suffer major persecution in Lebanon.
Ray, considering that the first Arab immigrants to the West (North AND South America) were Christians, and thus many Arab leadership/advocacy groups were founded by Christians, and major figures of Arab descent were/are Christians (Khalil Gibran, Edward Said, Ralph Nader, Helen Thomas), what say you about the voice of Christian Arabs in the West, and the prospect of the West as the “new” base for Arab Christendom?
If Christians here want to advocate for their brethren in the Mideast, they only need to speak up. They’ve already got freedom of expression and the power base. How could there be any possibility of “marginalization”?
Also, we can hardly blame Danial of being indifferent to persecution of Christian. I found this on his blog:
http://antiwahhabi.blogspot.com/2008/03/muslim-silence-on-anti-christian.html
The supposed persecution of Maronites in Lebanon DEFINITELY has more to do with politics than intrinsic anti-Christian views. Before the Syrians and Hezbollah, the pro-French Phalangist (that just happened to be led by Maronites) armies were the quintessential “bad guys” of Lebanon. (Besides “the Jooz”, of course, but you and I both know that.*) After all, you haven’t forgotten Sabra and Shatila, have you?
The only problem I find with this is the equation of ALL Maronites with the fascists, regardless of their views. (Needless to say, Ralph Nader and this oud-playing guy I know are no friends of the phalangists by any means!) Not every Shi’ite is a supporter of Hezbollah, and not every Sunni supports Assad, and certainly not all Jews supported Israeli violence in southern Lebanon (Quite the OPPOSITE, in fact)! Why let ethnicity come into what is essentially politics?
*I am in NO way equating Israel with Lebanese fascists! Aside from the sad fact that General Sharon was friendly with them in the 80s and helped them commit S&S.
Dear Ray
I want to cheer you and the rest of the believers over there.
I thank you for sharing the challenges you/the beleivers go through
and would like to support you in whatever way possible e.g. prayer
Malaysia
The problem I find with this is the equation of ALL Maronites with the fascists, regardless of their views.
the prospect of the West as the “new” base for Arab Christendom?
If Christians here want to advocate for their brethren in the Mideast, they only need to speak up. They’ve already got freedom of expression and the power base. How could there be any possibility of “marginalization”?
Uh…the notion that Christians should have a base only where they are the majority is pretty fucked up, I think. They are indigenous to the Middle East, so is Chrsitianity, I see no reason why they should move bases.
Uh and Maronites are not oppressed in Lebanon, at all, they do very well and always have, but all Christians in Leb definitely do not share their status, and no many of them are also definitely not fascists. The Phalange/LF have been in decline since the end of the civil war and everything became Sunna/Shia pissing contest.
BTW the Druze, Sunna are overwhelmingly more pro-right wing in Lebanon (like 80%+ support the government, compared to only like 50% of Christians) if you want to talk about killing Palestinians, Amal have just as much blood on their hands as the Phalange, and then there’s the SLA who was half Shia muslim. The right wing in Lebanon is not just a Christian thing, or a Maronite thing, I don’t care what you’ve heard or what a handful of Leb expats you’ve met have told you, you probably don’t know the Christians that aren’t right wing because they don’t go on and on about their religious/ethnic politics 24/7, but they exist, aight?
Hey, buddy, Christians in the Middle East also discriminate against the Muslims. Prime example is my gf’s mom. She thinks Hinduism is another Muslim sect… and wish I was dead because I am a Muslim and brining shame to her family. According to my gf, this anit-Muslim crap applies to everyone in her family back in Israel. Yes, like you, she’s an Israeli Christian Arab also.
Also, Christians from European colonies think they are white. I never understood that about them. Filipinos think they are Spanish and those from Goa think they are Portuguese. Being ruled by them and sharing the same religion as them does not change your freaking ethnicity. I seriously don’t understand this logic or lack of it.
I had this Arab Christian girl friend from Lebanon. Well we met in Mumbai and we were close friends the same day, she was a very good example of a Christian Arab, an elderly but very healthy and very well dressed, she taught me how to dance Arabic, which i thought it was impossible to learn. Christain Arabs are cool
I miss the lady, I lost her email. Then there is this Ray Haniya who is a very nice man. You guys rock 
Salam !
Well, I think we shoul make this problem cool. I think that must be a problem of hating each other based on some one’s belief or race, or caste and so on. I like Arab Christians, because they should be the bridge between west and east ( if those exist). I read Edward Said, Ma’louf ( and interestingly his book ” In the name of identity” is great. Come on ! do much better for a better world, well I don’t believe that Palestine is holy for the land of God for certain religion, but it is ” Al Quds” because the people that live as refugees have the right to be back to their homes in Haifa, Lod, jaffa, Nazareth and so on. God is for everyone , He is not certain people’s God ! Salam !