Persecution: much more than a religious issue

Recently, 2020Plus produced a TV programme in which I interviewed Bishop Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali on the subject of persecution.

A former bishop of Rochester – and Raiwind, Pakistan – Dr Nazir-Ali is a well known advocate for oppressed religious groups.

In a wide-ranging discussion, he addressed the history of the multi-faceted patchwork of faith communities in the Middle East, adding that, 'Some displaced people may never be able to return, but I would be very grieved indeed if this spelt the end of this rich mosaic of diversity in countries like Iraq and Syria.'

Across the Middle East, persecution affects a wide range of religious communities. In Iran, the Bahá'í are legally regarded as non-persons. They are prohibited from marrying or sending their children to school or university. They are not allowed to legally bury their dead.

Meanwhile, the Zoroastrians, whose traditional home was Iran, are now more populous in India and Pakistan, having been driven out by persecution.

Speaking of the Jewish community in Iraq, Dr Nazir-Ali pointed to lessons that might be learned elsewhere:

'In 1948, twenty percent of the population of Baghdad was Jewish. There are now seven families left. We cannot be complacent about other faith groups either.'

Many groups worldwide are undergoing persecution. However, as the Prince of Wales also noted, studies suggest Christians are the worst affected overall.

Christians represent the largest faith group in the UK. As a Christian myself, I was asked on the BBC recently, in passing, whether I felt persecuted. My answer was a clear and definite 'no'.

For the most part, Christians here cannot be called victims of systematic persecution. No churches are being burned down and no homes are being destroyed because of a prejudice against faith.

Some Christians feel that there is a cultural bias against Christianity, or faith in general, in some areas of public life. At times it can seem to churches and other faith groups than it is harder than for other, often smaller groups, to make themselves heard in public debates.

However, to call this 'persecution' is perhaps to denigrate the suffering of people in other regions whose plight is so much worse. Doing so may also be a bad move strategically. How can churches and other organizations serve communities which they have already, sometimes unilaterally, declared their enemies?