COMMENTARY: We need to hear the stories of the past

Persecuted Christians in the Middle East need to hear that their stories are not forgotten or hidden out of the way. It's the least we can do for them.

By Mikael Wandt Laursen
General Secretary of FriKirkenET

Christians in many areas of the Middle East are experiencing such massive persecution that Christian presence in several Arab countries will soon be a thing of the past. It is therefore welcome that the Government has set up an office to ensure that religious persecution of minorities is high on the agenda of politicians when they meet with colleagues from affected countries.
When Christians were persecuted in the old Soviet bloc, it was crucial to make the stories of the persecuted known to the world. Accounts, documents and descriptions were smuggled out, providing much of the moral ammunition that undermined the credibility of communism. And it gave spiritual strength to the persecuted and confined, that their stories were not forgotten or hidden out of the way.

At a time when facts have to contend with fake news for attention, it is all the more important that the government office can secure valid data and information about the genocide of Christians. We need to hear the stories of Christians being raped, killed and driven from country and city. We need to hear when an Islamic theologian at Al Azhar University in Cairo justifies the use of sex slaves by Islamic fighters. We also need to hear about the places where reconciliation and restoration are actually taking place, and we need to meet those people who, with life as effort, fight for the right of others to believe and live as they please.
And the persecuted Christians of the Middle East need to hear that their stories are not forgotten or hidden out of the way. It's the least we can do for them.

The persecution of Christians in the Middle East is tragic and real. It takes a long time to restore trust in the communities where it has been broken down. Good that there are skilled organizations that focus on that. But there is also a need for a clear relationship with the facts here and now.
Communism lost its legitimacy because of its constant repression of its own. Islamism is also losing its legitimacy as oppression, barbarism, and madness against different believers are made known, italicized, and countered.
I am glad that the Danish government has so clearly joined the fight for the persecuted Christians. The long-term solution requires the delegitimization of Islamism. The stories and accounts of persecuted Christians will contribute to this. And it will be able to provide a fertile foundation for dialogue with those who actually want a showdown with the ideology that rides the Middle East like a mare at the moment.