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The Persecution of Minorities in the Middle East

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Secular Nationalism and Citizenship in Muslim Countries

Part of the book series: Minorities in West Asia and North Africa ((MWANA))

Abstract

Ben-Meir identifies the root causes of the persecution of minorities in the Middle East. While Christians and other minorities may not be able to restore the status quo and live in harmony with their largely Muslim neighbors, measures can be taken to counter the rising tide of religious discrimination Among them are (1) ending raging regional conflicts; (2) employing preventive diplomacy and timely intervention; (3) monitoring and exposing infractions committed against religious minorities throughout the world; (4) providing incentives, such as developing legal practices and instruction in religious tolerance; (5) using coercive diplomacy; (6) promoting education to foster religious tolerance and inter-religious dialogue; (7) pursuing quiet diplomacy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    “The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010–2050,” Pew Research Center, April 2, 2015, http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/middle-east-north-africa/

  2. 2.

    “Beyond the Arab Awakening: Policies and Investments for Poverty Reduction and Food Security,” International Food Policy Research Institute (Report, Washington, DC, 2012).

  3. 3.

    “Egypt: Don’t Cover Up Military Killing of Copt Protesters,” Human Rights Watch, October 25, 2011, https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/25/egypt-dont-cover-military-killing-copt-protesters

  4. 4.

    “Who is Persecuting the Copts?” The Atlantic Council, June 7, 2016, http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/who-is-persecuting-the-copts

  5. 5.

    Ceren Belge and Ekrem Karakoc, “Minorities in the Middle East: Ethnicity, Religion, and Support for Authoritarianism,” Political Research Quarterly 68, no. 2 (2015): 208–292, 285.

  6. 6.

    “International Religious Freedom Report for 2014,” United States Department of State (DC: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2014).

  7. 7.

    Belge, 283.

  8. 8.

    “Overview and Acknowledgements,” Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2015, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper

  9. 9.

    The World Factbook, “Lebanon,” Central Intelligence Agency accessed November 28, 2016.

  10. 10.

    Michael Chapman, “Syria’s Christian Population Drops from 1.25 Million to 500,000,” Assyrian International News Agency, October 31, 2016, http://www.aina.org/news/20161031184246.htm

  11. 11.

    Elizabeth Berrige and David Burrowes, “The Persecution of Christians in Iran,” The Christians in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (London, 2015).

  12. 12.

    Marwan Muasher, The Second Arab Awakening: And the Battle for Pluralism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014), 134.

  13. 13.

    Eliza Griswold, “Is This the End of Christianity in the Middle East?” The New York Times Magazine, July 22, 2015.

  14. 14.

    “And Then There Were None,” The Economist, January 2, 2016. 

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Ben-Meir, A. (2018). The Persecution of Minorities in the Middle East. In: Ellis, K. (eds) Secular Nationalism and Citizenship in Muslim Countries. Minorities in West Asia and North Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71204-8_9

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