Arab Christians face mounting challenges in the West despite Easter holiday

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Updated 08 April 2023
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Arab Christians face mounting challenges in the West despite Easter holiday

  • ‘We don’t want to be lumped into this White Community which is slowly disappearing in the US.’
  • Experts call for inclusion in US Census 2030 and college applications as Arabs, urge engagement on belief, politics with Muslims and Jews

CHICAGO: Arab Christians in the West continue to face mounting challenges of discrimination, marginalization, and even misunderstanding by other Christians, of their religious identities, experts speaking about Easter celebrations acknowledged during an interview on The Ray Hanania Radio show Wednesday.

Katherine Kelaidis, a resident scholar at the National Hellenic Museum Chicago and an expert on Orthodox Christian identity, said that much of the confusion arises from the complex diversity among Christians from the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Rev. Khader El-Yateem, director of the Evangelical Mission and of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America based in Florida, said many more challenges result from a lack of understanding and recognition of Arab Christians by other mainstream Christians, and by being excluded from mainstream American fundamentals like the US Census.

 

“This country still does not recognize our presence. Does not recognize who we are. That is a movement we need to continue,” El-Yateem said, noting his daughter was forced to identify as being “White” rather than as “Arab” when she applied and was accepted at college this past year.

“When the Census 2030 comes out, we need to be on that census form. We need to change that college application that says no Arab or Middle Eastern. We don’t want to be lumped into this White Community which is slowly disappearing in the United States.”

El-Yateem told Arab News during the radio interview the goal must be to make “the Arab community as one” bringing together Christians and Muslims, and also being smart about engaging in American political dialogue and debate.

“I love the Jewish community. I hate the policies of the Israeli government. We have to be careful to make that distinction between the Jewish community and the Israeli government and its occupational policies which take away from the freedoms of the Palestinian people,” El-Yateem said.

He said that efforts are being made to strengthen the bond with Muslims, noting that last March the ELCA issued a declaration apologizing to the Muslim community for persecution by “the Christian Church.”

He said Arab Christians need to do a better job of educating Americans about who they are, adding that many mainstream Christians believe that Arab Christians converted to Christianity from Islam, and assume all Arabs are Muslim.

“People in America need to understand that not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arab,” said El-Yateem who agreed he identifies as a Christian by religion and a Muslim by culture.

One contributing factor to the misunderstandings many Western Christians have of Arab and Mediterranean Christians comes from the divisions that separate Christian religious sects, especially between the Christian West and the Orthodox Christian East.

 

“There is a general lack of understanding in America. American Christianity is an ethnic form of Christianity. They just don’t call it that. If you go to some mega church, you are practicing some form of Christianity,” Kelaidis said

“I think there is in America a lack of understanding about the complexities beyond Protestant and Catholic. I even hear people say are you Catholic or are you Christian? Catholics are Christians. I think there is a real ignorance about Eastern (Orthodox) Christianity.”

Kelaidis said that ironically, the Ukraine conflict is forcing Americans to look more closely at eastern orthodox Christians and to try to understand how the Ukraine Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church differ.

For example, while most Western Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday April 17, many Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a week later on April 24.

Kelaidis said the challenges are “complicated” by extreme diversity among Arab and Mediterranean Christians. Those differences are driven by diverging views over the old Julian calendar that traces back to the Roman Empire, and the new Gregorian calendar which was changed in the 19th century, she explained.

“One of the things that is happening in the orthodox world is that the calendar has become a point of contention,” Kelaidis said.

“So, you have groups that break away over the calendar. There are groups called Old ‘Calendarist’ Groups. Their initial point of contention is they changed the calendar.”

El-Yateem said Arab Christians need to work harder to cover the challenges and must become more active in Western societies like America.

 

“The Arab Christian community in the United States struggled. Many of them came from backgrounds that they thought they would come to America and be embraced and they are faced with the harsh reality (that) because you come from this background (of being Arab) and you will not be embraced,” El-Yateem said.

“You … are labeled. So, we try to work very hard with our community on education in empowerment more importantly to get engaged. To be part of your child’s school. To be part of your local democratic process. Be involved in your community. That is how we can have (a) voice, how we can have power, how we can have representation.”

But both agree that Easter is a time when Arab and Mediterranean Christians will reinforce their faith, come together in their belief if not in their calendars, and face the challenges in Western society together.

One way was explained by Palestinian American Chef Tariq Nasir, whose father was Palestinian from near to Jerusalem and mother is American from Michigan. He said Middle Eastern food is a foundation of the Arab community and for Christians a celebration of Easter.

The most popular food item at Easter, Nasir said, is the making of Maamoul, an Arabian dessert sweet filled with sugared walnuts or dates. Arab Christian children would call them “slammer cookies” because their mothers would press the mixture in a wood-carved molder and then bang it on the table to get it out for cooking.

Food is central to the Arab cultural identity, he said, explaining: “I think it is because it brings everyone together. When I was a kid, the whole family would go over to my grandmother’s house and everybody would be there. All her kids and then all her kids’ kids, and we would all sit around the table. And everybody passing food back and forth. And it is just a time when everybody can get together. And Arabs, as you know, are very social and love other people.”

El-Yateem, Kelaidis and Nasir were guests on The Ray Hanania Radio Show which is broadcast on four American radio stations in Detroit, Washington D.C., Ontario and Chicago. It is hosted by the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News.

Listen to the Ray Hanania podcast here. 


‘Things might improve’: Young Kashmiris set for first local elections in decade

Updated 14 September 2024
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‘Things might improve’: Young Kashmiris set for first local elections in decade

  • Kashmir has been without a local government since 2018
  • Unemployment is about 18 percent, nearly double India’s average

NEW DELHI: Nasir Khuehami and his family have never participated in a mainstream election in Jammu and Kashmir, but he is currently campaigning to mobilize others to take part in next week’s vote — the first in a decade and taking place in a new political setting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the region of its autonomy in 2019.

Polling will be held in stages between Sept.18 and Oct. 1 to elect a local assembly — a truncated government with a chief minister, who will serve as the region’s top official, and a council of ministers — instead of remaining under the direct rule of New Delhi.

The result will be announced on Oct. 8.

“I don’t care which regional party wins, what matters is that the people of Kashmir should have someone who is their own,” Khuehami told Arab News.

The 26-year-old national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association is visiting different districts of the valley to mobilize students ahead of the vote.

“For the last 10 years there have been no elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In the last five years, after the abrogation of special status, even democracy was suspended, and it is bureaucrats who run the region. There has been no accountability,” he said.

“When we compare these bureaucrats with our own elected leaders, we find that our representatives are accountable, they listen to us, and they understand us ... This accessibility we miss now.”

Kashmir has been without a local government since 2018 when Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party brought down a coalition government, forcing the assembly to dissolve. A year later, Modi’s government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted the region its semi-autonomy, and downgraded it to a federally controlled territory.

Indian officials have repeatedly said that the move was aimed at tackling separatism and bringing economic development to the region, but Khuehami said people on the ground have yet to witness it.

“All the development agenda has fallen flat,” he said. “How many development activities took place, how many universities were created, how many exams were canceled? This is the reality.” He added that he was hopeful that, after the election, “things might improve.”

Ummar Jamal, a 23-year-old law student from the University of Kashmir was also looking forward to the vote, even though the powers of its elected administration will be limited, as the region is now a union territory.

“There was a sense of despondency after the abrogation of Article 370. I believe people are celebrating the election process (now). They are enjoying the celebration of democracy. I hope that after elections our representatives will be better placed to address our issues,” he said.

“Unemployment is very high. Why are the youth coming out in large numbers to campaign and vote? Somehow, they feel the public representatives may get these unemployment issues addressed.”

Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir is part of the larger Kashmiri territory, which has been the subject of international dispute since the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Both countries claim Kashmir in full and rule in part. Indian-controlled Kashmir has, for decades, witnessed outbreaks of separatist insurgencies to resist control from the government in New Delhi.

The two main regional parties — the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party — are going to challenge Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress, India’s main opposition party, is in alliance with the NC.

“There is a strong sense of anti-BJP sentiment because people feel that the BJP is trying to alter the regional identity. Youngsters are supporting the regional parties like NC and PDP which are speaking the language of the people and expressing their aspirations,” said Tariq Mir, 33, a PR manager and writer based in Srinagar, Kashmir’s largest city.

“The main issue is the question of the Kashmiri identity ... People want a peaceful life with dignity.”

But they also seek new prospects, as unemployment in the region stands at around 18 percent — nearly double India’s average.

Aqib Manzoor, a law student at Central University of Kashmir, said that while many hope for the restoration of the region’s statehood, the creation of jobs in the private sector, tackling corruption, and giving them more freedom of expression are also key issues.

“Though hopes remain very high, time will tell whether these issues and concerns of youngsters will be addressed, or just remain unaddressed like in the past, when the state assembly had enough powers to bring real changes on the ground,” he said.

“The center and all parties should prepare to seize the new opportunity for the future of a prosperous state that addresses the concerns and aspirations of (those who are) the future of the nation.”


Russia, Ukraine swap 206 POWs in UAE-brokered deal

Updated 14 September 2024
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Russia, Ukraine swap 206 POWs in UAE-brokered deal

  • Russian troops freed in Saturday’s swap were captured during Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region
  • Announcement comes just three weeks after Russia and Ukraine swapped 115 prisoners of war each

Moscow: Russia said Saturday it swapped 103 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian POWs in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
The Russian troops freed in Saturday’s swap were captured during Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region, which began on 6 August, according to the Russian defense ministry.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Ukrainian side.
“As a result of the negotiation process, 103 Russian servicemen captured in the Kursk region were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime,” the Russian defense ministry said.
“In return, 103 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over.”
“At present, all Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives,” the ministry added.
Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have managed to swap hundreds of prisoners throughout the two-and-half-year conflict, often in deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Turkiye.
The announcement comes just three weeks after Russia and Ukraine swapped 115 prisoners of war each in an exchange deal also mediated by the UAE.


Banned by Taliban, Afghan women’s voices increasingly dismissed abroad

Updated 14 September 2024
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Banned by Taliban, Afghan women’s voices increasingly dismissed abroad

  • Afghanistan’s new ‘vice and virtue’ law bars women from raising their voice in public
  • International debates on Afghan women’s rights rarely include those living in Afghanistan

KABUL: With a new Taliban law banning women from raising their voice in public, female activists in Afghanistan claim they are also being silenced in the West, where their representation is increasingly dismissed.
Regulations issued last month by the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice introduced stricter dress codes for all Afghans, but the restrictions stipulated that women not only cover themselves completely, including the face, but also conceal their voices in public.
“The government has practically ignored the voice of women and is seeking to eliminate as much of the role of women in society as possible,” Haida Akbari, a women rights activist in Kabul, told Arab News.
“The ban on women’s voices is one of the steps toward the elimination of women’s social role — neither the first nor the last.”
The rights of Afghan women have been curtailed since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, when US-led forces withdrew after two decades of war following the invasion of the country.
Women and girls have been gradually barred from attending secondary school and university, undertaking most forms of paid employment, and attending public spaces such as public parks or gyms.
Each of the restrictions has spurred condemnation and sparked debate in the West. But while these are aimed at defending the rights of women, they rarely include the voices of those facing the reality of life inside Afghanistan.
In recent discussions on the impact of the new “vice and virtue” law, a Canadian broadcaster sought a comment from a former Afghan minister, a former member of parliament, and a former government official — all living in exile.
Another international media outlet focused its coverage on comments by a male activist, and while it also invited three Afghan women to comment, not one was living in Afghanistan.
For Akbari and other female activists, such practices further erode their representation and struggle for empowerment.
“There is no doubt that a woman living inside Afghanistan who wants to continue her life inside the country is very different from someone who is outside the country,” Akbari said.
“Women inside the country want the problem to be solved, but that does not mean welcoming another war in the country ... These issues are not covered in the media.”
Adina Ranjber, director of a women-led organization OTUF, which provides skill development and employment opportunities for women in Afghanistan, said it was important that international forums offer a voice to Afghan women, especially when they were being silenced at home.
“Women’s views and demands in the country are often ignored and suppressed. It seems that there is still a long way to go for Afghan women’s views to be heard and considered. There’s a need for continued support from the international community and the media,” she told Arab News.
“Representation of women from Afghanistan in human rights discussions demonstrates respect for human rights and gender equality. This can help create a more just and equal society for both women and men.”
Ranjber said that it is not only the West that is contributing to the voices of Afghan women being sidelined on international platforms.
“One of the most important factors in the neglect of women in Afghanistan is the silence of Islamic countries and the world Muslim scholars’ unions about the issues of women in Afghanistan,” she said.
“This also gives the Western media an excuse to ignore Afghan women and add to the problem instead of solving anything.”


India’s Modi campaigns in Kashmir polls after latest soldier deaths

Updated 14 September 2024
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India’s Modi campaigns in Kashmir polls after latest soldier deaths

  • Indian-administered Kashmir has been without elected government since losing its special status in 2019
  • Modi claims the change has ushered in a new era of peace and economic progress to the dispute region

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Narendra Modi said “terrorism is on its last legs” in Kashmir while campaigning in the disputed territory on Saturday, a day after two soldiers were killed in a gunfight with suspected militants.
Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a rise in clashes between rebels and security forces ahead of the region’s first local assembly polls in a decade, which begin next week.
The Himalayan region in India has been without an elected local government since 2019, when Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government canceled the region’s semi-autonomy.
“The changes in the region in the last decade are nothing short of a dream,” Modi told thousands of supporters at the rally in Doda, part of Kashmir’s Hindu-majority southern region of Jammu.
“The stones that were picked up earlier to attack the police and the army are now being used to construct a new Jammu and Kashmir. This is a new era of progress, terrorism is on its last leg here,” he said.
Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claim that the government’s changes to the territory’s governance have brought a new era of peace to Kashmir and rapid economic growth.
The implementation of those changes in 2019 was accompanied by mass arrests and a months-long Internet and communications blackout to forestall protests.
Many Kashmiris are resentful of chafing restrictions on civil liberties that followed, and the BJP is only fielding candidates in a minority of seats concentrated in Hindu-majority areas.
Modi pledged at Saturday’s rally that his party would “build a secure and prosperous” Kashmir “that is free of terrorism and a haven for tourists.”
But this year’s local polls, which begin on Wednesday before results are announced next month, follow a spike in gunfights between security forces and rebels.
In the past two years, more than 50 soldiers were killed in clashes with rebels, mostly in the Jammu region.
The Indian army on Friday said that another two soldiers had died Friday during a firefight in the Kishtwar region, paying tribute to the “supreme sacrifice of the bravehearts” in a post on social media platform X.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947 and is claimed in full by both countries.
Rebels have fought Indian forces for decades, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
About 500,000 Indian troops are deployed in the region, battling a 35-year insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels since 1989.
India accuses Pakistan of backing the region’s militants and cross-border attacks inside its territory, claims Islamabad denies.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought several conflicts for control of the region since 1947.


Russian forces take over village in eastern Ukraine, TASS says

Updated 14 September 2024
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Russian forces take over village in eastern Ukraine, TASS says

Russia said on Saturday it had recaptured another village in eastern Ukraine, where it has made a string of advances.
“The locality of Jelannoe Pervoe (Jelanne Perche in Ukrainian) was freed thanks to the active and decisive operations of the southern units,” the defense ministry said.
The village is located in the Pokrovsk district, an important logistical hub for the Ukrainian army.
Russian forces has advanced rapidly in the eastern region of Donetsk in recent weeks, putting pressure on a Ukrainian army that is short of both soldiers and weapons.