Middle East Briefing – February 2024

A year on from the two devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria, the repercussions are still being felt for many people who live in the two countries. Elsewhere, the new World Watch List highlights the dangers facing Christians the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and conflict in the Holy Land continues to deepen, bringing stronger calls from international Church leaders for a ceasefire.

Earthquake anniversary

SAT-7’s Turkish and Arabic channels recently screened new reports on the 6 February anniversary of two earthquakes that brought mass destruction to south Türkiye and northwest Syria. The quakes claimed over 50,000 lives in Türkiye and another 8,000 in Syria. Hatay province – home to Türkiye’s largest Christian community – was one of those worst hit. Its population of 1.7 million has shrunk to 250,000 as residents moved to stay with relatives or find shelter elsewhere. A SAT-7 team who revisited the area found many who stayed living in “cities” of container units. Rebuilding is under way, but the pace is slow and the task colossal. Out of 850,000 destroyed homes, a Turkish government spokesman said 46,000 new units had been delivered and work had begun on another 307,000.

Although destruction was less widespread in Syria, many factors are preventing recovery. Most of the northwest remains under rebel control. After 12 years of conflict, over four million people in the area were in need of humanitarian aid even before the quakes struck. Syrian government corruption, international sanctions which hamper foreign aid and restrict foreign remittances, and a collapse in the value of the Syrian currency have compounded the problem. The Syrian Red Crescent, local NGOs and churches, respond as they can. The Armenian Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo, Magar Ashkarian, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the earthquake had increased Christian migration abroad. Nevertheless, he said Christian denominations have come closer: ““We live together in a very close relationship and try to help entirely without discrimination”.

Church targeted in Türkiye

Elsewhere in Türkiye, a terrorist attack on a church in Istanbul killed a friend of the country’s Papal Vicar and injured a second worshipper. Two gunmen opened fire during a morning service at the Santa Maria church in Sariyer district on 28 January. The so-called Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the shooting. Authorities captured the men later in the day and increased security at city churches. SAT-7 viewers messaged its Turkish channel with words of condolence but also expressed their resolve not to live in fear. “We Christians are everywhere,” one wrote. “Our people will not be afraid. Even if the person who committed this crime sees us as enemies, we will never have a hostile attitude. We will stand with our brother who lost his life in this attack.”

Hostile places for Christians

This latest attack in Türkiye highlights the dangers facing Christians across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). On 17 January, Open Doors released the 2024 World Watch List, an annual list of the 50 most difficult places in the world to be a Christian. Eighteen out of the 25 countries in which SAT-7 works appear on the list, with Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan all in the top 10, and Syria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iraq not far behind. Persecution in these countries takes many forms – legal restrictions, physical violence, psychological pressure, or social ostracism. Article 18, an organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran, also launched a report, in collaboration with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Middle East Concern, highlighting how “Iranians’ fundamental freedoms continued to be curtailed by state authorities.” The report, called Faceless Victims seeks to shed light on the challenges faced by the Christian community within the wider context of Iranian society.

In  Algeria, which rose four places on the World Watch List, the authorities have closed 43 of the country’s 47 Protestant churches, and church leaders have been threatened with prosecution. The closures are, understandably, having an impact on Algerian believers. “Life is becoming harder after churches were closed down,” said Fatima, an Algerian SAT-7 viewer. “I learned so much from your teachings. I can see my life changing… I am growing in faith… I now know how to pray and read the Bible. I am thankful to God for SAT-7.”

SAT-7 ARABIC’s programme Home Church From Algeria, formerly My Church In Algeria, which broadcasts church services for viewers to join at home, is one of the programmes helping people like Fatima. “Fellowship and being a member of a local church is badly needed,” commented the programme producer. “It is important for spiritual wellbeing to attend church, and we offer that through this programme for those who cannot attend.”

Conflict in the Holy Land

The war between Israel and Hamas has continued with further loss of life. Over the space of four months, Israeli bombardments and ground operations against Hamas have forced the majority of the population of Gaza to move from area to area. 1.5 million are now sheltering in the southernmost city of Rafah, while others are in improvised tents in Al Muwisa, a coastal scrubland area. The entry of food and medical supplies to Gaza has been severely restricted, prompting warnings of looming famine.

At the time of writing, Israeli allies including the UK and US have been urging Israel not to mount a ground invasion of Rafah since Gazans have nowhere left to go. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has said an operation in Rafah will go ahead if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages by 10 March. Israeli citizens, meanwhile, have mounted large demonstrations to voice their dissatisfaction at the length of the war and its failure to return those Hamas captured. Despite strong mediation efforts by countries including Qatar and Egypt, no agreement on hostage releases or a ceasefire has been reached.

The risk of conflict between Israeli forces and the powerful Hezbollah military and political group in Lebanon is also escalating. Cross-border exchanges of fire have reached more deeply into both countries, despite visits by European diplomats to Beirut aiming to reduce tensions. Israel has said it will “act militarily” to return evacuated citizens safely to its northern border while the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah, proscribed a terrorist group by the UK and other governments, warned that it would meet any Israeli escalation in kind.

Amid growing concern for the welfare of the displaced Gazans, senior church voices from around the world have stepped up calls for an end to the violence in the Holy Land and urged for more concerted efforts to be made by both sides for a ceasefire and de-escalation of hostilities.

The Church of England’s House of Bishops has called for an immediate ceasefire in the war, saying that the “manner in which this war is being prosecuted cannot be morally justified.” It referenced the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) order to ensure that Palestinians have access to food, water, healthcare, and safety. In the US, twenty-two church leaders from across denominations wrote to President Biden this month requesting he call for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories, and lasting peace. They argued that “Every day that this violence continues, the risk of further escalation in the region continues, making Palestinians, Israelis, and everyone in the Middle East less safe.”

Famine fears

In Sudan ten months of fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF) has left around 18 million people facing acute hunger, humanitarian agencies have warned. UNICEF said tens of thousands of children will die without additional support and access across conflict lines. Grassroots civil society groups continue to distribute food and medicines, arrange evacuations and provide welfare services where they can. However, it has been disturbing to see a number of SAF-controlled states issue decrees banning these groups, many of which were involved in the protests that toppled Sudan’s dictator, Omar Al-Bashir, in 2019.

The war began in Khartoum last April and displaced an estimated 3 million from a capital that was once a refuge for civilians from unstable areas. As the war spread to other regions, over 6 million have been internally displaced and another 1.6 million have fled to neighbouring states: South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Ethiopia and Egypt. The RSF currently has control of two-thirds of Khartoum State, four of the five Darfur states in the west, and Madani, the capital of Jazira State, Sudan’s food basket. The SAF is holding north and eastern regions of the country and has made Port Sudan on the Red Sea its interim capital.

Up two places to tenth in the World Watch List, progress made in Sudan towards religious freedom a few years earlier – which included abolishing the death penalty for apostasy – has now been undone. Some 165 churches in a nation with an estimated two million Christians have closed or been destroyed. Despite the troubles, SAT-7 is hearing stories of resilience and faithfulness from viewers in Sudan. “In times of pain and difficulty, I find strong support from the mighty hands of our Lord,” said Elham, a female SAT-7 viewer from Sudan. “At a time when everyone is abandoning us, our Lord is present… I request that you pray for my Sudanese brothers and sisters. May God grant them heavenly blessings and peace of mind for all of their losses.”