The naivety of Christian leaders

Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in February 2019.                                                                            Source: Guardian/Luca Zennaro/EPA

In February 2019 Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, met in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They signed a declaration of fraternity, calling for peace between nations, religions and races. The document pledged that al-Azhar and the Vatican would work together to fight extremism. 

"Violence, extremism or fanaticism could never be justified in the name of religion" said Francis. But what is extremism?

The UAE promoted itself as a "regional leader in religious diversity and tolerance" where Christians were free to worship at churches and wear religious clothing. 

However, Open Doors, which monitors discrimination against and persecution of Christians around the world, said the UAE government does not allow Christians "to evangelise or pray in public. Converts from Islam endure the most persecution as they face pressure from family members and the local community to recant their Christian faith."

A day before three Catholics were slaughtered in Nice's Notre-Dame Basilica, Sheikh el Tayeb demanded an international law banning criticizing or insulting Islam. 

Church Militant's Dr Jules Gomes responded in a tweet: If there were no death penalty in Islam for blasphemy and Islam were as tolerant as Pope Francis insists, there would be no need for a global law forbidding criticism of Islam.

Sheikh el-Tayeb claimed that millions of Muslims had paid the price for the actions of “a handful of criminals” following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Persecution.org recently reported:  Another Pakistani Christian Girl Becomes Victim of Forced Conversion and Forced Marriage.

It is Christians who are paying the price of intolerance while their leaders continue to take part in 'brotherly love' exercises with Muslims whose religious aim is to convert all to Islam while complaining of Islamophobia to conceal the truth.  

Christian leaders would do well to heed the warning of bishop Michael Nazir-Ali who explained back in 2011 how Christianity has become almost extinct in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity, and Islam, the 'religion of peace', has became dominant in the Arab world.