We Can All Agree on Religious Liberty

Lately, “religious liberty” has been a much debated idea. The Syrian War, the Hobby Lobby decision, and a recent case in Louisiana have all raised questions of religion and its place within society. But here, I will present an issue that is straightforwardly about religious liberty and that, I think, all people of good will can come together to support.

ISIS, now IS, has made life immensely difficult for all non-Sunni Muslims under its control. Christians, Shias, Yazidis, and others have all faced discrimination not in simple legal formulas, but in the form of unadulterated violence and physical mistreatment. Their property confiscated, their lives endangered, and their everyday existences shattered, they have become refugees. Much like the Syrian War, the Israeli-Palestine Conflict, and the Arab Spring in general, this situation invites political questions. But that is not what matters today.

What matters today is a recent report that Mosul (biblical Nineveh) may be empty of Christians for the first time in well over a millennium. Their former properties have been marked with the Arabic letter “ن” or “nun,” which begins the Arabic word “نصراني” or “Nasrani,” meaning “Nazarene.” As a result, radical Islamists know that the goods inside are forfeit; the mark is also intended as a sign of humiliation for the former inhabitants or owners.

In an act of solidarity, many Catholics (and perhaps others; I do not know) have made the aforementioned letter their Facebook profile pictures. From what I have seen, this image seems to be the most commonly used. I would encourage everyone reading this to follow suit. It is a small act and I generally avoid Facebook or Twitter activism, but this is a special case. So many other tragedies are befalling people right now; we need to remind the world that some of the oldest Christian communities on earth are facing mass persecution.

I would also encourage anyone moved by this account to pray for these refugees, regardless of your religion or theirs. Fasting might also be appropriate as would donations to any Chaldean Church, Catholic or otherwise. I wish I had said something sooner; I wish I had previously written a post about the horrors experienced by the Christians of Syria and all over the world. But I did not. I cannot make up for that, but I can say that I feel called to say something now. And so I have. Regardless of politics, this is a true issue of religious liberty on which we all can agree. Spread the word and thank God you for your blessings.