Ed. The School – 12-1996

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1. Short history

The diaspora of Christians from the East, begun in the first centuries of Christianity, continued until the eighth century. In the early days, it was not an escape, as will happen later, but it was linked to the missionary mandate of the Church. Evangelization spread from Syria to the western shores of the Mediterranean and to the Far East. The main center of missionary propagation was Antioch, to whose community reference was made for the preparation of the religious who were preparing to leave. Even the apostle Paul stayed there for a while. During the Muslim domination the migratory flows of Christians took place within the borders of the empire. In the years of the Ottoman Empire (1516-1918) until the expedition of Napoleon to Egypt in 1798 communications between the Eastern and Western worlds were reduced and emigration outside the territories subjected to the Sublime Porte were negligible. After the Napoleonic occupation in 1801, Mehemet Alì came to power in Egypt in 1805, which proposed to bring the country to modernity, favoring its cultural and economic awakening. The new political climate attracts many Middle Eastern Christians to Egypt, coming from countries that are not very tolerant of minorities. Entire Syro-Lebanese villages are emptied. In the space of a few years, Christians will invite their priests to join them, thus trying to rebuild the community. During another diaspora to the West and South America, the emigrants gave rise to several settlements created based on the country of origin. In the new offices in the West and in the New World, the distinctions between Orthodox and Catholics weaken.

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Ed. The School – 12-1996

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It may be useful to remember that Muslims from Arabia settled in the Middle East around 640 AD the Christians instead occupied these lands since the early days of the spread of Christianity.

1. Arabs: Muslims or Christians?

Can we therefore speak of Arabs or Muslims? Let us first clarify what is meant by the Arabic term. In the West the words Arabic and Muslim are often used interchangeably, almost as if they were synonyms and there was a coincidence of meaning between the two expressions. But things are different. The Arabic term indicates a geographical and cultural area, not an ethnic identity, nor a belonging to a religious confession.

Thus, arabity corresponds to a linguistic, cultural, political and historical belonging. Christians are an integral part of the Arab world and, like Muslims, they are no longer Arabs of Christians, so Christians are no less Arab than Muslims.

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