Brendan O’ReganFuture of Christianity shown under threat in the land of its birth and heritage
I’ve long thought that the plight of Christians in the Middle East was being ignored by the Western media. We heard little about the persecution that followed the fall of Saddam, and it was only when ISIS started to persecute the Yazidis in Iraq that finally an awareness of the scale of atrocity grew.
Last Wednesday night on BBC2, the provocatively titled Kill the Christians went some way to redress the balance. Jane Corbin presented a hard hitting documentary that suggested that the very future of Christianity was under threat in the land of its birth and heritage. We were warned of upsetting scenes “from the start” but, while the overall situation was indeed upsetting to people of good will, it certainly wasn’t as graphic as I expected.
We were left in no doubt as to the intentions of ISIS and other Islamist extremists. There was the familiar footage, carefully choreographed, of Christians being led to execution. Religious artworks were destroyed and in one scene an extremist smashed a statue of Our Lady to the ground.
Western powers were given some of the blame for all this – they toppled Saddam and dismantled the infrastructure of his country, leading to social chaos and wholesale persecution of Christians, who, though local, were seen as allies of the West. Likewise in Syria politics and religion made an uneasy mix. Assad’s regime has been blamed for many appalling atrocities, but Christians in Syria saw him as defending their right to worship.
Despite the rampant sectarianism there were hopeful signs, like the Muslim Kurdish fighters committed to defending their Christian brothers and sisters. And, despite a bloody civil war in the past, it looked like inter-faith relationships were doing reasonably well in Lebanon. As one Christian leader put it: “We have built this beautiful country together.”
Despite their suffering it was impressive to see the graceful rituals of the eastern Christians, especially the choirs of young people.
And it was great to see it at home as well, on last Sunday’s studio Mass on RTÉ One. This time it was the turn of choirs from Mount Merrion parish in Dublin. The music of the Mass of the Little Flower, composed by Brian Lawler, was truly distinctive and apart from catching up with it on the RTÉ player one can also buy the CD Little Flower – Old Prayers New Music, which includes traditional prayers refreshed with attractive new melodies and sung by a variety of young choirs.
And finally to the referendum update. Last week saw the intervention of former President Mary McAleese on the Yes side, supporting same sex marriage. I haven’t a major problem with that, though as she is a member of the Council of State there might be a conflict of interest or objectivity issue in the future.
However, if she’s to get involved like this, she should be subject to the same robust questioning as anybody else, and not get such a soft and unchallenging interview as she got from George Hook last Monday on The Right Hook.
Newstalk’s idea of balance was to have Breda O’Brien the next morning on The Breakfast Show to be severely grilled by Chris Donoghue. She was well able for him, but the fact that he was allowed do the interview was telling, as he already has a BAI judgement against him on this issue, and has continued without restraint to refer to what he has been fond of calling ‘marriage equality’ well before the Government pulled a fast one to use that misleading title.
He quoted the head of the Referendum Commission, but omitted to mention that this body has opted not to use the ‘equality’ word in their material.
Very few journalists ask the hard questions of the Yes side, but on last Sunday’s This Week (RTÉ Radio 1), Richard Crowley put some tough questions to Tánaiste Joan Burton, while just before that, there was a thorough debate on the issue on Marian Finucane featuring three speakers on each side of the debate. Finucane referred to a “sneery attitude” coming from the Yes side, and suggested that children inevitably come into the debate, but she also challenged the No side speakers, especially on the diversity of family types that already exist.
I thought the debate had been dying down, but last week felt like the most intense yet.
Pick of the Week
Where God weeps
EWTN, Sat, April 25, 8pm
Syrian refugees in Lebanon: a look at the suffering Church.
Mass
RTĖ One, Sun, April 26, 11am
The Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan, celebrates Mass in the RTÉ studios for Vocations Sunday.
The Meaning of Life, with Gay Byrne
RTĖ One, Sun, April 26, 10:35pm
Another chance to see Imelda May (pictured) talking about the things, people, events and beliefs that give her life meaning.