Arab Christians

As Arab Christians are called members of an Eastern Christian Church, which are either ethnic Arab or Arabized culturally and linguistically.

The majority of Arab Christians living in the Middle East, where Islam is the predominant religion. Much of the emigrant Arab Christians ( emigration for various reasons) to live throughout the American continent from Canada / USA in the north to Argentina and Brazil to the south. Less Arab Christians have emigrated to Europe.

Overall, the number of Arab Christians is estimated at 40 million.

Head numbers by country:

  • Egypt: 5-11 million
  • Brazil: 12 million
  • Argentina: 3.5 million
  • Lebanon: 1.6 million
  • Syria: 2.4 million
  • USA: 2.5 million
  • EU: 500,000
  • Jordan: 400,000
  • Canada: 350,000
  • Australia: 140,000
  • Israel: 154,000
  • Iraq: 636,000
  • Turkey: 18,000

History

For a long time have lived alongside members of other religions ( Islam and Judaism ), the Arab Christians. Even after the expansion of Islam from the 7th century, many Christians remained true to their faith, despite not rare and partly massive handicap exercise of their religion.

There have been since the 1st century several Arab Christian tribes, such as the Ghassanids, who lived on the southeastern border of the Byzantine Empire in northern Arabia.

Presence

The largest population in absolute numbers of Arabic-speaking Christians living in Egypt. Most of the up to 11 million Egyptian Christians are Copts, the Coptic Church is limited to Egypt and Ethiopia. The Copts call themselves not as an Arab, but rather as Arabic or Arabic-speaking Christians.

Lebanon has the highest Christian population: about 45 percent before the Civil War. The largest Christian church is the Maronite, followed by the Romanian Orthodox, Greek Catholic ( Melkite ) and Syrian Orthodox and Armenian churches. Lebanon is also a refuge of other Christians from neighboring countries. The president is always a Maronite, the Deputy Prime Minister always a rum - Orthodox Christian. The ministerial posts are allocated equally between Muslims and Christians.

In Syria, about 10 percent of the population Christians in Palestine about 1.6 percent; a four-fold greater number of Palestinian Christians living abroad.

In Iraq, Christian immigrants from since the end of Saddam's rule and the associated intensification of insecurity in the country.

In Jordan, there is a relatively large community of about 0.4 million Christians.

In the Maghreb countries, the Christian population is much lower. In recent years, will be converted over 1 million Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians to Christianity.

Occupies a special position, the population of Malta, whose language is Arabic and its religion Roman Catholic in the core.

Identity

Not all Middle Eastern Christians identify themselves as ethnic Arabs, although they are Arabic speakers. The Aramaic language has largely declined among Christians and is spoken only by a minority.

So, for example, designate Maronites as descendants of the Phoenicians and Chaldeans, Arameans as to set yourself apart from Arabs (for example, from Saudi Arabia).

Arab people Arabization Near East Melkite Greek Catholic Church Maltese language Wolfgang G. Schwanitz
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