18/07/2011

Christianity is a Middle Eastern Religion. Its early expansion was Eastwards and it quickly became the dominant religion of the region. That changed with the arrival of Islam but Christians have always had a significant presence. But during the last century Christians began leaving the Middle East in large numbers. Sometimes it was because they were more able to take up the opportunities the West offered; sometimes it was because they felt less able to express their faith under growing political Islam. In this programme Ernie Rea asks how the events of the Arab Spring will affect the fortunes of Christians in the Middle East. He is joined by Nadim Nassar, a Syrian and Anglican priest, Professor Madawi al-Rasheed from Kings College London, and Ziya Meral, fellow of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Producer Rosie Dawson.