Are there many Christians in Mid East? What race are they?

Question

I ask because i know some lebanese people, they are catholic, but speak arabic. They tell me that back in time they didnt speak arabic, and are really from Phonicians or Canaanites. They also tell me that nearly half lebanese are Christian, and are from before arabs came there. Ive seen a couple of questions on here, and am now confused! What abut Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia etc?

Answer 1

Well before the Arab Conquest in 7th Century MOST people in the middle East had adopted christianity (except Iran, then Persia, they were Zoroastrians). ALSO, arabs were either smallish migrant minorities or non existant in countries that such as Iraq(ie Mesopotamia, or Bit Nahren in Aramaic), Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. As arabs were a minority or non existent, and there was no conversion to christianity from islam after the muslim conquest, most christians in mid east today, can trace their ancestry back before the arabs, although it is sometimes dangerous to express your identity!
Im an Assyrian, we speak Aramaic as a mother tongue, use our own written script and do not use arab names.

IRAQ: most Christians(5% of population) are part of an Ethnic group called Chaldo-Assyrians, AND are recognised as such by the iraqi Govornment. We descend from the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians on one hand, and the Arameans on the other. We have lived in Iraq for thousands of years before the arabs arrived there! You also have "Arabicised" christians like the Tilkeff, who have lost their identity over the centuries and now call themselves Arabs, There are also some Armenian, Kurdish and Turcoman Christians. In Iraq you also have Mandeans, who are also of the old blood, and speak Aramaic, they woship John the Baptist as the Messiah. There are also Yezidis in Iraq, who have their own ancient religion.
Egypt:: The Copts of Egypt make up around 5% of the population, they see themselves as ancient egyptian, that is why they have kept alive version of the ancient language and written script, mainly for religious purposes. In some countries, Copts are listed as distinct ethnic group.

Syria: Syrian christians are a mix of Syriacs, Assyrians and Armenians, they make up 10% of the population. Syriacs are of Aramaic stock, some still speak a dialect of aramaic that they all once spoke, nearly all now speak arabic( but STILL use aramaic for church services), but they are closely related to the Assyrians and regard themselves as such, and many have family names that are clearly Aramaic in origin. Syria is Baathist (Arab Nationalist) so any xpression of other origins is dangerous!

Lebanon, Lebanse Christians make up 35% to 40% of the population. Lebanon is where ancient Phoenicia once was, and those lebanese who resisted the conversion to islam after the arabs arrived, can indeed claim decendancy from the phoenicians. Again there are a couple of villages where Western Aramaic is still spoken as a first language by the Maronite Christians.

Answer 2

There are quite a lot of Christians in the Middle East although their numbers are declining as many of them leave for more peaceful places such as the USA, Canada, Britain and Australia.

Most Arab Americans are Christian. Until about 25 years ago, Christian Arabs formed the majority in Holy places such as Bethlehem and Nazareth. However, between emigration of Christians due to the constant terrorist attacks in Israel and the increased immigration of Muslim Arabs plus the higher birthrate of Muslims, Christians are now a very small minority and some of the smaller Christian congregations are barely surviving.

Egypt has a Christian minority, called Copts.

In strict Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, while it is not illegal to be a Christian it is against the law to display Christian symbols, sell or give away bibles, or to speak of the Christian religion to anyone who is not a Christian.

Answer 3

There are Christian communities in Iraq, Egypt and Palestine. Not sure where else in the Middle East.

Note: Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem which is in Palestine, he was therefore a Palestinian.

If you go to Bethlehem at Christmas time, the Palestinian Christians but on a real Christmas.

One of the world's most famous Christian Chiors comes from Palestine. They actually sing in Aramaic - the language of Jesus.

Answer 4

Yes, they well be Arabs. Arabs and Jews are the same race. Abraham ejected his first born son Ismael and his mother Haditha, (Abraham's concubine) when his wife, Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
They were saved from dying by the Angel Gabriel who showed them where to find water in the desert. Arabs and Jews are both Semites and racially the same. This was long before Christianity came along.
People from Iraq and Syria are normally considered to be Arabs. Egyptians don't consider themselves to be Arabs. or didn't until recently. Tunisians are known as Maghreb Arabs, as are most of the people in Algeria, and Morocco.
The Arabic language is a Semitic language and is closely connected to Hebrew.
Christianity was wide-spread in Syria, northern Iraq and adjacent parts of Turkey before the birth of Mohammed.
Although it is a ruin, one of the oldest Christian churches is to be found on an island in Lake Van (eastern Turkey).
In the triangle between Syria, Turkey and Iraq, it is possible that the Christians are ethnic Kurds.

Answer 5

Iraq: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Lebanon: Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%

Syria: Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Eqypt: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%

Tunisia: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Iran: Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%

So yes, in answer to your question there are some Christians in the Middle East.

Answer 6

There are groups of Christians in the Middle East. For example, there are the Coptics in Egypt and the Chaldeans (pronounced CALL-DEE-ANNS) in Iraq.

It's just that sometimes they face persecution from the Muslim majority.

Answer 7

Yes, there are many Christians in most places. They give a good example of why race is such an unscientific concept. Most of them would be classified as Caucasian, but many are quite dark-skinned. All of the countries you mentioned have Christian communities, some more than others.

Answer 8

Many Palestinians are Christian

Answer 9

Their's Christians & Jews scattered about, even in Iran.

Arabs & non - arabs.

Palestinians welcomed the jews into Palestine, and then the Jews kicked them out.

Answer 10

Of course, they are all over, they just don't get the attention that the radical Muslims do. They are of all nationalities and races.