Over the years, many Arab Christians have left their homelands to escape religious persecution as well as to find better economic opportunities, often settling in the United States. The fall of Iraq and the Arab Spring have had an impact in recent years, according to Albert Hickman of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
“The Arab Spring has created uncertainty for Arab Christians,” Hickman says. “Many look at Iraq and see how Christians there have in some ways fared worse following the downfall of Saddam Hussein than while he was still in power; they wonder whether that will prove true in their home countries as well. The pressure Iraqi Christians have felt has led many to emigrate, and it is possible this pattern will repeat itself elsewhere.”
Ajaj said that the reason to come to the United States is simple – freedom. “It’s a great commodity, freedom ... to say whatever you want,...
Dr. Steven J. Lawson | 10/11/2009
