Christian political participation in the Arab world

Abstract

The political participation of Christians in the Arab world highlights the difficulties of reconciling the principles of equality and full rights based on citizenship with maintaining the public role of the religion of the majority of the population – Islam. Christian strategies have focused upon both Arab and state nationalism as well as pursuing individual ambition. The political context of these efforts is also significant. First, Christians are not immune to the political environment in the region, which has been characterized by a tradition of authoritarianism and limited political opportunity. Second, the Islamic environment provides the framework for discussing the political role of non-Muslims in Muslim-majority states. Christian political participation has also been shaped by the strategies pursued by the ruling regimes. These are: the treatment of Christians as the same or indistinct, the notion of ‘loyal’ citizens, and the institutionalization of differences through quotas. Yet irrespective of what strategy is employed, religious identity continues to be the crucial factor in determining the type of political participation accessed by Christians in the region, thus challenging the notion of national unity.