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I'm from a Christian family that immigrated to the US from Lebanon in the early 80's. I also have relatives in France and Sweden. All of us have integrated really well into our respective nations. We feel like we are respected and have the economic, political and education opportunities in the western world that were brutally denied to us in the Islamic world. For this reason we generally are very patriotic to our host nations.
I met a Christian Arab yesterday, only been here 7 months so far too early for integration but is keen on spending time with the locals, so was his Muslim Arab friend but I don't see it being much easier for him even though he's Christian because no one bothers to ask what religion the Arabs are, they all just assume Muslim (I did too until he told us). Maybe if they get involved with local churches they might integrate better.
I'm from a Christian family that immigrated to the US from Lebanon in the early 80's. I also have relatives in France and Sweden. All of us have integrated really well into our respective nations. We feel like we are respected and have the economic, political and education opportunities in the western world that were brutally denied to us in the Islamic world. For this reason we generally are very patriotic to our host nations.
I truly pray you still feel that since rhetoric spewed by politicians is actually giving those bent towards bigotry and racism may very well get unleashed from 24/7 media/social media giving them in their heads GREEN LIGHT.
If you feel safe..great!! But who's to say these loose cannon's have the intellect to differentiate between Muslim/Christians from ME?? Heck..some have attacked Sikh from India mistaking them for being Muslim..or some who is of the Buddha Faith??? In fact, Muslim Religion is part and parcel to Many Asian Nations too..So who's to say they feel safe as well????
Words do have consequences..responsible leadership must call out those continually spreading fear like what's been going on ... Most Western Worlds are full of multicultural ethnicities..and even those are full of many differing religions. To somehow feel you are immune to hateful treatment is rather naive..But more than likely wishful thinking!!
When any Politician gets rep'd or thumbs up or give OP Ed of enforcement by well know Supremacist Groups..You have to know..the Melting pot is boiling over now..and IF not careful..Many innocent's will get hurt and killed
Below link gives some credence to increasing the simmer to boiling over of prior suppressed bigotry~
But this mania is countered by a confident strength in our minority communities. Black women are standing topless in the streets with their fists in the air. Hispanic communities are unapologetically flexing their political power. Even Muslims - who are taking this racist xenophobia on the chin - are refusing to feel guilty and asking why everyday Christians don't feel the need to apologise for Christian 'terrorists'. And I'm heartened by the increasing volume in voices of white people, many formerly silent, who are saying, "We can do better than this."
White supremacy has had its run, but it will fight in increasingly violent displays as it's dying. Trump and the rest of the GOP contenders know this and want to capitalise on it. They are stoking fear of a changing world to their advantage. They don't care about their voter base. They don't care about the next generation, or even really about this one. They care only about winning the election, and they're willing to crank up the heat and burn us all to do it.
They have been part of the general population for generations. I visit a Syrian restaurant owned by a Armenian-Syrian and he married locally and he's a local. There are also Lebanese Christians, and Muslims. Lebanese do not have much problem since they are very western, frenchified.
It seems there are many Christians from the Middle East in Södertälje, Sweden, as well as Mandaeans...
Yes, Södertälje has been famous for the immigration from the Middle East (including the town alone taking in more refugees than the whole US did). Our mix is roughly 1/2 Swedish origin, 1/3 Syriacs and Assyrians, and 1/6 immigrants from other places.
It also makes Södertälje unusually Christian in the largely secular Scandinavia, and particularly the range of Christian sects in town is hard to match. In other cities in the world with a Christian population it could be a mix of Catholic and Protestant, or Catholic and Orthodox. Södertälje has all these three plus the whole range of Syriac denominations (the majority), Coptic, Ethiopian orthodox (and Non-Christian denominations like Islam and Buddhism).
Immigrants in Södertälje have integrated fairly well, but it is unusual for a whole city, and not just a neighbourhood, to be dominated by immigration (and very broadly speaking one group of immigrants), that has its pluses and minuses.
In Spain, just like locals. I know Syrians (Armenians and archaic Christians), Copts and of course, Lebanese. In general, they all adapt notwitstanding religion, as there are many Jordanian doctors, etc.
In the US, 90 percent of Arabs are Christian.
I know some Iraki Christians, one with a well known restaurant in Barcelona. They had to leave because they were protected by Saddam, and in Syria by Assad (Baas).
They have been part of the general population for generations. I visit a Syrian restaurant owned by a Armenian-Syrian and he married locally and he's a local. There are also Lebanese Christians, and Muslims. Lebanese do not have much problem since they are very western, frenchified.
I also visit a Syrian restaurant owned by an Armenian-Syrian in Barcelona, he's married to a local woman and as local as anyone. He's pro Assad. He's been living here since the times of Franco, that had very good relations with Arab countries. Last time I visited him, he was all pi.ssed because local ordinances forbade smoking in specific sections, as before, and he could not use narguiles.
Steve Jobs is of Syrian descent, and they are perfectly assimilated in western countries and Latin America, Menen, Slim, Stefan, etc.
Right after 9/11 I wonder if for a temporary period there were some Arab Christians in The U.S who lied and told people they were Latino, Greek, Italian, or Jewish because they were afraid if they had said they are Arab they would be automatically lumped in with Muslims!
Well I know many people of Lebanese background here in Sydney, including my closest friend, will say their heritage is Christian Lebanese rather than just Lebanese.
Well I can't speak for Europe as I am from Australia, but Christians from the Middle East have been longer established in Australia than the non Christians from the Middle East. They see themselves as not the same people as the Muslim immigrants from their country of origin.
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