Podcast: Solidarity with Middle East Christians

Dr Harry Hagopian

A special installment of Middle East Analysis today with not one but two studio guests. The first needs no introduction to regular listeners - it's Dr Harry Hagopian, the Bishops' Consultant on the MENA region. The second guest is the Bishop of Clifton, the Rt Rev Declan Lang, Chair of the Bishops' Conference Department of International Affairs.

This podcast looks at the violent scenes in Port Said, Egypt. Earlier this week, immediately after a football match between Cairo's al-Ahly and the home side, al-Masry, 74 people lost their lives after rioting took place inside the stadium. Dr Hagopian analyses the tragedy and puts it in context with the current power struggle in the country:

"The two main contenders for power in the future in Egypt are the Military Council and Parliament. This is a power play between the two of them. Hopefully we won't see too many of those painful episodes in the future as the whole of Egypt suffers - and let's not forget that ten percent of Egypt is Christian. However, it is an inevitable consequence of revolution after decades of slumber and oppression."

The realities faced by the indigenous Christians of the MENA region are discussed, in the context of the riots and uprisings. Bishop Declan Lang joins Dr Harry Hagopian to provide a pastoral insight - highlighting the universality of our faith in a multi-plural region.

On the importance of showing solidarity with the Christian communities, Bishop Declan says: "These communities are going through periods of instability and therefore periods of fear - they're fearful for their lives, fearful for their families.

"When you're afraid, you can feel very alone. So in one sense, solidarity is about friendship and standing with people - trying to understand the situation they're facing, trying to experience their fear. Through our friendship with them, we share in their fear and we share in their hopes and expectations. We are standing with them."

"As we become more aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, coming from different cultures, it broadens our horizons and deepens our understanding of what it is to be a human being."

Dr Hagopian is an international lawyer and consultant to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales on the Middle East. He's also a former Assistant General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches.

Listen to the Podcast here: www.catholicnews.org.uk/mena17