SELECTIVE GENEROSITY: and the future of missions in the Middle East

Article by Mike Burnard with input from Hythem Graham Betts

The infrastructure of the more than 222,000 buildings in Gaza that were damaged or destroyed during Israels’ attacks will take decades to repair.  There is however another casualty of the war in Gaza that will take generations to recover – the witness of the Christian Church.

For most Muslims in the Middle East, the destruction of Gaza by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) is more than just buildings reduced to rubble.  It contains a cultural and religious heritage in Gaza, built over a thousand years and more, that has been destroyed and desecrated irreversibly.

Many of Gaza’s most ancient Islamic sites have been left in ruins by Israel’s attack on the territory^[1]. Houses of worship, tombs, charity offices and cemeteries have all been damaged by the shelling, but Gaza’s historic mosques have been the worst affected. Many of these sites date back to the time of the first Islamic caliphs, the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate.

Operation Protective Edge damaged 203 mosques, of which 73 were destroyed completely. Two churches were also damaged, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. A number of ancient mosques that hold memories of the Islamic and Arab history in Gaza were among the destroyed sites and people are devastated over the loss of this heritage.

The most significant of those mosques which were destroyed was the 7th-century Al-Omari Mosque in Jabaliya, Gaza’s oldest and largest. Named after the second caliph Umar bin Al-Khattab, it dates back to 649 AD, making it 1,365 years old. It accommodated 2,000 worshippers for the congregational prayers.

In the context of an honour and shame culture, the losses of these historic places of worship will create an immeasurable resistance, hatred and animosity against Israel AND, more importantly, her Western allies.

From a Christian missions perspective, this is important to understand. 

Christians’ longstanding involvement in Israel and massive support and investment is significant.  The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is the largest Christian advocacy organization in the US, according to MinistryWatch^[2] rankings, with an annual revenue of $220 million.  During the first two weeks of the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Christians gave at record levels to fund Israel Relief^[3].  Organisations like the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), The Joshua Fund, Philos Project, The Southern Baptist Convention and Texans on Mission raised millions in support for Israel – with practically no support going to Gaza.

As glorious as this generosity seems to be, there will be long-term consequences for missions in the Middle East.  Generosity is a wonderful Christian virtue but for most Muslims in the Middle East this “selected” generosity is perceived as animosity towards Muslims and selective compassion for those in need.  For many, this will confirm that the “Christian” West is allied with their enemy and therefore, per definition, also an enemy of Islam.  In such circumstances, Palestinians view Christian donor aid to Israel with deep suspicion given the West’s long track record of favouring Israel’s perceived interests at the cost of their needs.

Though it may not seem logical to us, in the minds of the Arab people, the Crusades (started around 1100AD) have never ended, and the conflict playing out for the last 75 years is just the most recent iteration. The Crusades were a dark time in Christian history where the name of Jesus was used to justify hugely aggressive, and many in the Middle East would say, barbaric injustices. Missionaries in the Arab world have for decades been accused of being a part of this. There was a major shift in sentiment during the Syrian civil war (during the 2010s) as Muslims were fighting Muslims and Christians (local and international) refused to take sides in the war but gave aid to those who suffered, opening the hearts of hundreds and thousands to hearing about Jesus.

Unfortunately, the groundbreaking work of countless missionaries in the Middle East during the past decades could be nullified by the support of Western Evangelicals for Israel.   This will close doors for future missionaries from the West and is something few organisations and Churches are currently contemplating.

Another deadly consequence of the public support by Western Churches for Israel will be the image of local churches in the Middle East.  Local believers will be classified in the same category as their Western counterparts and perceived as “pro-Israel”  This will not only result in an increase in persecution but also in closing doors for them to share the Gospel amongst their own people.

The events that started on 7 October will no doubt have major geopolitical consequences for the region but sadly the spiritual impact will put missions back to where it was two decades ago.

 

[1] https://thewallwillfall.org/2014/09/12/you-can-destroy-the-mosques-but-never-bring-gaza-to-its-knees/

[2] https://ministrywatch.com/30-largest-christian-advocacy-organizations/

[3] https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/october/israel-gaza-war-aid-evangelical-christian-fundraising-suppl.html