Liberating the Christian Voice

In his All Things Catholic Mr. John L. Allen Jr. considers the "Christian voice" and its role in the recent "Arab Spring." He mentions

To liberate the potential Christian contribution to the Arab Spring, action is required on all sides.

First, Western governments should make it clear that protection of religious minorities, including Christians, is a sine qua non of diplomatic recognition and material assistance. Defense of religious groups and institutions should be a cornerstone of security priorities.

In that regard, the record in Iraq is not encouraging. . . .

Not only is Mr. Allen insightful as usual, he also reviews events elaborating on the Christian presence in the Arab world, a presence to which other media give little detailed attention.