On Thursday's Glenn Beck Program, Glenn examined the history of persecution in relation to the rise of Islamic empires, for the two have often gone hand-in-hand. When the Arab Spring first broke out, revolutions brought about dramatic changes in the Middle East. The most significant was in Egypt, where Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhoos seized control. The U.S. government and media wanted us to believe the Brotherhood was a secular group looking to protect the rights of Egyptians, but billions of dollars in U.S. aid later, we now know the Muslim Brotherhood is not who we were told they were.
Following Morsi's election, the systematic targeting of Christians began. While women and Christians have always struggled for equality in the Arab world, the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt following Morsi's election has been unprecedented for modern times. Kidnappings, forced conversions, vandalism, and rape have run rampant throughout the region. Even with Morsi out of power, and the Egyptian Military looking to restore order, the largest concentration of Christians in found in southern Egypt - the part of the country with the weakest Military influence.
Glenn has been talking about the plight of the Coptic Christians for a number of weeks now. He has also talked about similar situations in Libya, Iran, and Syria. Christians in Syria have been steadfast in their warnings that if the rebels rise to power, Christians will be forced from the country. But this is nothing new. Since the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, Islamists have been searching for a way to enforce Sharia Law and relive that time. We know the importance of understanding history, and how necessary it is to ensure we do not repeat our past mistakes.
Perhaps one of the most egregious and under-reported examples of Christian persecution comes from not all that long ago. These humanitarian crises are not ancient history. A gruesome and all-t0-familiar story played out in September 1955, when the Great Riots of Istanbul occurred. Glenn told the story of the riots, and the devastation it caused for the minority Greek population in the country.
As Glenn explained, what we saw during the Ottoman empire, what we saw in Istanbul, and what we are seeing now in Egypt and across the Middle East is the Islamic desire for the power and control to create the next great empire. The message is clear: convert or else. The persecution extends beyond Christians to all minority groups - be it Jewish, Atheist, and otherwise. As President Obama talks about the tragedy of the chemical gas attacks on Syrian children, we must remember the tragedy Christian and other minority children across the region currently face.
Buck Sexton, national security editor at TheBlaze, also joined Glenn to discuss the current turmoil in the region and the historical undertones of the chaos we have witnessed recently.
