Arab Christians — Photo Gallery — National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue November 2009
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The Forgotten Faithful

Followers of Jesus for nearly 2,000 years, native Christians today are disappearing from the land where their faith was born.

/2009/06/arab-christians/img/01-christian-soldiers-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-01.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Lebanon Christian foot soldiers in east Beirut, ground zero in Lebanon's armed conflict, deploy religious symbols as a warning to neighboring Shiite militias.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/02-cross-carry-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-02.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Jerusalem Bearing the burden of the cross, Arab Christian residents join throngs of foreigners on Good Friday, tracing Jesus' route through the Old City. Once the majority, Arab Christians today are outnumbered and often overlooked.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/03-church-worship-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-03.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/04-easter-church-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-04.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Jerusalem In high spirits, churchgoers rock the Christian Quarter at Easter.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/05-west-bank-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-05.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/06-olive-farmers-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-06.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi West Bank Christian farmers lost their olive groves when Israelis built a fence around a settlement.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/07-monastery-syria-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-07.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Syria In the desert north of Damascus, the monastery of Deir Mar Musa dates from the sixth century, when hundreds of churches and monasteries dotted the region. Today its monks say they are "witnesses for peace," fostering Muslim-Christian dialogue.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/08-caves-lebanon-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-08.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Lebanon In the caves of Qadicha Valley, early Christians dreamed of what their religion would become; centuries later, monks bound the mentally ill in chains, seeking God's cure. Today Arab Christians come to fan the embers of faith.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/09-hermit-father-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-09.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/10-pop-songs-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-10.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Syria Playing pop songs in a reverent key, Christian scouts parade in the village of Saydnaya on Palm Sunday, climbing to an ancient church, Our Lady of Saydnaya, also revered by Muslims.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/11-syria-worship-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-11.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Syria Muslims worship at the tomb of John the Baptist in Damascus—a reminder that Islam reveres Jesus, Mary, and prophets of the Old and New Testaments. In Syria the faiths have mingled since the seventh century, when Arab Muslims conquered lands of the Christian Byzantine Empire. Some church fathers even mistook early Islam for a form of Christianity.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/12-easter-social-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-12.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/13-lebanon-forces-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-13.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Lebanon In east Beirut, Milad Assaf is a proud member of the Lebanese Forces, a Maronite Christian political party backed by well-armed volunteers.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/14-maronite-muscle-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-14.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/15-child-prayer-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-15.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/16-iraqi-christian-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-16.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi Lebanon Fight or flight? For many Iraqi Christians targeted by jihadists for death or kidnapping, the answer was flight to Syria or Lebanon, where Faraj Hermez, of Kirkuk, sought refuge for his wife and ten children.]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/17-community-college-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-17.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi /2009/06/arab-christians/img/18-exodus-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-18.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi West Bank The exodus of Christians continues in Bethlehem, where Tony Rashmawi, his wife, Jeeda, and daughter, Zeina, pack for Canada. "Under Israeli occupation, normal life is impossible," says Jeeda. "We must give Zeina a future."]]> /2009/06/arab-christians/img/19-lonesome-shepherd-714.jpg /2009/06/arab-christians/img/christians-60-19.jpg Photograph by Ed Kashi