A Teachable Moment: "In Defense of Christians"

The booing of Ted Cruz, the person chosen to give the keynote speech at a meeting of a newly formed group, "In Defense of Christians,"  should awaken us to certain realities of which some Americans were unaware of, and others in high places have chosen to disregard.

Why would a group despised by Muslims in various Middle Eastern countries boo an American speaker when he suggests to them that they should recognize that the discrimination and oppression they experienced in Muslim lands is shared by other minority groups?  That they should unite with other such groups that are equally despised; notably, the Jews.  Ted Cruz went further, he suggested that they give recognition to the fact that the only country in the Middle East where Christians have flourished is Israel.  And, for this Ted Cruz was booed.

How this could happen is something that Americans must begin to understand.  It all comes down to Middle Eastern clan mentality.  Under the reign of the Ottoman Empire, local fiefdoms could do pretty much what they wanted as long as tribute was paid to Istanbul.  These fiefdoms were pretty much run by local clans, or what we in America would describe as extended families.  Some clans were better, some worse, but if you wanted to get along, you didn't mess with the dominant clan.

Since all the dominant clans were Muslim, the other religious groups were obliged to work out their relationships with them as best they could.  They had learned to show suitable deference.  They were required to pay reasonable taxes (or whatever you might want to call it) to the dominant Muslim clan in your area.  And, over time, the non-Muslim ethnic entities took on the coloration of the dominant Muslim.  The shared, in large part, the same cuisine, and similar prejudices.  The fact that the Christians were as discriminated against as the Jews by the dominant Muslims was not as significant to the Christians as the fact that they shared with the Muslims equal disdain for the Jews.

A similar pattern of behavior was found among red necks in America's south in Jim Crow days towards African Americans.  The red necks (crackers) were also placed in an inferior position by the dominant, wealthier whites, but they could never accept the fact that their position in the social order had many similarities with that of the blacks.

That Middle Eastern Christians should share similar prejudices with the Muslims should come as little surprise to Jews who live in Jewish neighborhoods that have, in recent years, become home to Jewish immigrants from Iran -- or Persia as they are fond of calling the place they came from.  Mistrusting  local institutions, they often deal in cash even when the transactions are quite large.  They establish their own synagogues where long-time Jewish residents feel unwanted.  Marriages between cousins, where the marriage has been previously arranged, remains for them a popular custom.

In one instance of which I am keenly aware, a drug addicted, youth from a Jewish, but Persian, home killed another Jewish man, not Persian, as he was crossing the street.  The Persian youth was driving under the influence of the drugs he had just taken.  Jewish-Iranian families in the community (including their rabbis) did all in their power to keep the boy from being found guilty of the crime they all knew he had committed.   (I should add that this crime was not the first committed by the Persian youth.)

The Jewish families who had lost a son, and a father and the Jewish community that had lost a most remarkable doctor could not understand how other Jews; indeed, other rabbis could behave in this manner.  But, if you understand the Middle East it's not really surprising.

Getting back to the incident at the meeting of the group, "In Defense of Christians," we should note that in attendance was one of the sponsors of this group, a Dr. Zogby of the Arab American Institute.