Father Benedict Kiely, founder of the Nasarean organization, said Sunday on Newsmax that Christians in the Middle East have faced centuries of persecution and remain "second-class citizens" in Muslim-majority countries, despite their enduring faith and resilience.
"Christians in the Middle East have been persecuted for centuries, ever since the time of Islam," Kiely said on Newsmax's "Sunday Agenda," adding that "Christians are always second-class citizens wherever Islam is the majority."
Kiely, who has traveled frequently to Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria since 2015, said that while violence has slowed in some areas, believers still remain in danger.
"There are attacks regularly in places like Egypt and Syria," he said. "Of course, it's ongoing in Iraq. Christians suffer, and they need the prayers and help of their brothers and sisters in the West."
He criticized mainstream media for downplaying such persecution.
"Many in the left-wing media and academia think that we're the enemy because of our teaching on human sexuality," Kiely said.
"It seems to be completely forbidden to ever say where the vast majority of persecution is coming from," he continued. "It doesn't mean every Muslim is a bad person. ... However, wherever Muslims are in the majority, Christians are always second-class citizens and are often suffering."
The Nasarean organization works to help displaced and impoverished Christians rebuild their lives in the Middle East.
"We help them start a family business in their own country, where they've been for 2,000 years," he said.
"A small amount, often $5,000 or $10,000, keeps Christians in their own country," he added.
"They don't just take charity; they work, they create, they employ other people, and they stay."
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