[Mrs. Don-o]

I don't really have a right to an opinion one way or the other, since it doesn't concern me; however, Fr. Nadaf's idea of "Aramaean Christian" makes sense to me, since the Christian Aramaeans do not share an historical heritage, religion, or descent from the Muslim Arabs. This will make it easier for them to preserve their ancestral language --- Aramaic --- and shake off some of the unwanted political baggage of "Pan-Arabism."

So Hooray for Fr. Nadaf. I wonder why the upper Greek Orthodox hierarchy has a problem with that?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Comments?

[Biggirl]

They should go back to their historic roots, plus save the historic Christian community in the Holy Land.

[vladimir998]

I have wanted the Christians in the Middle East to do this for years. It makes so much sense.

[Slings and Arrows]

Mazel tov!

[LegendHasIt]

Kinda cool!
Seems a smart move in several ways to me.

[Honorary Serb]

When islam conquered most of the Levant, they forcibly Arabized the Aramean and Syrian Christians who were living there. That means they forced both the Arabic language and Arab national identity on them. The main goal was to make them convert to islam, which unfortunately many did.

It is good that Orthodox Christians and Maronite Catholic Christians in Israel are reclaiming their Aramean nationality, and are also taking on the full rights and duties of Israeli citizenship. The Greek Orthodox hierarchy in the Holy Land, many of whom falsely identify as “Palestinian”, will eventually come around to see how good this movement really is.

There are also some 100,000 Russian Orthodox Christians in Israel, most of whom have already taken on the full rights and duties of Israeli citizenship.

Israel is the safest place in the greeter Levant to be a Christian, and to openly practice one’s faith.

[Sherman Logan]

Christian Aramaeans do not share an historical heritage, religion, or descent from the Muslim Arabs.

History. They share a long history with Muslims, having lived side by side for well over a thousand years.

Religion is of course different.

Most "Arab" Muslims in Israel, Lebanon and Syria are probably descended genetically primarily from the same people as the Christians. Arab or Aramean or whatever you choose to call them.

Most of the Muslims are descended primarily from converts from among the natives, not from invaders from the Arabian Peninsula.

[Wuli]

The Muslim Arabs in the area have only themselves to blame for this development. They are the ones who put the “handwriting on the wall” and finally the area’s Christians are reading it correctly - they’d be next after the Jews.