The U.S. Muslim & Christian Coalition (MCC)

Christians and other indigenous religious minorities are an integral part of the Arab world. Recent political factors have broken this coexistence in various regions of the Middle East resulting in persecution and expulsion of Christian citizens, most particularly in Iraq, Egypt and Syria. Masked as religious doctrine, these politically-driven violations are carried out by extremists in the name of Islam. The persecution of Christian citizens, unimaginable in the acts themselves, violates our faith communities and even our Creator.

In alarm and deep concern for Arab Christians & other religious minorities under attack, and with a clear understanding that peace, justice and freedom are only possible in a culture of coexistence, we pledge to remain united in addressing the challenge of this new extremism and to restore the communal relationship of co-existence among neighbors. We extend an open invitation to all people of goodwill to join us in this call to action.

The Muslim-Christian Coalition (MCC) represents Muslim and Christian leaders, churches, mosques, Islamic centers, and organizations, along with other community members who are committed to putting our faith into action to protect Christians and other religious minorities in the Arab world and to further coexistence and peace.

Our Goals

We recognize that both the current conflict and potential for future suffering can only be addressed through more systemic and long-term efforts. Therefore, to achieve our mission of alleviating the suffering that past persecutions, loss of life, and expulsion have had on Arab and Middle Eastern Christians, we set the following goals:

Reclaiming the legitimate Muslim voice to defend Christians – Muslims within this coalition recognize that our name and voice are being used to perpetuate these persecutions. We feel an even stronger call to action than our Christian brethren to remain steadfast in challenging extremist activities in our name.

Providing and Sharing Models of Hope – Despite the tragic repercussions of extremists, there are beacons of hope which we hope to share and encourage others to replicate.

Developing Grassroots (People to People) Relationships – Both Christian and Muslim leaders recognize that “the Church” and “the Umma” are not buildings or ideas. They are people. We all have to become actively engaged in this campaign.

Providing Financial/Material Relief –The loss that persecuted Arab Christians have endured is catastrophic. We are committed to providing financial and material support to these victims.

Ensuring Resiliency –It is important for the future to plant the seeds of peace within the youth to ensure that this never happens again.

Amplifying the Voice of Victims – Those that have survived persecution need to share their stories as a way to deal with their grief and motivate people of goodwill to become more engaged in resolving the crisis.

Honoring our Creator – We must never forget that both of our Faiths are centered on our Creator. We commit to keeping His Will in all our actions for the Common Good