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Posted by Tiglath (Guest) - Wednesday, August 9 2006, 14:07:17 (CEST)
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The Minority Syndrome!

It is a phenomenon that happens often to minority communities within majority areas. It is known as the “Minority Syndrome” and
can be seen particularly these days in two areas of conflict in the Middle East – in Lebanon and Iraq.

The Minority Syndrome is when a minority, such as Assyrian Christians in Iraq or Maronite Christians in Lebanon, and many of their
compatriots overseas for example, instead of identifying with their historical and moral friends, instead identify with their
enemies due to the intense pressure and influence of living in minority status.

In much the way hostages often end up identifying with their captors or abuse victims defending their abusers, those with the
“Minority Syndrome”, due to a number of factors identify with those who are in fact hurting them.

I will never forget trying to get a visa at an Embassy. I had often received a visa at the Embassy, and was very close to the moslem
employees.

I was delighted when a fellow Assyrian Christian began to work for the Embassy, a friend and immediately went to visit him.

I said, “It is wonderful you are now at the Embassy! God has sent you here! I will introduce you to the Christians in the
government and we can help our people.”

You can imagine my surprise when he said “I am not here as an Assyrian Christian – I am here as an Embassy Official. My job is
to work for the country.”

Knowing that all the other minorities worked full time at the embassy and then for their respective groups and or tribes in every
free moment it seemed very strange.

My shock didn’t end there! Days later I still had not received my visa! Instead of being easier with a fellow Assyrian Christian
on staff, he had made it harder!

Things became very complicated when I was talking with another Embassy employee, a moslem who said “We don’t understand him! He
is an Assyrian Christian, but he is more “moslem” than we are!”

I had encountered the “Minority Syndrome” firsthand!

There are a number of factors affecting the syndrome. First, is the desire of minorities to want to be accepted by the majority and
to be seen as “patriotic”. As minorities, they feel they need to be “more patriotic” than the majority to overcome the view
that they are not.

Second, in particular for those born and raised in the system, there is a version of self-denial that denigrates oneself, and adopts
the worldview of the majority uncritically even though this worldview may be hostile to the minority.

Finally there is classic “self hate” that develops as a result of the generational minority status.

I will never forget days after the fall of Baghdad. A group of us had gathered and were going to join the daily demonstrations
taking place at that time in front of the Palestine Hotel – the seat of government at that time.

The young Assyrian Christians were eager to show their flag and signs along with the Shiites, Kurds, Sunnis, Communists and others
that were gathering every day in the central square of Baghdad.

The first sign, done also in English so it could be seen around the world read “A Homeland for the Assyrian Christians” –
precisely the same message as all the other groups had.

As we prepared to leave the leadership said, “No, you cant to a message like that! It will be too provocative!”

“But everybody has their message. Why cant we.” The young people asked. “We are Iraqis first,” said the leaders.

We all went back and redid the signs. The next sign said, “Protect the rights of the Assyrian Christians”.

Once again, getting ready to leave we were told, “You cant say that!” “Why now” we responded. “You need to say, “Protect
the rights of all Iraqis”

Seeing firsthand the spinelessness of the leadership the young people said “forget it – we are not going all the way to the
center of Baghdad, make posters and stand out in the hot sun with signs that say “protect the rights of all Iraqis”.

This is a classic expression of the “Minority Syndrome”.

The response when challenged with this spineless attitude, minorities respond by saying “our lives will be in danger or our
families”.

While in theory this may be true, the reality is that, particularly in moslem countries the only thing respected is power and
confidence.

The minorities, in particular the Christian minorities, do themselves and their cause a great disfavor by being more “moslem”
than the moslems themselves and finding themselves chanting on the wrong side of the argument.

In the end, the other side does not respect those who do not stand up for themselves, even though they may disagree. This
expression of classic “self hate” is at the core of the reason that minorities in the Middle East in particular have attained so
little.

It is time to do away with the “Minority Syndrome” and with confidence, knowing that the waves of history and international
norms are on our side stand up confidently first for who we are and second for what we believe.

It is then and only then when the goals will be attained. The Moslems, as they express privately will respect this expression of
confidence.

Ken Joseph is a Assyrian Christian, a writer and columnist and directs www.assyrianchristians.com



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