Christians risk falling victim to extremist elements in the wake of the Arab Spring, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned.

Speaking to the BBC this week, Dr Rowan Williams warned of a “very anxious time” ahead for Christians in the Arab world and Middle East.

He voiced concern over the level of attacks against Christians and the burning of churches in Egypt, suggesting people were unaware of the true extent of violence being perpetrated against believers in the region.

He spoke of his hope for the emergence of democracy following the unrest of the last half year, saying that a participatory democracy would be in the interest of minorities because “good democracies look after minorities”.

The Archbishop voiced concern, however, that in the immediate future, Christian minorities would be subject to attack amidst the ongoing upheaval.

He told BBC Radio 4: “There is no doubt at all that it is a very anxious time for Christian communities.

“There have been extremist atrocities already, especially in Egypt.”

He added: “Although at leadership level in the Muslim community in Egypt, there is clear condemnation of this, it’s evident that there are other forces at work which of course may not be native Egyptian.”

Turning his attention to Iraq, he said the level of violence against Christians there had been “extreme”.

He said: “More and more there is talk of an ‘enclave solution’ to the problem in Iraq – that is a sort of safe territory for Christians, which Christians and their leaders don’t particularly want, but many would think is the only practical outcome now.”