The Persecution of the Coptic Christians

Riots in Alexandria (11/2005)

Protesters threw stones at the Coptic church and police officers. Three people have died during a riot outside a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, after a protest against a play accused of offending Islam.

Police used sticks and tear gas to hold back a crowd of some 5,000 protesters who marched on St George's church... On Wednesday, a Muslim man stabbed a nun in protest at the sale of a DVD of the play, staged at the church in 2003.

The demonstration was the latest in a series of incidents at the church related to the performance of the play. Entitled "I Once Was Blind But Now I See," the drama tells the story of a poor young Copt who is drawn to Islamist militants who then try to kill him.

Coptic Christian leaders have said the play depicts the dangers of extremism, not of Islam. "Copts would never tolerate anyone insulting Islam," Coptic Bishop Armia is quoted by Egypt's official Mena news agency as saying. The Egyptian Interior Ministry described the protesters as "fanatic elements" who "escalated a negative reaction to a play", according to the Associated Press new agency.

A nun was stabbed at the church by a young Muslim on Wednesday. The ministry said the demonstrators gathered near the church in the Mediterranean port city after Friday noon prayers at local mosques. Stones were thrown at the church and police officers, injuring 20, and cars were set alight before police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Dozens of people were arrested.

Relations between Muslims and the Coptic minority - which makes up 5%-10% of Egypt's population - are generally calm, although tensions sometimes flare. Copts remained the majority in Egypt for centuries after the 7th Century conquest of the country by Muslim armies. Nowadays, they complain of discrimination in the workplace, restrictions on church construction and periodic fears that Christians are being forced to convert by Islamic extremists (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4366232.stm) .

Why is that Muslims always seem to react violently to real and imagined offense?

Is Islam so fragile that it needs Muslims to demonstrate and riot in Alexandria to protect it? Muslims in Egypt are the majority so why are they acting as if Islam is on the verge of collapse? When are Egyptians going to end our self-denial and admit that there is a problem between Muslims and Christians? We pretend everything is just fine and that anyone who dares to say otherwise is a traitor or an agent from abroad sent to sow the seeds of sectarian strife in Egypt.

I am a Muslim Egyptian, which makes me part of my country’s majority. Muslims comprise 90 percent of Egypt’s population. We have been quoting this figure for years now. I am sure it needs updating but the fact that we don’t have more accurate figures for Egypt’s religious make up is a symptom of the self denial that we must confront.

As Muslims in Egypt, we happily embrace the advantages of being the majority but rarely do we embrace its responsibilities.

Those include listening to the complaints of Egypt’s Christians. I have lost count of the number of offensive jokes and remarks I have heard about Christians in Egypt. Even more seriously, discrimination at work makes it difficult for Christians to climb many career ladders, they have limited access to political power and they are subject to ancient laws that insist they gain government permission to carry out even the simplest of renovations in churches.

... Somebody who courageously tackled this issue was Milad Hanna, a leading Egyptian intellectual who appeared on al-Jazeera and apologized for any offense caused to Muslims by the play.

Watching him made me think how much more responsible he was than the men of both religions but I gained no satisfaction from watching a member of my country’s minority apologize to its majority for something he had not done. I know he did it out of concern for national unity. I wish those 5,000 Muslims who took to the streets of Alexandria were as equally concerned with national unity.

One of the biggest mistakes of Egypt’s modern history was President Gamal Abdel-Nasser’s expulsion of Egyptian Jews. With that act, he set into motion a shrinking tolerance for religious differences that we continue to suffer from. And we will never be cured unless our government stops ignoring differences between Muslims and Christians.

The past week’s events were painful reminders that the old Alexandria – known as the pearl of the Mediterranean - died a long time ago. It took with it a country that was once famous for its diversity and tolerance. (http://www.aawsat.com)

...Thousands of demonstrators surrounded St. George church in Alexandria, Egypt, after two newspapers in Egypt published stories about a play that took place 2 years in that church. The information in the newspapers were inaccurate and incomplete, which resulted in riots killing few people and injuring dozens around the church, not to mention attacks on cars and some Christian-owned shops... Now, few days after it happened, I would like to discuss my opinion regarding this issue from two angles: The religion/culture angle (which is more important in my opinion), and the political angle.

Religion/culture angle: I downloaded and watched the play and I didn't find anything in it that conflicts with what a Christian or non-Muslim person believes in generally about Islam or some of its followers, so I don't see a reason for the astonishment or anger by some people. Every religion has a point of view towards other religions, and the same goes in the mutual perception of the religions of Islam and Christianity. Not understanding that is an inability to accept differences in opinion and beliefs. And there are Muslims, by the way, who will agree with many parts of the play. Freedom of belief and expression must be given to everyone, and when people disagree, they can discuss and debate their differences, and at the end, every person follows what they believe. This is from http://egyptianperson.blogspot.com .

Oh Horrors, Christians may be building a church! (2/2006)

More attacks on Egyptian churches (4/2006)

"There is something extremely fishy here. The Official story from the police says that the guy who attacked the two churches is mentally unstable - like they always say when such an attack happens - but that was until the second and third guy were arrested and the thrid and fourth attacks were carried through. The fishy part is in regard to the church security. Churches in Egypt are always protected by the police. There is always a police car and at least 4-5 policemen protecting it. Are you trying to tell me that this mentally unstable guy managed to go in the first church and attacked 11 people by his lonesome, and then managed to get out without being attacked by the security outside, and then managed to go inside a second church and attack 3 more people? All of those people and 2 infiltration, done by one guy holding a knife? Are you kidding me? I am supposed to believe this? There must've been a bigger attack. More people must've gotten involved, and the police is just trying to save face. This is not the first time this has happend, especially in Alexandria. Remember the last October attacks, where a nun and a man got stabbed in front of that same Mar Gerges church ? Remember the 5,000 Muslims attacking that same church a week later? Remember the other attacks that followed them? This is NOT an isolated incident, nor is it that surprising. This is Islamism at its best. Time to kill us some Christian Kaffarah. Egypt as a 100% Islamic state. Wohooooooooooo!"

"BP (Big Pharoah, another well-known blogger) once told me that a civil war in Egypt is inevitable and he is kind of right. There are 3 middle-eastern countries with significant Christian minorities in them: Sudan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Out of those 3, 2 already had a civil war between the Christians and the Muslims. It's simply Egypt's turn is all."

In temporary offices near the Virgin Mary Church in the Asafra neighborhood here, Father Bejimey Shawky catalogs the damage the Muslim rioters wrought.
First they smashed his church's windows.Then they unhinged the rear door.
The pious Muslim looters broke the electrical switch for the air-conditioner. They burned the anteroom near the main hall reserved for baptism; they burned the father's offices, and they burned the cupboards and shelves that contained the church's library.
"I cannot say where this hatred comes from," Father Bejimey said, his voice low and weary. "We have coexisted for generations." One of the elders at the church yesterday said the funeral procession turned into anarchy the moment the mourners bared the cross. "When the Muslim youths saw the cross in the sky, and the people saw our soul, the animosity in their hearts became evident," Talat Megala said.
Four other Christian eyewitnesses confirmed this account. A Muslim eyewitness, however, did not recall the moment the rival demonstrations turned violent.
But Mr. Megala's account is significant. In Cairo and Alexandria one can hear the echo of the cities' mosques calling the faithful to prayer before dawn. The symbols of Islam are everywhere, from the constitution, which stipulates that Egypt is a Muslim country, to the popular graffiti inside trains and on walls proclaiming, "It is our mosque, not their temple," a reference to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Mr. Megala complains that nothing about his country's fellow 6 million Coptic Christians is taught in public schools. "We are blamed by the Muslims for everything. We are blamed for the Danish cartoons.We are blamed for America's support for Israel." (From http://www.nysun.com/article/31121?page_no=2&access=558301 - April 18,2006)

So why is Islam an exception to using your brain? Why is it an exception to thinking for yourself and judging how God expects us to behave? Why is Islam an exception to question the disturbing Islamic teachings, especially about what our attitudes are supposed to be towards people from different countries, religions, or even about other Muslims who don’t practice Islam the way these people are trying to dictate- referring to them as “kafara” (atheists, nonbelievers, destined for hell).
Last Friday, at Friday prayer time, our neighborhood mosque was flaring the Friday preaching on its speakers.
This idiot loudly and audaciously claimed that:
1. Parents should never let their teenage boys out of the house unchaperoned. According to him, any teenage boys that are allowed out without their parents’ supervision, will surely and indisputably do drugs, and in turn, become a drug addict.
2. Not only this, but he will become a drug-addicted pervert who will rape his mother and sister.
3. To top off this very enlightening speech, it sickens me to even repeat what he said: “They will become like dogs and pigs, just like the Jews and Christians.”
Now I am neither Jew nor Christian, but I am a person who respects other people’s beliefs. I was profoundly offended.
Do you know what the worst part of all was? People continued listening. No one had the morality or guts to object and say, “Excuse me? Who allowed you to preach? Are you teaching people to hate an fester disgust at each other instead of love, kindness and giving? Shouldn’t you be preaching about how each person can influence the world by good deeds- to feed the hungry, charity to an orphanage, donating to the childrens’ cancer hospital, etc?
Welcome to the world we live in. Welcome to the new Muslim world; a world of ignorance, hatred, and intolerance; a very sad, sick world.

It is a long and sad story...

Copts demand Equality

Copts (the Christians of Egypt) are not asking for special treatment to compensate for centuries of discrimination and persecution. They are only asking for equality. They don't want anything more, and they will not settle for anything less. It is hard to believe that, at the turn of the 21st century, equality to Copts remains a luxury they still dream of. This at a time when the rest of the civilized world considers equality a birth right to be taken for granted.
1- Copts want the antiquated 19th Century Hamayouni decree be abolished. It is inconceivable to require that the president of Egypt must approve permits to build a church or even to repair a toilet in a church. Mosques in Egypt are being built with no restrictions.
2- Copts want equal air time on the government controlled TV and Radio stations to broadcast there belief to their people. The 15 million Copts living in Egypt pay for the TV and Radio from their tax money and they should have time allocated for broadcasting.
3- Copts want to have the church's trust lands returned. The income generated by these lands was used to provide for needy Copts. The lands were seized by the Ministry of Islamic affairs, even though the courts had ordered that the lands must be returned to their legitimate owners; the Copts.
4- Copts want an end to forced conversion of Christian girls, who are kidnapped and raped by Muslim extremists. There are reports of police protection given to the abductors.
5- Copts want all Egyptian citizens to have the freedom of belief, including the freedom to change one's religion. Christians are welcomed to convert to Islam, so Muslims should be free to convert to Christianity, if they so chose. Those converts are usually subjected to imprisonment and torture.
6- Copts want religious affiliation be removed from national ID cards, job applications, etc... so Christians could not be identified and discriminated against.
7- Copts want educational curriculums to be revised to guarantee that they do not contain any denigrating references to Christians and Christianity, but to encourage students to accept and respect each other. Mandatory courses in human rights in all public schools are strongly recommended.
8- Copts want the Government controlled media to refrain from conducting a campaign of hate against Christians, labeling them as infidels, thus creating a climate of intolerance, in which attacks against the Copts can be easily propagated. The media should also allow Coptic programs to be aired.
9- Copts want an end to discrimination in job appointments and promotions. Very few Christians are appointed to key jobs such as ministers, or other government officials. At the present time there are no Christian governors, mayors, chief of police, president of City council or college deans in Egypt.
10- Copts want an end to discrimination in government controlled school admission against Christian students. Very few Christians are admitted to the police academy, military schools. Very few Christians are appointed to teaching assistance positions in all medical collages, pharmaceutical collages, engineering collages and all top education collages.
11- Copts want the Egyptian government to be serious about apprehending those who murder Copts, and to punish them to the fullest extent of the law, and to adequately compensate the victims of these crimes. No killers of Copts have been sentenced to the same punishment as that of a killer of Muslims. Even the terrorist Haridi, who murdered thirteen Christians including small children, in Sanabu in 1992, did not get the usual punishment for murder for his horrifying crimes.
12- Copts want immediate orders be issued to rebuild Kafr Demian village, which was burned down by Muslim extremists in 1996, this must be done at the expense of the State.
13- Copts want certain mechanism to be established to create an adequate representation for them in the Egyptian parliament. One suggestion is to have certain areas be closed to Coptic candidates only. Political exclusion of Copts must stop. The governing national party failed to include any Copts in their list of candidates to the parliament.
14- Copts want the center for handicapped children, which was destroyed by the army in December 1996, be rebuilt at the expense of the government, and as soon as possible.
15- Copts want to be treated with honor and dignity inside Police Departments and in the Sermons of Muslim Sheiks in Mosques...etc. There is no justification for humiliating somebody just because he is different in religion.
16- Copts want to see an end to the religious discrimination that prevails at all levels of the Egyptian educational system, especially in hiring of teachers and professors, and unfair grading practices aimed at Christian students.
17- Copts want their history, language, and culture be taught in schools and colleges in Egypt where their sons and daughters attend.
18- Copts want to feel that Mr. Mubarak is a president for both Muslims and Copts. They want him to care for them and address their concerns. They want him to meet with their religious leadership, and perhaps pay visits to their churches, something other presidents used to do, but he has never done. This, no doubt, will break down walls of mistrust, and build bridges of tolerance and harmony between Muslims and Christians.
19- Copts want to be allowed to enroll in all schools, which are publicly funded, such as Al-Azhar University, police and military academies, without any restrictions. At present time there is a 5% maximum place on Coptic enrollment to police and military academies, and this percentage is not even met by actual enrollment.
These are just a few examples of the discriminatory practices imposed on Copts. They represent a starting point, and taking care of them will show good faith. The most important thing is that there must be a will to correct the wrongs being done to the Copts. When the will is there, everything else will fall in place. Then, Muslims and Christians will live together, in harmony, as brothers and sisters on the land of our beloved Egypt. This is our hope, and this is our prayer (from http://www.copts.net/demands.asp ).

The Jizya Tax

Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold forbidden that which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

There is debate as the the nature and obligation to collect this tribute. Some Muslims say that it is just the corresponding tax equivalent to the "zakah" or "zakat" that Muslim are required to pay as charity, but for which dhimmis are exempt. Dhimmis (also al-dhimma or Zimmi) is a person who is a member of an officially tolerated non-Islamic religion. The term literally means person of the dhimma, the security treaty signed with the Muslim state. In both legal theory and practice, dhimmis have fewer legal rights and obligations than Muslims. This all goes back to the Koran and the Pact of Umar, which is still used in some countries as a basis for the treatment of non-Muslim minorities. Anyway, many koranic authorities portray the jizha as a humiliation to be inflicted upon the dhimmis for rejecting Mohammed and his message. Al-Zamakhshari, a commentator on the Qur'an, said that "the Jizyah shall be taken from them with belittlement and humiliation. The dhimmi shall come in person, walking not riding. When he pays, he shall stand, while the tax collector sits. The collector shall seize him by the scruff of the neck, shake him, and say "Pay the Jizyah!" and when he pays it he shall be slapped on the nape of the neck."

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Another Muslim speaks out...

Is there something wrong with Islam? Of course there is. Muslims are what’s wrong with Islam. Islam is, afterall, an abstract collection of ideas...
There’s a loony in every family. A couple in mine. They were ‘normal’ one day. They would never strap shit to their bellies and blow shit up, they’re not THAT bad, but they’re pretty extreme in my view. They used to go to the same mosque I went to. They had good parents. They lived abroad. They watched porn. They did everything normal kids do. Now, they’re not so normal. I don’t care why it happened (well, not in this post at least). All I can think about is that loonies aren’t borne out of thin air. They aren’t spawned in some sess pool. They are extremely average, which is why they’re so dangerous. You can’t profile them.
I think Muslims need some serious time by themselves. We need to think about how the dogma we spoon feed each other and our kids has finally come back and to bite us in the ass. All that bullshit about conspiracy theories and the jooz and the ‘blue bones’ - what we once thought was harmless banter we threw around on street corners just to make time pass...
Violent Muslims, loonies, terrorists, fundies, whatever you want to call them, are the most selfish creatures ever created on God’s earth. They are willing to inflict pain and suffering on fellow man and beast only to get some cheap gate pass to Heaven. Instead of toiling at ‘life’ like the rest of us sorry fucks, these idiots think they can hop onto the superhighway to heaven by chopping other people’s heads off and pointing to God and saying ‘gimme gimme.’
And what do we do? We say ‘it’s not us, it’s them…we’re not like that…we swear.’ It’s not enough. Because soon enough, our own heads will be the ones rolling down Cairo’s merry old streets. How’s that for a selfish reason? You can start by boycotting a mosque if the sermons border on hate speech. Just don’t go. There’s plenty others. You can stop turning the blind eye to that ‘motashaded’ in your family. The next time he comes over for dinner, and his wife scurries off with yours to sit in some other room, order both women back in. You’re a man, right? You can order women around, right? Well, put it back to good use. Or how about the next time you get into a taxi and he has those wailing monkeys going about how the serpents are going to nick in you the butt, get out. Tell the taxi driver, stop here, and just leave.
I’m not preaching here. I can’t practice most of this. But I’m pretty sure we’re intelligent enough, and resourceful enough to come with some way of reacting. It isn’t easy being a renegade, but we can at least stop being so passive about it. If the fundies claim that religion is on their side, tell them that logic is on ours. And for God’s sake (and I mean His sake literally), let’s not keep acting Ostrich. Eventually, the shit will land on our heads, or on the heads of our kids. If they’re still attached to our bodies that is.

It never ends, does it...

Murder r us...

“Statement Number 1 from the Supporters of God’s Messenger, Muhammad peace be upon him, to unbelievers, apostates, atheists and those who may ally with them.

“God, Allah almighty, said ‘Say to the Unbelievers, if they desist their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already prepared.’ and also said ‘O Prophet! strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, an evil refuge indeed.’ And the messenger of God also said ‘He who changes his religion, kill him’.

“We, the Supporters of God’s Messenger, after discussion and consultation with our brothers, the leaders of the Islamic groups and organizations in the Muslim lands, and after they were informed of the verdicts that we reached in our consultation committee, concerning the expulsion of the leaders of apostasy [from the community of Islam], along with those who publicly deny our prophetic tradition, and who also call on others to join in their unbelief. After they departed from Islam and the Muslim umma, they have publicly supported leaders of unbelief, the worshipers of the cross, the Christians with whom they attend conferences, helping them against our spiritual leaders, and even demanding for them the right of ruling over our Muslim lands. Also, they support and cooperate with the sons of pigs and monkeys [i.e. Jews] against our brothers in our homeland of our Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“The consultation committee decided to give those who were found guilty of apostasy, unbelief, and denial of the Islamic established facts, three days’ time for them to announce their repentance and disavow their writings in denial of the traditions of the our prophet and to repent their support of the countries of unbelief and their rulers. They must announce this repentance publicly in the newspapers that they write in, and never to return to these writings and deeds again. If they do not respond to God and His messenger, we will hunt them in every place and every time. They are not far from the swords of the righteous, they are closer to our swords than we to our shoes, they are under our eyes and ears (surveillance) day and night, we are totally aware of the their hiding places, residences, schools of their sons, and the times when their wives are alone at home. We have issued our commands to the soldiers of God to worship God by pouring out their blood and burning their homes. “We thank God that most of these heads of unbelief and atheism do not live in Islamic lands, which will not be polluted by their rotten blood. They live in the lands of unbelief, the homelands of those who worship the cross and idols, countries like America, Switzerland, Canada and Italy. If they were in Islamic countries, we would wash the places in which they are killed seven times, once with dust to purify the Islamic homeland of their rotten blood. Their women are to be abducted; their children enslaved, and their money confiscated .This applies the ruling of Islam in handing over the possessions of the unbelievers to those who kill them.

“These are the names of those sentenced to be killed by the command of the consultation committee, if they do not repent three times before the end of three days, beginning April 10, 2006...

Wafa Sultan – American Muslim psychologist who has spoken out against jihad, the silence of mainstream Muslims over terrorism, and the treatment of women in Islam. Sultan lives in the Los Angeles area.

Ahmad Subhi Mansur (Mansour) – a liberal Egyptian theologian condemned as an 'apostate' because he accepts only the Quran as authentic and rejects the sunnas. Mansur argues in his book "The Punishment of Apostasy" (out of print) that religious liberty is fundamental to Islam. Mansur's wife and children are also specifically threatened. Mansur lives in the Virginia.

Adly Abadir – Egyptian born Christian Coptic priest, exiled from Egypt and now living in Switzerland. Abadir is an outspoken advocate against the subjegation of Christians in Egypt and has testified before the U.S. Congress on the plight of Coptic minorities living under the thumb of Muslims.

Jamal Al-Banna – moderate Egyptian theologian & brother of the founder of the Muslim Bortherhood who publicly disputes traditional Islamic teachings about the treatment of women & jihad, but like most Muslims justifies aggressiona against Jews. Al-Banna is probably under condemnation for his firm stance against dhimmitude and for freedom of religion and for his creation of the "Committee for the Defense of Victims of Terror-Fatwas"

Majdi Khalil – American Muslim who has spoken out against terrorism and those that justify it in the Islamic world.

Hasan Ahmad Umar – former President of the Egyptian Court of Appeals.

Muhammad Sha’lan – possibly the same Dr. Muhammed Sha'lan who is a professor of psychology at the oldest and most prestigious Islamic universty in the world, al Azhar.

Father Zakarias Butros – Coptic priest living in Holland who runs a website devoted to standing up for Christians in Egypt, against attrocities committed by Muslims against Christians, and which invites Muslims to engage in dialogue.

Sa’d Al-Din Ibrahim – liberal Egyptian human rights activist , board member of the Ibn Khaldun Center, and Professor of Sociology at the American University in Cairo. Ibrahim is a leading human rights activists who was arrested by the Egyptian government in 2000 to the applause of Islamists around the world. He is accused by Islamists of being a 'Zionist'.

Salah Muhsin – Egyptian who has spoken out against the Muslim Brotherhood.

Dr. Shakir Al-Nabulsi – a Jordanian born liberal Muslim, chairman of the American Academic Association in Jordan, and co-signer of an anti-Islamist petition to the U.N calling for an end to the preaching of violence against apostates. Nabulsi now lives in Denver.

Al-Afif al-Akhdar – 72 year old Tunisian born French secular Muslim. The Tunisian Islamic movement Al-Nahdha, issued a death fatwa against the him for his book "The Unknown in the Prophet's Life". In addition to exposing the hypocrisy of Muslims on terrorism, Akhdar has also been at the forefront of exposing the political motivations behind Muslim regimes using the Danish Mohammed cartoons to drum up anti-Western sentiment. More on Akhdar here.

Alexandria…Why? Alexandria seems to have caught on sectarian fire. This is the very Alexandria that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is Egypt's landmark for civilization and culture. Last Friday, a young Egyptian man, whom Egyptian authorities had declared mentally unstable, launched a knife attack on a number of churches in Alexandria... It is hard to believe the Egyptian government's claim that the attack was an isolated one, that it does not represent a public crisis or that the real problem arose from nowhere. The recent case of religious rioting is not the first in the contemporary history of Egypt. Problems between Muslims and Coptic Christians began in 1972 with the events of Al Khanka and Al Zawiya Al-Hamra, as well as other incidents up until the 1980s. In 1977, former president Sadat admitted that there was problem between members of both religions when a church in Fayoum was burnt down. The Coptic-Islamic confrontations continued in Egypt after the events of Al Khosheh, in the governorate of Sohag in 1999 and 2000. Other incidents include that of Samalot, the crisis of Al Nabaa newspaper, which featured the scandalous pictures of the priest of Deir Al Muharraq Monastery, as well as the matter the conversion of a Christian woman called Wafa to Islam, who was married to a priest. More recently, Alexandria witnessed another crisis that came about following the distribution of a DVD by members of the Mari Girgis church that was deemed offensive to Muslims. The play entitled, "I was blind but now I see," tells the story of a Christian who converted to Islam then reconverted back to Christianity based on his belief that it is the best creed. Muslims protested angrily against the play, which led to some deaths.

In Egypt, the news informed us that the religious committee of the Egyptian parliament, in its meeting recently, headed by Dr. Ahmed Omar Hashim and attended by Dr. Zeinab Radwan, parliamentary representative, had unanimously agreed to cancel the accord of religious rights that was signed by some priests and the former deputy of Al Azhar mosque, Sheikh Fawzi Al Zafzaf. It was cancelled on the pretext that the treaty is suspicious and instigates apostasy and treason. But for what reason? The treaty read, "We believe in the right of every individual to embrace any religion that they want. We believe that any individual, male or female, has a sacred right in embracing or refusing a religion without being subjected to harm from any political or religious authority." Thus, we see that parliament, along with the enthusiasm of an official clergyman who has close ties to state authority (Omar Hashim) seeks to counter any dedication to religious tolerance. This simply reflects that a common problem exists that brings different parties together, from politicized Islamic preachers to officials of the Arab world. From http://aawsat.com

Words of a well-known Egyptian blogger...

Writing about this is probably a bad idea, and GM agreed when i told him what the topic was. But since I am incorrigible once I set to talk about something, I figure I might as well give in sooner then later. My id is just too strong boys and girls, and one day it will be the end of me. Here is the thing, I was having this discussion with my co-workers about their favorite topic: Religion. This is funny to me cause you never discussed religion at the workplace in the US, yet here it's like the prime topic of conversation. My friend ... Yesterday was one of those days.
The topic for discussion was the upcoming elections, which most of them seemed resigned to the idea that Mubarak will win it either way. That was not the discussion. The real discussion started once one of us wondered what will happen to the country when Mubarak dies. My friend and co-worker Hady ( all names changed of course) immediately predicted that the Muslim Brotherhood will start a revolution and take over Egypt, which seemed to be the consensus among the rest of the co-workers. Ok, no problem there; it's a plausible prediction, nothing to get worked up about.
That is until Hady smiled this really mischievous smile and in utter glee said "and when that happen, haha, all the Christians in Egypt will get what's coming for them. They will be killed on the streets baby!", and then started laughing. Three of my co-workers laughed with him, but I didn't. I was boiling on the inside, but I was more confused then anything. You see, Hady lived most of his life in Europe, so he shouldn't be thinking like this. I believe he was always kind of bigoted towards Coptic (Egyptian) christians, but he kept it under control for the most part.
The problem started when he had decided that he was leading a sinful life and that he should be a better muslim, which somehow he aligned with the idea that he should be an enemy for anything that could possibly be against Islam. Given the kind of hate indoctrination they give you in some Islamic religious circles against "Christians and jews" and how they are infidels who don't believe in Allah, Hady naturally felt that he was justified in his bigotry. I , naturally, wasn't gonna let him of the hook that easily.
So I simply asked him : "why are you so afraid of them?" He replied : "Huh? What are you talking about? Who am I afraid of?" I said: "The Coptic Christians. Why are you so afraid of them? I mean, if you hate them so much it must be for a reason. It must mean you are afraid of them or something they do or represent." I then took a dramatic pose and continued, "So what are you so afraid of Hady?" Hady, slightly offended, replied: "I am not afraid of no Christians. I am just stating the obvious. That's what Islam would dictate us to do if we lived in a truly Islamic country".
To which I quickly replied: "So what is Islam so afraid of?", which drew a rabble of shock from people around us and immediately antagonized Hady : "Watch what you are saying. Islam is not afraid of them and neither are we"! "So why would you be so gleeful at the thought of them killed and slaughtered?" "Cause they are Kafarah "Infidels" and should not be allowed to practice their "Kofr" in this country!" Hady quickly snorted! "Kafarah Hady? But I thought they were people of the book. Doesn't the Koran teach that they should be respected and not be harmed?" I said to him calmly, only to be replied by Reem, the only female coworker we have who happens to be veiled, with a resounding "No! That's not true. Those are not considered People of the Book!" I was taken back and replied "excuse me? The Koran is clear Reem. Christians and jews. People of the Book. What the hell are you talking about?" "Well, the Koran said we should respect the real people of the book. Those don't qualify cause everyone knows they altered their religious texts that god gave them. Not to mention, the Christians think Jesus is god, which makes them idolaters and infidels. The Christians we are supposed to respect are the ones who don't think Jesus is god incarnate. Like the Unitarians!"
Okay, you guys can just imagine the blood rising to my head and steam coming out of my nostrils at this point, right? That statement was so wrong and stupid on so many levels that I had to just give it to her. "Reem, you really don't know what you are talking about. There is no such thing as Historical Christians who didn't believe in the divinity of Jesus. That's actually what makes them Christians in the first place. If back then they thought Jesus was just a man, they would be Jews or non-Christians. As for the Unitarians, well, that's a movement that started in the 18th's century sweetheart and trust me, not a single MB member would agree with them on anything. But let's ignore all this for a minute. Let's speak of the real reason why you don't like Coptic Christians: they have money and they take care of their own!" "That may be true, but why do you defend them anyway? You know that they hate you, right? They hate all of us. If they could kill us they would!" Reem yelled! "I am not sure that's true Reem. But let's put it this way, have we given them any reason to not hate us? They get treated like shit in this country!" I said.
I was getting aggravated with this. "What are you talking about, treated like shit ?!" Waleed, our IT guy, jumped in. "They get everything they want. You know that Mosques and Zawayas (small mosques in regular buildings) can no longer be open all day, and only allowed to be open for 20 minutes before prayer and 15 minutes afterwards? They even have 2 policemen who will stop you from going in and could arrest you. They don't have that in churches here. They have police cars there for protection. Not a single mosque in Egypt has police cars for protection, and you claim they have it bad?" I smiled and said "I didn't know that the government did this but, well, look at the reasoning behind it and u would get it. They naturally don't want the mosques open all day because then some young people who can't find jobs and have no purpose will go and sit there all day to get closer to god and listen to the Imam. That's the best recruitment atmosphere for terrorist groups. Some of them could be the imam and fill those kids up with ideas about jihad and committing terrorist acts against this "infidel country". That's what happened in the 1970's , 80's and 90's. You only need like 5 people to commit a terrorist act. Any Zawya can fill up at least 50. That's 10 different terrorist cells waiting to happen, and you telling me you don't see why they do that?" "Yeah, I guess so!" Waleed said. The rest of the group seemed to be watching us now. "Ok then, let's address your other point. Now explain to me, why would the government protect mosques? Who would dare attack mosques in Egypt? Nobody! So why would you need police there for protection? Now let's talk about churches, if there was no police cars protecting them, what would happen?" Waleed smiled and said "We would carry beating sticks and destroy and loot the hell out of them! Ok, I see your point!" "You know something Sam", Hady said to me with a smile, "when the Islamic revolution happens, and it will, they will cut your neck alongside those Christians you like to defend so much!" "You know, if that ever happens, you will end up envying me, cause they would fuck this country up so badly for you and your children, that if you are living in it, and you will be, you will wish they had killed you alongside me!" I said to him smiling calmly and I secretly marveled on how Zen I was at that moment. He looked at me, shock his head and started chuckling. I expected that reaction! I know that my "youthful misguided opinions" amuse him highly. I get that a lot from people in the office, especially with Hady. But Alas, the discussion was over and no "harm was done" as far as he was concerned. He was wrong.
This made me seriously think about all the Coptic Christians in Egypt and what they have to deal with. I figured I should do some research and post about it here, as a sequel to this post.

Update: Bamha and Nothing Changes

     For the past three and half decades, the Copts (Christians of Egypt) have been targeted by a wave of brutal attacks on their persons, churches, homes and businesses. Ibn Khaldoun Research Center (headed by Human Rights advocate Saad Eddin Ibrahim) documented over one hundred and twenty major attacks on the Copts during this period. Another study estimated that over 4000 Copts were killed or injured during this period, not to mention the material losses, in tens of Millions of Dollars, and the state of fear and mass immigration that followed.
     One phenomenal one can't help but observe is that much of these attacks took place after attending the Muslim Friday prayers in mosques. Most significant, also, is that the vast majority of these attacks were not committed by organized terrorist groups, but by seemingly 'ordinary' people from the neighborhood, under the influence of hate propaganda emitted through the media, the education system and mosque preaching. The Egyptian justice system has yet to adequately punish a single Muslim perpetrator.
     The latest attack on Friday May 11, 2007 in Bamha, 15 miles south of Cairo, was a result of a rumor circulated among the Muslims that the Copts of the village were planning to convert a house, which they used (with the authorities' knowledge) for prayers, into a church. The Muslim worshippers were incited by the Imam of the mosque and a few other fanatics to rise and defend Islam against the 'Christian infidels.' A Muslim mob estimated to exceed 500, went on a rampage using fireballs, knives and hatchets that resulted in burning 27 homes and shops owned by Copts. At least 10 Copts, including several women, were injured; one of the victims is in a serious condition.
     The developments that followed were even more serious. The frightened Copts were expecting the authorities to insure their safety, security and justice; but what took place simply added insult to injury. The authorities conducted a meeting of "reconciliation" between the victim Copts and the aggressors, where an imposed settlement virtually stripped the Copts of all rights: Under the terms of the settlement, Muslims were not bound to pay for damages nor assume any criminal responsibility; and the house which was the center of dispute would be used only for Sunday school classes and the cross may not be displayed on the building.

     One of the latest attacks on the Copt minority took place on Friday May 11, 2007, in Bamha, Egypt, 24 kilometers south of Cairo. Rumors had circulated among Muslims that the Copts of the village were planning to convert a house that they used for prayers into a church. After a Friday evening prayer about 300 Muslims gathered and attacked the Copts. They burned down 27 homes and shops. At least 10 Copts – including several women – were injured.
     According to Egyptian law, such church construction is only allowed through presidential decree. Mosques, however, are not subject to this regulation – an evidence of the discrimination against the Christian Copts in Egypt.
     Furthermore, the Copt population faces state discrimination. Proper representation in the government is denied to them. Furthermore, they do not have equal access to education or equal opportunities in recruitment and promotion. As a result, very few of them become teachers and professors. For Copts, the enrolment in military schools and police academies is restricted, too.
     There are also reports on incidents of forced conversion to Islam through rape, marriage, change of legal name and violence.

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