WATANI International
20 November 2011
With Egypt on the threshold of parliamentary elections, and with the ever-increasing possibility of an Islamist win, the question of Coptic political participation is strongly resurfacing.
Historically, Copts have been accused of passivity where participation in public and political life is concerned. Copts themselves resent the allegation; they claim that their alleged passivity was the result of their intentional marginalisation. To prove their point, they remind of the first half of the 20th century during Egypt’s nationalist revolution against the British occupation—a period when Coptic participation was at an all-time high.
Marginalised and alienated
Yet once Egypt gained independence in 1954 during the regime of Gamal Abdel-Nasser, a general clamp-down on liberties led many Egyptians—including Copts—to shun politics. When Anwar al-Sadat became president in 1970, he restored some liberties but at the same time embraced the Islamist current, putting into gear the process which is to this day ongoing: the Islamisation of Egypt. The Copts felt marginalised and alienated, and were in no position for active participation. The Islamist currents continued to rise throughout the Mubarak years and, even though more liberties and freedom of expression were allowed, they were exploited by the Islamists to their advantage and the Copts remained alienated.
The 25 January Revolution included a strong Coptic presence. But once Mubarak stepped down, Islamists practically dominated the political scene, belligerently making many gains that would have been unheard-of before. At the same time, the Copts took many a beating in several violent attacks against them.
So where exactly does Coptic participation stand today, and how much is it worth?
Part of the new Egypt
For politician Amr Hamzawy, the Copts’ overwhelming sense of national unity and their persistence in being part of the building of a new Egypt was clearly manifested in their strong showing in Tahrir Square during the revolution. Yet the challenges confronting them cannot be understated, Dr Hamzawy says.
In his talk show Kalam Masry (Egyptian Talk) broadcast on the CBC satellite channel, Dr Hamzawy outlined some major Coptic grievances. Copts have not-infrequently been subjected to incidents of violence while the ‘law’ looked the other way; their appointment to high-ranking State posts is minimal; and there is rampant discrimination against them in both the public and private sectors. There are no official figures on the number of Copts in Egypt, Dr Hamzawy said, and they are extremely concerned about the growing influence of Islamists on the political landscape in Egypt.
On social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype, young Copts demand an end to religious-based discrimination, the elimination of the religion box from official papers, and for community programmes to battle corruption.
On account of being Copt
“Copts have long suffered from political marginalisation, a problem which will never be transcended without altering the set of cultural values currently dominating political life in Egypt, and this of course will take time,” development consultant Nabil Morqos says. The ‘feudalism’ which governs the political arena in Egypt, whereby the political cake is carved up between the various forces on the field—major among which are the Islamists—has marginalised many Egyptians and disregarded their rights, including the Copts.
The Coptic activist and researcher Samir Morqos, who is now deputy to the Cairo Governor and who is no relation to Nabil Morqos, reminds that Copts suffer, along with all Egyptians, from the problems which afflict Egypt as a whole. Yet Copts undergo additional agony on account of their religion, he says.
Commenting on the attacks against Copts, Samir Morqos says that the authorities prefer to resolve the differences through the notorious traditional ‘reconciliation sessions’ whereby the victim and aggressor are made to ‘reconcile’, the victim forced to relinquish all legal rights in the process. This, instead of enforcing the rule of law. Samir Morqos demands that the law should be upheld and the criminals brought to justice.
Common ground
Samir Morqos stresses that the modern State is based on the concept of common ground. This goes against the notion of isolation or seclusion. The practice by many Copts of secluding themselves within the walls of their churches which offer them all the services they need is far from the concept of common ground. Religious institutions, he says, may take part in development, but not as a substitute for the State.
“I understand the Copts’ fears,” Samir Morqos says, “but they should not allow fear to paralyse them. They must care to have a strong presence on the field, especially since the battle is not yet settled and the arena is still open.”
He stresses that Copts should figure on top of electoral lists, and religion should not be used to exclude and marginalise Copts, liberals and leftists. “No nation is built by hegemony; nations are built by cooperation,” he concludes.
Nabil Morqos believes that a whole renaissance project is needed in order to admit Egypt into the modern era. If no such project is underway what is seen as reform would be useless. If Egypt remains retarded, he says, we all lose out.
Don’t leave the arena
“It is important to deal with Copts on a non-religious basis,” Usama al-Qoussi, a Salafi professor and sheikh, told Watani “I call upon everyone, especially Muslims, to separate religion from politics. Copts should get into the arena without being led by the Church. They must realise the importance of their votes in supporting a civil regime; if they leave the arena, they only leave it to the forces of political Islam.”
Al-Sayed al-Shazli, head of the Syndicate of the Workers in the Mass Media, believes the situation of the Copts is critical. To date, he told Watani, there are 12 parties on the Egyptian political arena, which describe themselves as parties “with religious reference”, including the Muslim Brotherhood who are well versed in political practice. “I see that the Copts will be in a real predicament if they do not manage to join any liberal mass”, he says.
For his part Usama Salama, managing editor of the daily State-owned paper Rose al-Youssef says, “In order for the Copts to effectively participate in political life, the Coptic question must be tackled from a national, not a sectarian or security perspective.
“Copts must strongly participate in liberal and leftist parties and join in all public activities,” he says. “They have to break the barrier of isolation and passivity. Only a couple of weeks ago the elections at the Doctors Syndicate brought in a predominantly Islamist board. This, despite the fact that 45 per cent of the doctors in Egypt are Copts; yet those who cast their ballots were a mere 7 per cent. The same thing happened with the Pharmacists Syndicate elections. If Copts realise the power of their vote once they band with the liberal and leftist powers against the Islamists, Egypt would be saved”.