You Can’t Copt-Out of Religious Violence
Jay Ramesh
On April 5, 2022, an Egyptian Copt named Mariam Waheeb and her 18-month old daughter left their home in Beni-Sweif for a vaccine appointment. They never made it back, and her husband, Joseph Saad, reported her missing later that day. One week later, Mariam appeared on social media announcing her conversion to Islam. Her husband and many other Copts on social media believed that she was kidnapped and coerced into converting to Islam, as it wouldn’t be the first time an incident like this has occurred in Egypt.
Just two days later on April 7, a well-known Coptic priest named Arsanious Wadid was on a youth trip in Alexandria when he was approached by a 60-year old man who asked him for help. After a brief conversation, the man slashed Wadid’s neck with a knife and was subsequently detained, while Wadid died of his wounds.
These two events are part of a wave of incidents that have rocked Egypt’s small Christian Coptic community during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Coptic Pope Tawadros (Theodore) II condemned the incidents and called for a strengthening of efforts at peaceful coexistence between Egypt’s Christian and Muslim communities.
Egyptian Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayab also extended condolences to the Coptic community, denouncing killings as a major sin in Islam and warning that religious sectarianism could tear Egypt apart. But many Copts worry that their small numbers within the country make them vulnerable to sectarianism and religious discrimination.
The Copts are a religious sect of Christianity that have existed in Egypt since the arrival of St. Mark in 62 CE, almost 2,000 years ago. They claim to be descendants of Egyptians who lived during the age of the Pharaohs, non-Arabs who spoke Coptic, an Afro-Asiatic language that descends from the language of Ancient Egypt.
From 62 C.E. to the 600’s C.E., much of Egypt converted to Christianity, and the Coptic church eventually split from the rest of Christianity in 451 CE. 180 years later, it was conquered by the Arab Muslims as Islam spread across the Middle East. Several hundred years of Muslim rule led to a steady increase in the Muslim population of Egypt as many converted to Islam and Arab immigrants settled the region. Today, around 4-8% of Egypt practices Coptic Christianity, and the Copts constitute the largest Christian minority in a single country in the Arab world.
Despite their relatively large numbers, many Copts claim that they experience discrimination and are targets of religious persecution at the hands of their fellow Muslim citizens. They have historically been targets of violence, forced conversions, and workplace discrimination. To prevent religious strife and sectarian conflicts, numerous Egyptian governments have worked to preserve peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, and though they have largely succeeded (there hasn’t been a religious civil war, genocide, or sectarian rebellion in Egypt for a long time), tensions can often flare up between the two communities.
Additionally, many Copts believe that their Muslim-dominated governments do not do enough to protect their communities. In 2017, ISIS members targeted two Coptic churches in Egypt, killing 47 people and wounding 126 more. The government declared a state of emergency that lasted four years, increasing the power of the presidency and allowing the state to crack down against dissidents and extremists alike. However, incidents such as kidnappings, murders, and stories of persecution still continue to this day.
Egypt’s domestic and international Coptic community, as well as many members of the Egyptian muslim community have come together to denounce the targeting of Copts, but tensions remain high as Copts seek justice for the crimes against their community. And hopefully their voices are heard and their community can become safer, free from worries of sectarian violence and discrimination. For millions of Egyptians, you can’t just Copt-out of religious violence.