Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former UN secretary-general, is one. Nessim, the husband of Justine, the fictional character in Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet was one. I'm talking about Egypt's Coptic Christians, the community of up to 10 million souls - 10 per cent of the population - who are the target of persecution and discrimination.
The number of violent incidents against the Christian minority is on the rise. The discrimination starts with Egyptians identifying their religion on passports and ID cards, and continues through the education system, while converts from Islam to Christianity lose their inheritance rights.
At the end of May, a 4th century monastery at Deir Abu Fana was attacked by 60 armed Muslim militants who injured three monks before forcing one of them to spit on a cross.
The government says that the dispute is over land. But it seems this latest incident has provoked the Copts into trying to raise consciousness outside the country. In Paris a couple of weekends ago, I saw a demonstration by about 100 of them who stopped the traffic while they marched with their banners saying "Stop the Discrimination against Egypt's Copts." In Britain, they are sending a petition to the prime minister.
(Photo: Getty Images)
The sad story about the systematic persecution of christians in Egypt for their faith makes reading norseating.In my view,religion,in whichever form it is practised, is a symbol of love and that is what Islam teaches about.Religion therefore, promotes coexistence of human entities in diversity across religious spetrum.For example,Iam a christian,but my grandparents are moslems and we live happily.Ironically,Egypt is famous for being the architects of early civilisation,but they allow barbaric acts to reign over modern civilisation.Remember that man is endowed with basic human liberties,one of which is to make a choice in life.If wild animals can make a choice what kind of life to live,why cant we?
Posted by: Beenwell | Friday, 04 July 2008 at 04:14 PM
Actually Islam teaches the persecution and execution of non-believers of the Islamic faith, so it's hardly surprising that in a country which is predominantly Islamic other people are made to suffer.
Posted by: Jack | Friday, 04 July 2008 at 08:01 PM
Proof yet again of the totalitarian nature of traditional Islam. Secularists embrace watered-down Sharia (if such it may be called) at their own peril.
Posted by: A Non-Muslim Arab | Friday, 04 July 2008 at 08:43 PM
Surprisingly Islam does not allow persecution of Non-Muslims especially in countries where Shariah is applied. Most of the Muslims today who cry and yearn for Shariah do not understand it themselves.
The Islamic state is required to guarante protection for their life, property, and the places of worship. A popular hadith that all Shariah scholars know states: "Whoever harms a non-Muslim (Dhimmi ) will not enter Paradise." (Reported by Muslim in Sahih Muslim)
Posted by: Zafar Khan | Saturday, 05 July 2008 at 08:51 AM
This is not a proof of Islam's totalitarian nature. As with Christian countries in thier attitude to Islam, at different times in different places Islamic governments have been very tolerant of Christian, or oppressive. However in Egypt (friend of the USA and UK), unlike Syria (enemy of UK and USA) life is much tougher for Christians than Muslims. Maybe the western governments need to note this.
Posted by: Stephen Griffith | Saturday, 05 July 2008 at 06:53 PM
Yes all this Islamic 'persecution' of Christians in Egypt has nothing whatsoever to do with Gulf war1 and the hundreds of thousands of 'Moslems' murdered('we think the price was worth it'. Albright) and nothing to do with Gulf war2 and the ongoing butchery of millions by 'traditional' Christianity, oh and did I mention Afghanistan? Daisy cutters anyone?
ps. What's the score sheet like? Muslims dead...
Christians dead...
Posted by: solomon | Saturday, 05 July 2008 at 07:10 PM
Christians are not persecuted In Egypt . They have freedom of worship and if someone converts to Islam they are made to convert back to Christianity by the Government. They do not have to serve in the army of anything . So please they are persecuted.
Posted by: noora | Saturday, 05 July 2008 at 11:14 PM
The Gulf wars are not comparable to the Crusades, which were overtly about religion. Bush and Blair might want to remake Iraq in their democratic image, but the motivation was not religious, else we would have overcome Darfur years ago.
Religious discrimination is usually a cover for something else - perceived injustice, scarcity of resources, imbalance of political power. Peaceful coexistence is a tenet of all world religions and the faithful should adhere to it.
Posted by: Jamerican Princess | Sunday, 06 July 2008 at 09:05 AM
jack caustically says " Actually Islam teaches the persecution and execution of non-believers of the Islamic faith" proves how ignorant he is. Weren't jews persecuted in Europe till very recently? how many english or french muslims lived in europe in medieval times? There is nothing like the Holocaust or spanish inquisition in all of the muslim lands & history. There is a general extreme atmosphere nowadays in Egypt that has been affecting copts & many muslims too. Heresay & rumours spark clashes on both sides. The copts do have legitimate greivances but both sides have the same mentality unfortunately & need to reforms.
Posted by: s ahmed | Sunday, 06 July 2008 at 09:49 AM
After 1400 years of Islamic rule in Egypt WHY IS 10% of the population still Coptic??? Use your brains if you have any! Islamic rule always protected its minorities & allowed them to RULE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN LAWS!! Its when Secularism & Nationalism took over Egypt & other countries that the Minorities started to suffer.
As for the Crusades, they never ended. In 1917 General Allenby took over Jerusalem and declared "The Crusades are over" and Church bells across England tolled at the news.
in 1920 the French General Gouroud said at Saladin's Tomb in Damascus "Wake up, Saladin, we are back. My presence here today confirms the victory of the Cross over the Crescent."
Bush & Blair are fanatical Christians but they hide their evil in their hearts because they know that they can only take the secular idiots along with them on the common hatred of Islam.
Know that even the irreligious westerners are crusaders at heart.
Posted by: Abdullah | Sunday, 06 July 2008 at 10:44 AM
Actually Egyptian passports do not state the person's religion, only the IDs do.
Posted by: Sherifa Abdel Ghany | Sunday, 06 July 2008 at 12:02 PM
Having lived amongst Egyptian Christians and Muslims in Cairo I find this article hard to swallow. The Christian minority in Egypt is wealthy and powerful having representation at the highest levels of society. This piece seems like a rather crude attempt at having a go at Muslims the 21st century’s Jews of Europe.
Posted by: Colin | Sunday, 06 July 2008 at 05:59 PM