Egypt: Islamists vs. Copts

June 22, 2012 By 10 Comments

Most adamant was popular TV personality Muhammad Hassan, a cleric who appeared several times assuring Copts that they have “nothing to fear from the application of Sharia,” which he portrayed as the best guarantor for their safety and freedom. A day before the elections, Hassan implored the Copts “to elect Sharia and vote for Dr. Muhammad Morsi, promising them peace and security, and that they would live in prosperity under Sharia law.”

Sheikh Muhammad Hassan is, incidentally, the same cleric who says Islam forbids Muslims from smiling to infidels—except whenever Muslims need to win them over. One week before he began beseeching Copts to vote for Sharia, he was in Saudi Arabia making disparaging comments about “those who say Allah has a son,” the Koran’s condemnatory language for Christians.

What does all this mean? For long, the various Egyptian regimes and Islamist organizations have downplayed the numbers and significance of the nation’s Christians, the Copts, sometimes saying they amount to as few as 5% of the total population—a statistic which many Western resources quote without hesitation. Others, however—some pointing to the Coptic Orthodox Church’s birth and death registry—say Egypt’s Copts amount to up to 20% of the total population. Based on the Islamist response to the first presidential elections, such a figure may not be so farfetched.

Either way, Copts constitute the largest Christian bloc in the Middle East—a circumstance that has other implications. As seen during the presidential elections, large numbers of Christians may help stave off, or balance out, the Islamization of Egypt.

But if Egypt’s government does go Islamist—and early presidential elections indicate it is—fears of persecution on a grand scale become legitimate precisely because of the Copts’ large numbers, which under an Islamist regime will work against them: millions of powerless Christians will be seen as troublesome and unwelcome infidels, not just by “extremists,” but by the government as well—which, as history teaches, is often the first step to genocide.

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About

Raymond Ibrahim, a Shillman Fellow at the DHFC, is a Middle East and Islam expert, author of the new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (Regnery, 2013), and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum. Join him as he explores the "Intersection"—the pivotal but ignored point where Islam and Christianity meet—including by examining the latest on Christian persecution, translating important Arabic news that never reaches the West, and much more.

  • StephenD

    I pray a hedge around these folks in those dark days which will befall Egypt. Because they will listen to foolish counsel they will suffer the consequences. When their waterways dry and their cotton doesn't grow and there is no work, then you will see the worst of it in Egypt. Starvation on a massive scale and of course, the Zionists, The Americans, the Jin, the Infidels, and everyone else they can think of will be the cause of it but that, not of themselves. It is too bad but I see no other course for them. I hope I'm wrong.

  • Kkkk

    My blessings with these brave people.

  • Coptic John

    And yet the american administration helps these terrorists to seize power … and the funny thing that we know here in Egypt that most of MB are holding the american citizenship. for instance their presidential's candidate son and daughter are americans while many Copts trying to find an opportunity to flee the country … that is the equality and the fairness to treat the oppressor and terrorist like the victim and persecuted

  • http://www.maghrebchristians.com Youssef

    Faith in Christ leads judge to annul marriage, forbid seeing kids.

    Read more: http://www.maghrebchristians.com/2012/06/23/conve…

    Youssef

  • WilliamJamesWard

    The Copts in Egypt will have their faith tested sorely by Islam, in fact it may be that they will
    all be martyred for their faith. There will be no just peace in Egypt nor any land that is under
    the sway of Sharia and Islam, either you submit or you are and outcast at best and a target
    for the Islamist faithful and their continuous evil vexations. Could a Coptic leader rise up
    and say "let my people go", hardly, totalitarianism is Islam, the worst is yet to come and
    Obama to his discredit did not help Mubarak keep order and peace……………..William

  • Matt

    When it comes it is going to come from there. And that is what is important. Turning disadvantage into advantage is why we win. I can taste it.

  • sharpsrifle

    More like Arabs vs. the REAL Egyptians.

  • Coptic John

    I wonder how many Copts should die until the international community react and grant them refuge … like christians in Iraq, Sudan, or now in Syria and Egypt " Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. ( Proverbs 21:13 )

  • amused

    Make no mistake , Egypt is run by it's military ,whether Mubarak , Sadat , or the newly elected Masri , the miltary calls the shots , and that by virtue of the BILLION a year it gets from the U.S.
    And what's this "new concern " for the Copts ? YES , they are persecuted ….just like they have under all preceeding leaders of Egypt . And they will continue to be persecuted , not by the absence of a Mubarak , but because they are a minority in a muslim nation . What …do we now take up the plight of the Copts , why ? Because Mubaraks gone ? It's just muslims being muslims . Had either of the Bush' , Clinton ,Reagan ,Carter , done anything about it ? The billion a year to Egypt has been the tradition through all those Administrations ,including the present one .That is the ONLY leverage we've had or ever will have with Egypt -it's military .Before us it was the Soviets .

  • amused

    I've been through the Suez canal , Alexandria and Port Said . In addition Tel Aviv , Aqaba , Jeddah, Bahrain , Karg Island , Basra , so what's your point ? There's been no war because of that billion a year , which is what I said , thus , the military controls Egypt . Egyptian muslims have been persecting Copts throughout recent history . The absence of Mubarak nor his presence did anything to stop or exacerbate that situation .It will continue . It isthe Egyptian PEOPLE , the muslims who persecute the Copts , it is the Egyptian PEOPLE who at the end of Ramadan rape women while police turn their heads the other way .Change of governments will not change the behavior . The Egyptian People hate Israel , they have been humilaited by Israel by their defeat in war . It is the military that prevents another war .And that is where the Billion a year comes in .