Haraam!

This is the future of Egypt... time to send money to the relatives...get the fuck out of Egypt!

Peek-a-boo! Anonymous enta fien?

Why Egypt needs the Copts.

The current flow of Copts from Egypt has spiked since the riots in Alexandria occurred. Hundreds of thousands of Copts already troubled by high unemployment rates and discrimination against them have decided to start a new life abroad. Already 1.5 million Copts reside outside of Egypt, and this number continues to rise. America like other western nations has a very selective process of immigration, thus helping to weed out potential welfare problems and selecting applicants that are industrious and ambitious.

The current ‘braindrain’ that Egypt is experiencing comes from years of discrimination and a lackluster economy that drives both Copts and even Egyptian Muslims away from the Motherland. The Copts in general have been over represented in the lands of Emigration solely due to fact that they feel unaccepted and even overly discriminated against in their own country. The danger in allowing this trend to continue is Egypt will suffer as its best and brightest search for employment elsewhere.

The Coptic race prides itself in having a highly educated and industrious populace. The Coptic Orthodox church needs to develop a plan to stem the flow of Copts from Egypt. If this ‘brain-drain’ continues Egypt’s smartest and brightest will leave their homes to go to another country that understands and respects them and their historic heritage. Diversity and minority rights must be protected in Egypt, because over time Copts will vote with their feet and leave Egypt devastated just like the Jews and Armenians did when Nasser came to power.

Politicization of the Copts isn’t something that should thing that should be feared as Islamists and government officials would like ordinary Egyptians to feel. If the Copts through a political channel can voice their grievances and have them rectified then many of them would feel wanted and apart of Egyptian society. The Egyptian constitution must be enforced so that the country can move forward as well as protecting “minority rights from the tyranny of the majority.”

In response to the anonymous writer who bemoans the efforts of Micheal Mounir and others like him, by tearing apart Egypt through sectarian strife. Maybe he should look at the extremists within his own community and speak out against them, especially in their quest in oppressing the Copts. Sectarian strife within Egypt has its roots in the foundation of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Since the release of the Brotherhood leaders during the late 1970s, Egypt has taken a downward spiral and has been bogged down in a worthless debate of whether Islamic law should be the sole source of legislation. Egypt should be focusing on improving the economy and providing jobs for the millions of unemployed. Instead through the manipulations of the Brotherhood has the debate taken an uglier face of Copts vs. Muslims.

The Copts have been very silent about their ill treatment. This silence has finally been broken by Pope Shenouda and other leaders within our resilient community. We will not back down nor will we leave. We will fight peacefully, just like our religion prescribes for an Egypt that provides justice for all its citizens regardless of race or creed.
Either through International pressure or through sanctions the Coptic Lobby and other Middle Eastern Christian associations have sided with the Bush Administration at changing the outposts of despotism so that democracy can finally take root and ease society’s problems. Our call for politicization of the Copts is an easier way for acquiring equal rights, other than actively calling for the aid that Egypt receives from the international community to be lessened or even ceased.

Through Dhimmitude have we gained success. Through oppression have we gained strength to leave our towns, villiages and history to start anew in a foreign land. Presently there are a mere handful of Arab Christians who are members of Congress and as assimilation increases will we gain the strength to pressure governments into change. The Maronite Lobby actively pressured the Bush administration even before former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri was assassinated with the Syrian Accountability act.

I am not ashamed of being Coptic-American nor does that necessarily make me less Egyptian. The Coptic community in the Lands of Emigration has actively instilled the belief in every child that we are the original inhabitants of Egypt. Our patriotism towards Egypt should not be questioned, nor should we be called traitors in our own land. Our fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers fought side-by-side along with our Muslim compatriots against the enemies of Egypt and in the end we are called traitors for asking that our basic inalienable rights be protected. We will never cease our call for Freedom and Equality, the suffering that we have gone through is testament to the coming struggles up ahead.

There is no God but God, and Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Is there hope for the Copts?

These past couple of weeks has been rather surprising for millions of Copts both within Egypt and in the lands of emigration. One recurrent theme throughout many of the blogs I’ve been reading is the events which are occurring in Egypt have to rectified or else our once vibrant community will be no more. I’m not saying that with the rise of the Brotherhood, there will be a genocide but we have to begin the process of political mobilization. The Copts simply cannot depend solely on the Church, or our spiritual leader as our protector, but we must develop a political party with civilian leadership to work for a secular Egypt.

It’s time that we stop being subordinate to our Muslim brothers and completely join them in the political liberalization process that we are witnessing in Egypt. The riots which took place in Alexandria have spurred demonstrations by Copts everywhere else than where they should occur: Egypt, the motherland.

I’m very saddened to see our spiritual leader weep in front of thousands of believers because the events that took place have no simple remedy. The immense pressure on Pope Shenouda III should not be there, but on the hearts and minds of all Copts throughout Egypt and the Lands of Emigration. Elites of our community should rise up and defend the rights of the lowly so that we can once again rise up from our subordinate position and join as equals.

In my ‘Rise of Authoritarian Regimes’ Class I learned that the only opposition to the secular National Democratic Party is the Muslim Brotherhood. To my disbelief I was taught that this vile intolerant Party was both tolerant and peaceful towards Copts. My professor, who wrote his dissertation on the Brotherhood and how they should be accepted as a party in Egypt actively, preached to the class that the Brotherhood if and when in power would actively protect the rights of the Copts to the fullest extent. I find this hard to belief especially when many of their campaign slogans are ‘Islam is the solution’ and the ‘el Aqbat homa Ahl el Kitab’. How can an organization who actively preaches that Islamic law be installed as the sole source of law protect the rights of a minority when they can not rise from the shackles of dhimmitude?

Lets protect our future…lets get political.