Muslim Intolerance against Egypt's Coptic Christians

Sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims surfaced again in Egypt in early September. While this is not the only incident that has occurred between the Coptic Christian community and Muslims of late, it stands out because of its striking contrast with the opening of an Islamic community center near Ground Zero in New York City last week.

P>KNOXVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) - Sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims surfaced again in Egypt in early September. While this is not the only incident that has occurred between the Coptic Christian community and Muslims of late, it stands out because of its striking contrast with the opening of an Islamic community center near Ground Zero in New York City last week.

It is a difficult and slow process to remodel or build a church in Egypt. Despite the odds against it, the century old church of Saint George in Elmarinab, a village in the upper Egyptian  province of Aswan, is one of the lucky ones to have made it through the grueling process. The original structure was built of soft bricks and palm tree branches. It was so dilapidated that it had become unsafe. And in June 2010, the authorities approved the rebuilding of the church on the original location.

However, as the construction on the church neared completion, the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) reported that Salafists from nearby villages roused Muslims living in Elmarinab against Saint George's Church. The Muslims threatened to demolish the church and have destroyed crops belonging to the Copts. Muslims also blocked the roads to and from the village and forced the Copts living in the village to stay in their homes, making it extremely difficult for them to get food.

It was reported that some Copts were starving because of the blockade. As a result, security forces were sent to Elmarinab in order to provide safe passage for a couple youths to purchase food for the villagers. The security forces also monitored a "reconciliation" meeting between the two groups. The Muslims demanded that the Church be stripped of its dome, bells and exterior crosses. One of the parish priests, Father Boulos, said that the Christians agreed to the Muslim's demands "for the sake of peace."

But a few days later, Muslims began congregating near the church and demanding more concessions. This time, they demanded that it must not even look like a church, and it must be called a hospitality home instead of a church. They claimed that the original church was a hospitality home, but another parish priest, Father Makarios, said that Saint Georges has always been a church; and it has been under police protection for the past 12 years. Furthermore, the priest said they already have a hospitality home about a block from the church.

The Bishop of the Aswan province, Anba Hedra, refused to comply with the Muslim's additional demands and requested that the military council send troops to the village in order to deter Muslim violence. Two military tanks were dispatched to the village. The military governor and security heads also visited the village and spoke to both sides. During the talks, Muslims chanted "Allahu Akbar," which means Allah is the greatest, and they said that they wanted to destroy the church.

Fearing that the situation would deteriorate, the authorities postponed the talks. They promised that an acceptable solution would be found before they left the village. Then they demanded that construction be halted on the church, that no services be held in the church, and that the Muslims refrain from violence.

The article does not mention whether a solution was reached, but it does mention that some Coptic youths are guarding the church against vandalism. Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination (EARD) issued a statement condemning the incident. The statement also criticized the authorities of collusion with the Muslims. Although the final outcome is not known at this time, it appears, at least for now, that cruelty and violence against the Copts have won out once again in Egypt.

Dr. Naguib Gabriel, a Coptic Christian and the head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organization (EUHRO), indicated that the incident reflected a typical pattern of persecutions against the Copts and their churches. According to the article, after the revolution the Muslim Brotherhood declared ". . . it is impossible to build any new church in Egypt, and churches which are demolished should never be rebuilt, as well as no crosses over churches or bells to be rung."

The incident in Elmarinab stands in stark contrast with the peaceful opening of an Islamic community center, also known as Park 51, near Ground Zero in New York City on September 21, 2011. This is the same Islamic center which planned to included a mosque and was engulfed in a media firestorm over a year ago. Some people were, and remain, against the building of this center so close to Ground Zero. But it opened without incident: no one stormed the doors; no one tried to set the building on fire or blow it up or murder the owners.

However, the buildup to the event seemed contrived from start to finish. A press release announcing the opening of phase one states that the cultural center is "rooted in the Islamic tradition of cooperation and coexistence" and "will be home to a vibrant and inclusive community." But these words appear disingenuous in light of Elmarinab and comments made by Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam associated with the cultural center, and Sharif El-Gamal, the chairman of the center.

Feisal Abdul Rauf's comments were made during the media firestorm last year. They were quite revealing. He said he was concerned that if the cultural center was moved to another location, it would "inflame Muslim radicals overseas." He said it would be seen as an attack against Islam by America, that it would strengthen Muslim radicals, help their recruitment, and put Americans in danger. While Rauf's concerns seem well intentioned, they do not reveal a tradition of cooperation, coexistence and inclusiveness. They reveal the opposite.

Gamal's comments about Herman Cain and Pam Geller are even more revealing. According to an article in the Huffington Post this past July, Gamal called republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain "a nobody" and accused him of making "un-American comments" because Cain was not publicly supportive of the Islamic cultural center. Gamal also referred to media personality Pam Geller, who is a strong critic of building an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero, as being in "the same category as the KKK." These comments are not even rational. All they can produce is discord between people.

When we contrast the incident in Elmarinab with the opening of the Islamic cultural center, two things become apparent. First, despite the constant barrage of lies we hear from people who want to degrade and manipulate us, we cannot help but notice the overall goodness and tolerance of the American people. Second, when this truth becomes more apparent, the horrible suffering Christians are experiencing in Egypt and other parts of the Muslim world should also become more apparent and increase our empathy for their plight.
 
 
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Michael Terheyden was born into a Catholic family, but that is not why he is a Catholic. He is a Catholic because he believes that truth is real, that it is beautiful and good, and that the fullness of truth is in the Catholic Church. However, he knows that God's grace operating throughout his life is the main reason he is a Catholic. He is greatly blessed to share his faith and his life with his beautiful wife, Dorothy. They have four grown children and three grandchildren.

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