Modest Policy Shifts toward the Copts by al-Sisi’s Egyptian Government Offers Little More than a Respectable Veneer of Religious Freedom

By Mike Kuhn

News and Analysis

The situation of Egypt’s Coptic Christians has long been a concern among human and religious rights advocates. Murderous attacks on Coptic churches and busloads of Christian pilgrims by Muslim fundamentalist groups capture media attention and spotlight an ongoing crisis.

This concern prompted a resolution adopted by certain US members of congress titled “Expressing Concern over Attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt” (H.Res.673). The resolution was drafted as a response to a memorandum issued by US-based “Coptic Solidarity,” which advocates for equal rights for Coptic Christians as Egyptian citizens.

The resolution points to the perennial struggle of Coptic Christians to construct new churches, the silencing of dissent through imprisonment of NGO workers and journalists and the need to reform religious education in Egyptian schools.

The Egyptian parliament held a special session to respond to the attacks from their American counterparts pointing out that Christians have recently gained 39 (of 596) seats in parliament for the first time. Furthermore, an August 2016 law facilitates the building of churches (a debatable point).

It appears that Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi is making good on his promise to enfranchise Coptic Christians as Egyptian citizens with equal rights. The President ordered the resettlement of Christians fleeing violence at the hands of terrorists in the Sinai. At his command, the government has rebuilt churches vandalized by terrorists. He attended the Christmas mass in a newly constructed Coptic Cathedral in Egypt’s administrative district. The move communicates an official government acknowledgement of and support for Egypt’s Christians.

Furthermore, President al-Sisi recently received a delegation of American Evangelicals. Although Evangelicals make up only 0.5% percent of Egypt’s population of 95 million (Coptic Orthodox Christians constitute about 10%), the president spent three hours in dialogue with the delegation on a wide range of issues from human rights and pluralism to terrorism. The group included several informal advisors of US President Trump.

President al-Sisi’s efforts are winning some over. Vice President Mike Pence visited Cairo recently in an effort to mitigate the negative reaction of the Arab world to the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem. He advocated for the release of two American prisoners but also assured the president that the US stood shoulder to shoulder with Egypt in the fight against terror.

Reflection and Recommendations

Given the president’s efforts and the relative satisfaction of US Evangelical and political leaders that the Copts are making progress in their struggle for equality, what more remains to be done?

The transformation of a society from religious sectarianism to a posture of tolerance and acceptance of the other requires more than a few symbolic actions and declarations of elected leaders.

This week a young Egyptian was slain in the coastal town of al-Arish because a Coptic cross was tattooed on his wrist. While Copts are not the only targets of terror, they are a prominent one and attacks will continue. How will the presumed good-will of President al-Sisi trickle down to popular beliefs and behavior in Egypt?

The two primary areas of reform are the educational system and the mosque.

The president has called for a renewed religious rhetoric among Muslim clerics, yet there is a perennial distrust for government instigated religious reform. What is needed is religious reform arising from within al-Azhar (the Sunni clerical training university of Cairo). The long-standing interpretation of Muslim source texts (Qur’an and Hadith) must be displaced allowing a more inclusive reading to be absorbed into Egyptian public consciousness. Is such a reform possible? There are many examples of Islamic religious education which allow for diversity and acceptance of the other. It is conceivable, but it must come from within.

The government endorsed religious education curriculum has long been noted for its fundamentalist elements and rejection of diversity. Through Egypt’s religious curriculum, millions of children are embracing concepts in embryonic form which can only lead to more religious violence in Egypt’s future. Until Egypt’s Muslim population can embrace a fundamental change in their perception of the religious other, religious persecution will continue.

While the presence of Egypt’s Coptic minority provides a respectable veneer of religious tolerance, there remain deep issues which Egypt has yet to confront. What of the presence of Shiite Islam or the Bahai sect? Is Egypt willing to grant freedom of belief to these? More disconcerting is the experience of Muslims who embrace the Christian faith. These are considered “apostates,” guilty of treason according to Islamic law with no legal avenue to be recognized as part of Egypt’s Christian community. Many keep their religious faith hidden while others find no alternative to emigration. On the other hand, Christians who embrace Islam suffer no serious repercussions.

Despite outward appearances, the Egypt experience still begs the question as to whether Islam and freedom of conscience can co-exist.