Egypt’s Christians and Muslims May Need to Promote a Common, Biblically-Sanctioned Understanding of God to Counter Religious Violence

By Mike Kuhn

Thursday, the 12^th of October, witnessed an attack on Coptic Priest Samaan Shehata in al-Marg, a poor area on the eastern side of Cairo, resulting in his death. Ahmed Saeed al-Sonbati, who had been charged previously with beating his father and setting his house on fire, struck Shehata in the head and abdomen with a cleaver while he was in Cairo gathering collections for his parishioners in al-Fashn (in the governate of Beni Suef about 150 km south of Cairo). A psychological disorder was thought to be a factor in the attack. However, Egypt’s Prosecutor General, Nabil Sadiq, later referred the case to criminal court charging al-Sonbati with murder with malicious intentions.

The attack took place the same day Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi extended a state of emergency law provoked by attacks on Churches in Tanta and Alexandria last April. The military also declared that six soldiers were attacked and killed by Islamic militants at a checkpoint in al-Arish (northern Sinai) in days following the attack on Priest Shehata. Violence toward Christians has surged in recent months with attacks by groups linked with the Islamic State claiming over 100 lives since December 2016. Reacting to the violent murder of Shehata, Christians in Egypt have expressed concerns that the site of the murder was not immediately secured and that medical care did not arrive until an hour after the attack. Furthermore, initial declarations of mental instability were deemed unprofessional by many Christians, bringing to mind other recent brutalities against Egyptian Christians in which authorities were slow to respond or otherwise unsympathetic. Coptic Orthodox Bishop Raphael, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, issued a statement deploring the fact that perpetrators of violence against Christians have escaped punishment. Another Coptic Orthodox Bishop, Father Stephanos, stated that the assailant was not mentally ill but a criminal known to the police from previous acts of violence.

Al-Sonbati confessed to the murder, stating that he was acting out of “an obsession with Allah” and added that his goal was to rid Egypt of infidels. The incident is fueling a rising concern among Egypt’s Christian population (roughly 10 million in a total population of 104 million) that more should be done to quell militant religious expressions in mosques, schools and other public institutions. According to a report from the Brookings Institute,

“For Egypt’s minorities, there is a large gap between de jure and de facto rights—what exists under the law versus what exists in practice. On paper, Egyptians enjoy ‘absolute’ freedom of religion guaranteed by the 2014 constitution. But, the constitution also decrees Islam to be the state religion, and conversion to any religion other than Islam is prohibited. Blasphemy is also punishable with harsh penalties and several high-profile blasphemy cases have been prosecuted under the Sissi government.”

It is the opinion of the Institute of Middle East Studies that much can be learned by the international community of Christ from the Church in Egypt in its response to the recent spate of violence. The Egyptian Church has been an incredible model of resilience and forgiveness, serving as a powerful testimony to their neighbors and wider society. Living as followers of Jesus in post-Constantinian regions of the world, where people have neither the freedom to evangelize nor fully to live out their faith, such acts of forgiveness and grace serve as a robust testimony to the power of Christ. Rather than retreat into isolationism, the Coptic Church has intentionally chosen to place the wellbeing of the country above the immediate wellbeing of the church. It should be mentioned, however, that there is a growing chorus of voices uncomfortable with this continued position of immediate forgiveness, even before acknowledgment of legitimate wrongs or the pursuit of justice. Does this become merely a celebration of martyrdom? Is there no time for mourning?

Ultimately, it is worth reflecting on al-Sonbati’s statement that he was acting on “an obsession with Allah.” If there is any possible good to be gained from this horrific tragedy, it might be the opportunity for Christian leaders in Egypt to educate the Egyptian public on a Biblical view of Allah – His essence, character and attributes – and help paint a picture of who he really is. Furthermore, the vast majority of Egyptian Muslim leaders would not agree that Allah should instigate such murder. It is therefore imperative that Christian leaders should explore opportunities to work together with the vast majority of Muslim leaders (this “silent majority,” as previous IMES blogs have referred to it) to promote to the public a different view of God.