Why Copts Become Muslims By Qummus Sergius.

Why Copts Become Muslims By Qummus Sergius.(OnCopticNationalism).By Dioscorus Boles.I publish herewith a report written by the famed Rev. Qummus (Archpriest) Sergius قمص سرجيوس which, as it looks, he had been invited to write by the Coptic Patriarch John XIX (1928–1942), the President of the Coptic Lay Council (Maglis il Milli), and its Deputy and Members.
It appears that these requested him to study and list the causes that led Coptic Christians to abandon their religion and convert to Islam. This is a problem that has been of great concern to the Coptic Church ever since the Muslim Arabs occupied Egypt in 641 AD. At the time of the Arab Conquest almost all Egyptians were Christians – the overwhelming majority of them being Copts (that is the descendants of the ancient Egyptians who became Christians early in our common era). Gradually Copts dwindled in number, while Muslims multiplied – many of the Muslims came from converted Copts (masalima) – so, with time, the Copts became a minority in Egypt, now forming just around 15% of the total Egyptian population. It is during that period, in 1936, that Qummus Sergius wrote his report in Al Manara al Misriah in which he studied the various drivers for the Islamisation of some Copts, and which was translated into English by one E. S. Parry, and published in The Muslim World (Vol. 26, Issue 4, pp. 372-379), October 1936. Although written more than seventy years ago, it is still pertinent to our time, and echoes some of the leading causes of conversion to Islam in the 21st century.
The reasons for Coptic conversion to Islam varied throughout history, and included coercion, association, calculation, resignation, and conviction.[11]
Conversion to Islam through conviction is rare; with other causes predominating, and some of them acquiring increasing importance with time:
Coercion – this has been the main cause for conversion to Islam at all times, whether it revealed itself in naked persecution, such as at the times of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1020) and the Bahri (Turkic) Mameluke dynasty (1250-1382); or, in increasing taxes; or, as in modern times, in discrimination in employment, education, etc.See [15]  cause no. 2 and 5]
Calculation – triggered and encouraged by the financial inducements and promises that are offered by the Muslim society and state to those who would convert to Islam. This includes tax relief, offers of jobs, monetary rewards, marriages, and public celebration of the conversion. [See QS’s cause no. 3 and 5]
Resignation – they resign their Christian faith, not because they are convinced by Islam, but because they conceive themselves to have been aggrieved, rightly or wrongly, by the Church and Coptic society, and because Islam offers them some sort of escape by which they seek to change or manipulate the conflict situation to their advantage. [See QS’s cause no. 4, 6, 7 and 8]
Association – this has been a major cause, though it works in a subtle way. Copts live in a Muslim dominant country, where the tenets of Islam are displayed everywhere, and one cannot escape from its different manifestations and practices, particularly in villages and small towns. This no doubt is the result of the Copts’ nincompoopery which allowed them to give up their country in the first place to Arab invaders, since they saw themselves as Church only, and were not bothered by the loss of their national independence. The loss of our language in the Middle Ages, which was inevitable, was followed soon on its heels by the loss of our culture and religious knowledge. This is what the Apocalypse of Samuel had tried to warn us about; and it is what Severus of Ashmunin had described in his book Kitab al-Idah – so, with time, Copts fell victims to a process of Islamic culturalisation as they lost their culture, of which religion forms an important part. The outcome of this process is the shifting of so many Copts to a border zone where Copts became almost Muslims except by name – a “state of religious and national limbus”, as I would call it. Once there, a Copt could easily be pushed over to Islam when outward circumstances would arise, triggering a change in religion. [See QS’s cause no. 1].



This state of religious and national limbus is the responsibility of the Copts themselves, as Qumus Sergius clearly indicates. As a nation, we are responsible for the loss of our national sovereignty and our language, which reduced us to national and cultural state of subservience. But beyond this and that, every individual Copt is responsible for the current situation. Copts have neglected the knowledge of their religion and culture; and parents, both father and mother, are often ignorant of their rich heritage, so they cannot possibly impart it to their children. But, above all, it seems from Qummus Sergius’s report, that the Church and the institutions of the Coptic community, such as its schools and lay councils, bear most of the responsibility. He criticises strongly the ignorance, neglect, greed, and incompetence of Coptic schools, priests and bishops. The fundamental cause that works at the root of all other causes for conversion of Copts, as he tells us, is the widespread ignorance of the Copts of their Christian faith – which is multifactorial in its aetiology. The Coptic nationalists could not agree more; but they add to religious ignorance the weakness in the Copts’ national sentiment, for staying Christian is not just a religious choice but a national matter too. An Irish man or woman do not abandon their Irish national identity, culture and allegiance if they disagree with the Catholic Church – in a like manner, Copts should not abandon their nation if they cease to believe in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Anyway, Qummus Sergius is absolutely right in his own way; and he identifies a few things that could improve the religious education of the Copts. Some of these have already been picked on by the Coptic Church – we now have a widespread net of Christian churches, ministries, Sunday schools, charities, social clubs, etc., that plays a crucial role in the ‘Christianisation’ of the Copts..[23].

But the problem of conversion of Copts to Islam has not been stemmed out completely – it is still a reality with us; and we continue to witness Copts changing their religion, weakening our community and haemorrhaging its resources. Some of the conversion to Islam causes, such as resignation, have recently topped up the list, particularly following conflicts over divorce. Copts must study these causes very carefully, and seek solutions to address them. In his report, Qummus Sergius mentions specific situations related to marital conflicts that often lead some Copts to embrace Islam in order to escape alimony[24], ‘obedience’[25], the injustice in some verdicts[26], and the banning of re-opening of divorce cases once a previous appeal had failed, even if fresh evidence emerge. This must be particularly reviewed by Copts.
Changing religion, in the context of the Copts and their history, which is characterised by Muslim occupation and oppression, is not simply an exercise in religious freedom – it is a change in one’s identity, allegiance and ‘nationhood’. Although not always, it has often been the case that once a Copt changes his colours, he goes to the other camp, joining in the persecution of his past people – this is an act of changing one’s religious and national tags, both at the same time. The question “Why do Copts become Muslims?”, which Qumus Sergius tries to answer in his report, therefore, must concern Coptic nationalists for as much as it matters to Coptic Church ecclesiastics; and hence the publication of his report here.Read the full story here.