A Coptic Exodus From Egypt.

A Coptic Exodus From Egypt.HT: Aina.

In the aftermath of President Mohammed Morsi's overthrow earlier this summer, Egypt's Coptic Church has faced an onslaught of persecution. Pro-Morsi supporters vented their anger by burning Christian homes and shops, and when the military staged an August 14 crackdown on protesters, the repercussions for Copts were enormous and tragic: at least 42 churches were assailed, looted, and demolished. Mobs destroyed Christian convents, orphanages, schools, shops, and homes.

This is the culmination of several years of rising persecution for the Copts, whose freedoms were already significantly threatened under President Morsi's rule. In this volatile situation, the ancient church is increasingly faced with a sobering choice: stay and be persecuted, or leave.

Hudson Institute fellow Samuel Tadros explains this dilemma along with its historical context in his new book Motherland Lost: The Egyptian and Coptic Quest for Modernity. The book offers timely background on this religious persecution, demonstrating how the Copts' encounters with modernity and Islam have shaped their role in Egyptian society. Now facing religious repression and violence, Copts' best option, says Tadros, may be to leave Egypt--ending a 2,000-year sojourn in the country. Tadros sees this as detrimental both to the church's traditions and history and to the future of Egypt itself.

TAC: What is the historical Islamic attitude toward Coptic Christians?

TADROS: Islamism has adopted this clear language towards Christians. As I explain in the book, the Islamist goal for the Copts is not massacre. We're not talking about complete genocide or Holocaust … but they want Copts to accept the idea that they are second-class citizens, that they are dhimmis in the land of Islam and acknowledge the supremacy of Islam. The lack of acknowledgement of this, a Coptic attempt to ask for or demand equality, is viewed by the Islamists as an assault, and leads to all the attacks.

The Islamist discourse on Copts is that of the "lucky minority": they were rescued from Byzantine persecution by the Muslim army, they lived happily ever after under the rule of Islam, and they should be thankful for that. They are the ones trying to destroy Egypt with their foreign conspiracies, but they don't have equal rights in the country at all.

TAC: Do you think, keeping in mind the Muslim Brotherhood's history, that Morsi could have eventually delivered a more liberal, representative government?

TADROS: The Muslim Brotherhood was always geared to outside pressure, and not to internal change of hearts and minds. So due to outside pressure, the Muslim Brotherhood was forced to be more pragmatic in its efforts and its approach. But once they no longer needed to do that--once they had free hand over the country, and understood that the American president was not going to crack down on them … the army was not that big of a challenge, and they went for getting everything at once. So I don't think there would have been any internal cooperation.

On the other hand, I don't think they would have been able to create a sharia-based system, simply because Egypt is not organized enough for anyone to actually build a centralized system of any sort … There's simply too much chaos and anarchy. The country really doesn't function on a daily basis. You have a massive bureaucracy with a mind of its own, which was unwilling to work for Morsi's government. You've also got an army that thinks for itself.

TAC: Now the army is back in power, what challenges do you predict for Egypt's political future?

TADROS: The army's popularity is enormous. There is no doubt that there is majority support for the army's action. There has been talk of a military coup, but it really isn't so. The people really do show a majority support for the army. Part of it is understandable; the army has always been a respected institution. The army has maintained this image of being a national institution that enjoys popular support. So they have this support, the question is: What happens in the future?

Today the army is excluding Islamists from their government, and whatever one thinks of them, they are a huge [percentage] of the Egyptian population. So the system in place [has] within it a seed of instability. The army [is] likely to face pushback, especially as the economic situation continues to deteriorate, especially as politicians don't have any solution for Egypt's structural economic problems. As the crackdown continues, they're likely to face a more resistant population.

TAC: What do you think can be done to help alleviate the persecution Copts have undergone lately?

TADROS: Something to ponder and really think about is that regimes in Egypt have changed, but the persecution of Copts has not.

Mubarak went from the palace to prison, Morsi from the prison to palace to prison again--a lot of things have changed in Egypt, but the plight of the Copts has not. Under Mubarak… there was the Nag Hammadi massacre. Under Morsi, they were under attack and forced evacuation. And then you get this horrific attack on Coptic churches on the 14th of August, which is really unprecedented in Egyptian history. You have to go back to the 14th century to find another attack of this size on Coptic Christians in Egypt. So it's something to think about. Regimes might change in Egypt, the country might adopt democracy or it might not, but the plight of Copts is not changing, the situation is still the same. It's a huge problem.

It's likely that the wave of immigration that we're seeing is going to continue. It also tells us something that no matter how much they try to change things on the national level, the main threat to Copts today is on the local level. It's a fact that their very neighbors are the ones attacking them. There was some excellent reporting by Human Rights Watch International on attacks on Copts in the village of Luxor, on the 4th of July this year. In it, they interviewed some of the victims, who told them, "We could hear the voices of the people attacking our homes from the outside. They were the voices of our neighbors." That's where things need to change, because changing constitutions and laws is good, but changing the hearts and minds of men when they've been filled with hate--that is very hard.

So whatever is to be done, one has to keep in mind that we're not only talking about government actions to protect a community or change the constitution of a nation, we're also talking about a culture that's becoming extremely anti-Christian, where people are attacking their Christian neighbors. Hatred is a very hard thing to change.

TAC: Would you say that Copts' only choice is to leave?

TADROS: It's a personal and individual choice each person is making. If you're my age, you're still young, you're thinking about your kids' future … But if you're older, the formula is different. It depends on the individual level of persecution. In depends on how much you have in the country that you're willing to leave behind. It's a combination of factors.

But there's no doubt that many Copts today are asking whether the country is still likely to be a home for them and their children. We're seeing this massive wave of emigration, unlike anything we've seen before, over the last several years. As I mention in the book, my local church here in Fairfax, Virginia has really grown by about 50 percent in two years. We had a community of about 3,000 Copts before the revolution, and now we have an extra 1,500 new immigrants in the past two and a half years. So it's a massive wave, it's going to make the United States a place where Copts want to move.

TAC: If there is a massive exodus of Coptic Christians from Egypt, do you think Egypt's secularists will be able to mount any resistance to the Islamization of the country?

TADROS: So far non-Islamists have depended on the state's power to stop the growth of Islam. The problem for them, of course, is that the state has a mind of its own. The state likes to use the non-Islamists at certain points, to use them as a nice image for the West, but the state is not like Turkey, which has rejected the Islamist project. While the state might include liberal or secular politicians within its government, the general Islamization of society is taking place on the local level.

Egypt's religious [makeup] is very different from what you would have seen 20 or 30 years ago. Look at any image of the graduates of Cairo University in the year 1970 and the year 2011, and you'll see huge differences. In the year 1970, only one or two girls in that photo of graduates would have been veiled. Today, you can really pinpoint the unveiled girls, and they're likely to be Christian girls. This Islamization of the country has been going on for some time, and it is going to continue.

This is part of a wave we're seeing across the Middle East … the Middle East at the turn of the 20th century, in the year 1900, had about 25 percent non-Muslims among its population, including a variety of Christian sects and Jewish communities. That religious mosaic has survived for about a century.

But today when we talk about the Middle East, we're talking about a region that's now--outside of the state of Israel--3 percent Christian. [The Copts in Israel] are the vast majority of those numbers, plus the Maronites in Lebanon and what remains of Iraq's Christians and Syria's Christians. So we're talking about an enormous demographic change that is largely going unnoticed, one that will have a profound impact. We have to remember that they're a religious minority that has always taken the role of the link with the West. They are the bridge between two civilizations. If that no longer exists, then we're talking about a huge problem in the link between two worlds.

TAC: Do you think the Coptic Church can become global without losing its tradition and character?

TADROS: I think it's a huge challenge. I don't think I have an answer. It's a humongous challenge. But you cannot approach Coptic history without this dual sense of the decline and the survival. It's striking. You see the loss of the Coptic Church after the climb, from a majority of the country to a less than 10 percent community and the loss of everything. But you also realize that of all the North African churches, this is the only one that remains standing. The places where Saint Augustine walked are no longer home to Christianity. It is only in Egypt in all of North Africa that Christianity has survived. That tells us something about the survival of this church.

As I think about the church's future, I have to return to this theme of the dual nature of decline and survival. There might be decline in some areas; the church might lose its traditional home in Egypt, but we're seeing a flourishing of the church outside of Egypt. We're seeing half a million sub-Saharan Africans join the Coptic Church … Because it doesn't have the ugly history of colonialism associated with Western European churches, you're seeing this tremendous growth of the Coptic Church in Africa. We're seeing a growth of Coptic communities all around the world. We can talk about a Coptic church that is African, a Coptic church that is European, a Coptic church in Fiji, and a Coptic church in Sweden: the Church has become a global one in reality.

By Gracy Howard
http://www.theamericanconservative.com

Egypt Coptic Pope Tawadros II Supports Article II a.k.a 'Sharia Law'?Hopes Constitution Will Unite All Egyptians.

Egypt Coptic Pope Tawadros II Supports Article II a.k.a 'Sharia Law'?Hopes Constitution Will Unite All Egyptians.(IW).

Recently-elected Egyptian Coptic Pope Tawadros II condemns Bashar violence and brutal massacres; and announces his full support for article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution staying on unchanged. 

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Episcopate, expressed support for Article II of the Constitution of 1971 staying on unchanged in the new constitution being drafted in the Constituent Assembly (CA).

Article 2 affirms that, "Islam is the state religion, and Arabic the official language, and principles of Sharia (Islamic Law) are the main source of legislation".

(Sobhi Saleh, member of the Constituent Assembly (CA) tasked with drawing up a new constitution, reiterated that the new national charter will be for all Egyptians, reminding protesters that the CA is a constitutional institution formed by popular will.
Saleh mentioned that Article 2, which states that "Islam is the official state religion and Arabic the official language", had been copied from the Constitution of 1923 – written by then liberals, not Islamists. He pointed the cultural difference between liberals in the past and the present.
Saleh said it was suggested that Article 221 should be merged with Article 2 into one article which would state that "the principles of Islamic Sharia include general evidence and fundamentalist bases, rules and jurisprudence sources accepted by Sunni scholars".)
Pope Tawadros hopes the CA would succeed in writing a constitution that unites all Egyptians and lays the ground for them for accelerated progress in the future and for the advancement of the homeland. He said that everyone should be judged by the principles of citizenship.
On the future role of the church, under his Papacy, Tawadros confirmed that he rejects the idea of the church intervening in political affairs of the state, and that he accepts only a spiritual role in the church.
Regarding his vision of rumored sectarian strife, he explained: "Those are not mere rumors, but an interpretation of what happens when a situation develops between citizens and a religious factor is thrown in, a crisis is ignited and a bigger problem grows and spreads".
The Coptic Pope pointed that applying the law against wrong- doers and offenders will put an end to this problem and eliminate it completely, "because we are citizens of one homeland, and friendly relationships should prevails among all Egyptians.
"For so long, we’ve grown accustomed to finding Christian families next to Muslim families, cooperating and helping one another. And in holiday seasons, Christian and Muslim families exchange congratulations and visits. This is the compassion that pervades our society."
He concluded by affirming that he, along with all Egyptians – including Copts – strongly denounce the violence being committed against the Syrian people. He called for an immediate halt to the violence, to stop the bloodshed and start work with more dedication on a political solution.Hmmmm..........Read the full story here.

Egypt - BREAKING: Bishop Tawadros chosen as Egypt's 118th Coptic pope.

Egypt - BREAKING: Bishop Tawadros chosen as Egypt's 118th Coptic pope.(A).Bishop Tawadros has become Egypt’s 118th Coptic pope after his name was picked from a box by a blindfolded child during Sunday's altar lottery at St Mark's Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo. The new Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in the Holy See of St Mark the Apostle succeeds Pope Shenouda III who passed away last March.
Pope Shenouda led the church for forty years and was chosen in a similar lottery in 1971.
Following an 8am mass on Sunday, acting pope Bishop Pachomios led altar boy Bishoy Gerges Mossad, to the altar, where the young blindfolded boy chose the name of the new pope.
The three finalists who entered Sunday’s lottery were: Bishop Rafael, Father Rafael Ava Mina and Bishop Tawadros. The road to choosing a new pope began immediately after Pope Shenouda’s death, when 76-year-old Pachomios' was appointed as interim pope. The Church then formed a committee mandated with drawing up a shortlist of nominees to become Shenouda's successor. Another committee was also tasked with choosing electors – those members of the Coptic community who would have the right to cast ballots in the papal electoral process. A total of 2,406 electors were chosen, drawn from among Coptic archbishops, bishops, lay council members and agents of the archdioceses, as well as prominent Coptic laymen including Coptic newspaper editors-in-chief and members of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate. Bishop Tawadros, the General Bishop of El-Beheira, in Egypt's Delta region received 1623 votes, taking 26.53 per cent of total votes. Father Raphael received 1530 votes, totalling 25 per cent of the votes. Bishop Pachomios had kicked off the final ceremony early Sunday, by reading the names of each candidate out loud to the congregation. The names were written in bold on large rectangle shaped papers. Each paper was then tied and placed in a black box, which was sealed with red wax. The new pope is faced with the task of leading Egypt’s Coptic community in a politically uncertain climate, following the last year's popular uprising. Islamists and Salafists continue to push their religious agendas, following the election of a Muslim Brother as Egypt's president and the ongoing constitution-drafting process. Challenges also lie within the Church. The new pope will also have to tackle critical issues including obtaining state approval to amend the church's 1938 bylaws – which lay down the rules governing Coptic divorce and remarriage – and the controversial 1957 bylaws regulating papal elections. The Bishop will be officially enthroned as Egypt's 118th pope on the 18th of November.Read the full story here.

Egypt's Coptic Christians prepare to choose new Pope.

Egypt's Coptic Christians prepare to choose new Pope.(AA).About 12 boys will be chosen on Saturday to attend Egypt’s 118th Pope inauguration ceremony, one of them will become his mother’s pride if he wins the honor of selecting a new pope for millions of Coptic Christians in Egypt. The interim head of the Coptic Church, Father Pachomius, will choose 12 boys to be invited to the ceremony. On Sunday, he will instruct that one of them be blindfolded. That boy, aged between five and eight, will choose a piece of paper bearing the name of the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in the Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle. 
This is going to be the first such contest since 1971, when pope Shenuda III was selected by the same method more than four decades ago, Bishop Pola told AFP. The names of the three candidates to succeed pope Sheunda will be written on separate pieces of paper and placed in a box on the altar of St Mark’s Cathedral, for God to guide the boy’s hand towards the winner -- in the beliefs of the Church and the faithful. The candidates are Bishop Rafael, 54, a medical doctor and current assistant bishop for central Cairo; Bishop Tawadros of the Nile Delta province of Beheira, 60; and Father Rafael Ava Mina, the oldest of the five original candidates at 70. 
The finalists were chosen after nearly 2,500 eligible voters made up of Coptic public officials, MPs, journalists and local councilors have selected them in the church’s election last week. The final choice will be left to a boy who will be blindfolded and asked to pick one name on Sunday. Bishop Pola told reporters that strict measures are taken to ensure there is no foul play: the three pieces of paper are all the same size, tied up the same way and placed in a transparent box. The entire process will be televised before a large, live congregation. “A lot of families propose the names of children, that’s why we lay down precise criteria and ensure the faithfulness of the family and the child to the Church,” said the bishop. Dozens of families have come forward. “I pray my son George is selected to carry out the will of God,” said one mother, Merihan Moros. The newly chosen Coptic pope will serve as the spiritual leader of the country’s Christians, who make up between six and 10 percent of Egypt’s 83-million-strong population.
Read the full story here.

Three Finalists emerge in race for Egypt’s Coptic Christian leadership..

Three Finalists emerge in race for Egypt’s Coptic Christian leadership.(AA).Three finalists in race for Egypt’s Coptic Christian leadership have emerged after 90 percent of the 2,406 electors selected among archbishops and bishops casted their votes early on Monday. The finalists were Bishop Rafael, 54, Father Rafael Ava Mina, 70, and Father Pachomious al-Suriani, 49, according to Ahram Online. After officially revealed later on Monday night, the names of the top three vote-getters will later be written on separate pieces of paper and placed in a box on the altar of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. On Nov. 4, a child will be blindfolded and asked to choose one of the papers. The person chosen will be enthroned in a ceremony on Nov. 18.
Coptic Christians started voting early Monday to elect a new leader to succeed Pope Shenuda III, who passed away in March leaving behind a community anxious about its status under an Islamist-led government. The death of Shenuda, who headed the church for four decades, set in motion the process to elect a new patriarch to lead the community through the post-revolution era in Egypt, which is marked by increased sectarian tension.
According to a report by Egypt’s al-Ahram Online, that included a summary on each candidate’s resume:

*Father Pachomious al-Suriani: A monk at the Paromeos Monastery (dedicated to the Virgin Mary) in Wadi Natrun, a valley situated in Egypt’s Nitrian Desert. Born in Aswan, Upper Egypt, in 1963, he holds a joint degree in science and education. Father Pachomious currently resides in Italy.

*Bishop Rafael: Auxiliary bishop of central Cairo and the capital’s Heliopolis district, a former aide to the late Pope Shenouda III and a member of the Coptic Church’s Holy Synod. Born in Cairo in 1954 and a graduate of Ain Shams University’s medical faculty, Rafael was ordained bishop in June 1997.

*Father Rafael Ava Mina: A monk at St Mina Monastery (Mar Mina), located in the Western Desert near the coastal town of Alexandria. Born in Cairo in 1942, Rafael has a law degree from Ain Shams University.

*Father Seraphim al-Souriani: Also a monk at the Paromeos Monastery. Born in 1959 in Cairo, Seraphim holds a science degree from Ain Shams University. He lives in the U.S.

*Bishop Tawadros: Auxiliary bishop for the northern Beheira governorate, and auxiliary to Bishop Pachomious (who is currently serving as acting pope). A member of the Holy Synod, the Coptic Church’s highest authority, Tawadros was born in 1952 and studied pharmaceutical sciences at Alexandria University. He was ordained bishop in 1997.

They all have been visiting churches and preaching across the country ahead of the voting.

Copts around the world were asked to fast for three days before the voting, and a second period of fasting will begin on Oct. 31, said Bishop Paul, spokesman for the selection committee.

One cleric who did not make the short list is hardline Bishop Bishoy because of, as the state-owned Egyptian Gazette said in a recent editorial, “his fierce attacks on other denominations and his previous statements to the press that could have sparked sectarian sedition in the country.”

Bishoy came under fire over comments he made about the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and his exclusion suggests the church is trying to keep controversial figures out of the race.Read the full story here.