3 of 3

There are few other Coptic candidates running for office elsewhere in Egypt. The National Democrats have only two Christians out of 444 candidates on the ballot. Political science professor Mona Makram Ebeid, who as a woman and a Copt is a rarity in Egyptian politics, lost in the first round of elections in a predominantly Christian electoral district.

Despite many limitations on Christianity in Egypt, Copts represent up to eight percent of the population and many are deeply integrated into Egyptian society. Of Egypt's 77 million people, about 5 million or 6 million are Coptic Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant. The Christian population has its greatest concentration in rural Upper Egypt, hundreds of miles south of Cairo along the Nile river.

Influential Christian leaders have supported Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, especially in the campaign against militant Islam. Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III and Anglican Archbishop Mouneer Anis endorsed the re-election of Mubarak earlier this year.

In Cairo and Alexandria, Copts form a vital segment of Egypt's middle and upper classes. Moderate Muslims and Copts are widely seen as mutually tolerant. Grand Sheik Tantawi of Al-Azhar University embodies the kind of moderate Islam that is more accepting of the Christian presence within Egypt and committed to dialogue. Tantawi recently even invited the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and other Christians to lecture at Al-Azhar, the intellectual hub of the Islamic world.

At the grassroots level, relations between Muslims and Christians are strained. Competition for jobs and educational opportunities in Egypt is fierce, regardless of religious affiliation. A significant part of the Coptic population is entrenched at the bottom of the economy, including the well-known Muqattam Copts. They are Cairo's garbage collectors (zabbaleen) and builders of the famous cave church set under a massive overhanging cliff south of Cairo. Seating 20,000, it is one of the largest churches of the Middle East.

Religion remains one of Egypt's greatest flashpoints. In recent years, the low-water mark for Coptic-Muslim relations is the New Year's massacre in El-Kosheh, an Upper Egypt village, where 21 Christians lost their lives in rioting in 2000. The local courts eventually acquitted all the suspects, triggering cries of injustice among Copts in Egypt and worldwide.

Timothy C. Morgan is deputy managing editor of Christianity Today. Additional reporting from Cornelius Hulsman, editor-in-chief of Arab-West Report, in Cairo.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

More articles about Egypt, religious freedom in the country, and the 2000 El-Kosheh riots are available on our Egypt page.

Weblog linked to several news stories about the riots.

The BBC's Egypt page has links to their latest news stories on the election.

first page |  3 of 3

share this page

November (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49