Brian George
4/8/10
Blog 11
12:34 pm
For the past few months there has been a visible unity between the Christian and Muslim community in Egypt. The desire and need to remove Hosni Mubarak from power brought the two religious groups together for a modern revolution, to demand change not just for their political freedom. In addition, it was for some the desire to obtain true religious freedom as well.
All this change occurring in a place where the country’s laws have been based upon the book of one religion, namely Islam. “Under Mubarak, Christians were often excluded from positions of authority and influence. They held fewer than two percent of seats in the recently disbanded parliament. They continue to face restrictions when they want to build or fix churches, and Islamic law remains Egypt's main source of legislation.” (Presto, Suzanne. ‘Egypt's Christians and Muslims Face Unity and Tensions.’). While Mubarak was in power Copt Christians were similar to second or third-class citizens, churches were burned down and many lives on both sides(Muslim and Christian) were lost in battles in villages and cities.
On top of that, they have been underrepresented in their government’s political system and this does nothing but slow or kill the progress that the country could make towards recognizing other religions as equals.
The clear difference between the treatment of Muslims and Christians by their government could become even more apparent should another more ‘radical’ individual or group, assume power.
And at the moment the one that stands out is one that makes many Copt Christians in Egypt and other countries worried, the Muslim Brotherhood, an group that favors a pure Islamic state.
This causes some to worry though they seem willing to accept that possibility to simply have Mubarak out of power. “I have fears that they (the Brotherhood) come to power, however, I'm still very happy about what's happening and I will still be very happy that Mubarak leaves, at any price," said Rasha, 29, a marketing worker who, like most of the others, did want her full name used.” (Dziadosz, Alexander. ‘Copts say Egypt regime change trumps Islamist fears’.)
Even with the change that is bound to come to their government, many are worried that Islamic groups would gain even more favor and influence after Mubarak’s departure is complete…even though the two religious groups have been working together despite an brutal bombing in March that killed many and a battle that quickly followed and left more dead.
Between those events and others that have occurred over the past few years, it could be very difficult to hold one another up in these trying times; and there’s the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood would seek to use those past and even current events to their advantage and separate the Copt Christian community even further away from the Muslim community.
Right now, Egypt is a country and society that is not only dominated by Islamic virtues and people, but it discriminates against the Christian community. From the restrictions on building churches to the forced Islamic conversions that have come to light in the past few years, it boils down to whether Egypt would be content with the discrimination from Mubarak or a potential similar of worse one under the Muslim Brotherhood.
Should extremists obtain power in Egypt, they may suffer a bigger division of religion and life than they have already experienced in the past. While the two groups are unified, the best thing would be to acknowledge the possibilities ahead for peace and a permanent union that would see no discrimination on a social, physical, mental or spiritual level; be inflicted upon anyone simply because of their religion.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/us-egypt-copts-idUSTRE7109C220110201?pageNumber=1
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