Unfortunately the Copts living in Egypt found themselves in a position to choose between the proverbial two evils: the frying pan caused by the military rule or the fire caused by a fanatic Muslim Brother administration. No wonder, they are frightened and anxious about what lies ahead; is the religious persecution going to escalate and how? This sense of insecurity has become so pervasive that it is, understandably, often loaded with emotion and feeling of not belonging in their own home land, in which they lived for thousands of years. Amazingly, they yearned to the past despotic regime in which many Churches were burnt, it took lots of effort to build a new Church, and many Copts were killed in a brutal way. They are saying: the devil that you know must be better than the devil that you do not know. What a choice!
Some Muslim religious extremists overtly and proudly announced that the Copts are encouraged to leave Egypt and they are not desired to stay or participate. Understandably, this sent shivers that resonated with various Christians living in Egypt. Others who are living at the fringes of Islam propagated lies about the Churches and Monasteries, hiding weapons, that added to the Christian anxiety and feeling of insecurity. Also, some Egyptian courts handed prison sentences to prominent Egyptian Copts; which sent shivers to several business people and individuals that believed that they served the best interests of Egypt while declining other offers that promised to reward them financially much more.
To make this ugly picture even scarier is the pronouncement by the elected President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, who was intent to reverse the ruling by the supreme constitutional court indicating that the election of the Egyptian Parliament was illegal, as if he is above the law of the land. To add insult to injury, he announced that his first visit, he will make as President, will be to Saudi Arabia. Furthermore a recent visit by Hillary Clinton, the American secretary of state, was viewed with great suspicion among various Christian groups living in Egypt as well by those living abroad, and was interpreted as an endorsement by America to the Muslim Brother regime and was, justifiably seen, as a blow to the religious minorities in Egypt. Predictably, Ms. Clinton laid the results of the elections squarely on the Egyptian people saying that America does not pick “winners and losers” in any election and that America is interested only in seeing that democracy is implemented by all countries.
I say: where is the outrage?
From Christians (mainly Copts) who will see more persecution in Egypt or be forced to leave or revert to Islam in order to survive? Will religion be used as a litmus test for every aspect of life?
From the various Muslim groups who are interested in progress and development. Violent Islamists are tarnishing their image everywhere, while they are well meaning, capable and competent?
From various women’s groups crying for equality and fairness. Should we continue to treat women as slaves to men? Will the customs of genital mutilation of women, arranged marriages and under age marriages, preferential treatments for men in divorce, inheritance and pay continue?
The world is seeing American policies as short-sighted to say the least. Various progressive groups within Egypt have to coalesce and wake up. It is not a time for whining, carping or finding excuses for the lack of action. It is high time, for these groups, to rise above their minor differences and form one party. I was hoping, above all hope, that the Muslim Brothers will shed their ideology and show that they are capable of governing; I was wrong. We have to stop this tsunami before it engulfs us all. It may be too late in the day but we have to try everything we can to stop this unholy wave from taking hold in Egypt.
What would it take to stem this eminent danger? In my judgment, one of two things must happen:
1- That we are not ready to write a lasting constitution in Egypt yet. If the discussion becomes who knows best the intent of God, then it is the wrong discussion to have. Religions are intended to make each one of us a better person. Religions have to be confined to the Houses of Worship. Like various Institution joining a certain group will have its rules. Civic Institutions have to exist to cater to those who do not want to join a particular Institution. Let me ask Dr. Morsi the following question: before you joined the University of South California as a PhD student or when you were chosen to teach in America, did any one discriminate against you because of your religious beliefs? If the answer is negative, as I am sure it is, why then this issue becomes a vital one in Governing Egypt?
2- Draft a bill of rights by the independent legal scholars, from inside and outside Egypt until Egypt has mature parties and Civic Institutions. The constitution (by these same individuals) can wait. Constitutions are road maps drafted with the end in sight; how we want Egypt to look like and how to protect all its citizens. They are written by legal scholars and are followed by the generations to come. They have to explicitly call for equality and justice for all citizens. They guarantee universally agreed upon human rights for all. The only condition for the forgoing becomes obedience to the laws of the land. Other conditions used to discriminate among various citizens should not be allowed to exist in a society that strives to join, and rightly so, the parade of modern Nations.