Systematic discrimination and harassment against religious minorities in Egypt and the surrounding region often goes unreported as it does not catch international headlines such as stories of brutality and violence. The broader picture of life for minorities in Egypt is one of daily submission under Islamic Sharia. It has rightly been called daily martyrdom.
To lose one’s life for your faith is far more glamorous than daily persevering for your faith. Yet, such is the case for the vast majority of Egypt’s Christians. Imagine waking each day to the knowledge that you do not have the same rights as your neighbors in worship, at work, in school, and even in the privacy of your home. Such is their life.
The Egyptian new constitution is still entrenched in Sharia law. Article 2 states: “Islam is the religion of the State and Arabic is its official language. The principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source of legislation.”
While the constitution provides for freedom of religion to members of the three Abrahamic faiths (Articles 64-65) and equality of women, (article 53) it simultaneously nullifies such claims by giving precedence to Sharia.
What is Sharia? Sharia law is based primarily on the Koran and Sunna (teachings and saying of Prophet Mohammed) and provides guidance for all aspects of life including familial, legal, and financial aspects. It also relies on precedents and analogies provided by Muslim scholars to create consensus on issues.
Some will argue that Sharia does not undermine the governance of Egyptian minorities because, according to article 3 of the constitution, “The principles of Christian and Jewish Sharia of Egyptian Christians and Jews are the main source of legislations that regulate their respective personal status, religious affairs, and selection of spiritual leaders.”
Reality for Egyptian minorities is very different. On any occasion that one of these issues is placed in the hands of the government, or in which a minority is in dispute with a Muslim, Sharia wins the day. How does this play out in everyday life?
Kidnapping and Forced Conversion of Women & Girls:
Disappearance, kidnapping and forced marriages and conversions of Coptic women and girls has been a phenomenon observed for decades in the Egyptian Society. There has been a significant rise in these incidents since the popular uprising in Jan. 2011 since which over 500 Coptic women have disappeared and there is evidence that this is a highly organized Muslim effort to forcibly convert Christian women. In most instances, police are slow to respond, refuse to file cases or search for missing girls, and sometimes even collude with the kidnappers. Coptic Solidarity circulated this recent plea from a Christian girl seeking help in such circumstances.
Kidnapping for Ransom: There also has been a rise in kidnapping of Copts by Islamists who require ransom for the release of their victims. These may be doctors, pharmacists, business-owners or their minor siblings. On occasion victims are killed despite payment of the ransom. As Raymond Ibrahim recently explained, the jizya was abolished in Egypt since 1856, but Islamists believe they still have the right to impose this humiliating tax on Christians. The kidnapping business is one more means of doing so.
Marriage: A Muslim man can marry a Christian woman, but a Christian man may not marry a Muslim woman. If a Muslim woman is even perceived to have a relationship with a Christian man, Muslim mobs often attack the individual, members of the Coptic community in the neighborhood including their homes and business, and sometimes even their churches.
Blasphemy: Copts, Bahai’, Shia, and other minorities, as well as those who dare publicly declare being Atheist, face the ever-present possibility of being accused of blasphemy. Strictly speaking there are no Blasphemy laws in Egypt, but there is a legal stipulation that punishes “derision of religion.” This is increasingly being used in Egypt to silence members of minority communities from discussing faith issues, ensuring Muslims adhere to the Al Azhar approved views on Sunni Islam, and for simply settling personal scores. Coptic Solidarity recently published an update on the abuse of this laws to target minorities and atheists in Egypt.
Conversion: Members of all minority faith communities are welcome and even enticed – and at times forced – to convert to Islam. But, Muslims may not convert away from Islam, as the state records simply will not recognize such a change. Muslims may convert secretly in heart, but if they dare dare to declare it, will face harassment from state security services, possible imprisonment, death threats from friends and family, ect. Mohammed Hegazy, one of Eygpt’s most well-known converts tried, but failed, to make his conversion from Islam to Christianity official. He has been imprisoned (on a multitude of false accusations), abused in prison, and his family forced into hiding. Because he cannot officially convert away from Islam, his children are considered Muslims by the state (despite being raised by 2 Christian parents) and will be forced to receive Islamic religious education in school).
Christian convert Maher El Gohary also tried to make his conversion official so that his young daughter would not be registered as a Muslim. The courts rejected his request and Maher and his daughter Dina were forced into hiding, eventually fleeing Egypt due to constant death threats. http://www.catholic.org/news/international/middle_east/story.php?id=35294
Custody: In the case a mixed-religious union occurs, the Muslim gains custody of children. If two Christians are married and one parent converts to Islam, that converting parent not only gets custody of the children but, the children are then considered Muslims regardless of their wishes. In this way, children are forcibly converted to Islam which will be reflected on their national ID card for the remainder of their life.
Education: Children are supposed to receive Islamic or Christian religious instruction at school, depending their families’ affiliation. In the case of a forced conversion such as cited above, a Christian child will be forced to take religious studies classes (and pass exams) for a faith in which they do not believe.
This is a sampling of systematic discrimination Coptic Christians endure. Many more aspects of life are impacted such as in commerce, employment, and divorce. Bahais (who number only a few thousands in Egypt) endure problems of their own.
Coptic Solidarity is actively engaged in advocating for religious minorities in Egypt and in the region such as for those suffering brutalities in Syria and Iraq at the hands of ISIS. As we are mindful of those urgent situations, let us not forget the end objective to achieve equality for all Egyptians.