Special Dispatch - Reform Project/North African Reformist Thinkers
March 1, 2006
No. 1103
Tunisian Reformist Researcher on Discrimination Against Christians in Egypt

Reformist Tunisian researcher Dr. Amel Grami from Manouba University in Tunis is a member of a joint international Muslim-Christian research group.
She has published books on various Islamic topics such as freedom of faith
in Islam and riddah (relinquishing the Muslim faith) in Islamic thought, as
well as many articles in Arabic, French and Italian on reform in Islam, the
status of women, and dialogue between Christianity and Islam.

In November 2005, she participated in a conference held in Washington, D.C. for advancing the rights of Copts in Egypt; the conference was also attended by other reformists and human rights activists from across the Arab and Muslim world.

At the conference, she presented a paper which included criticism of the
persecution of the Christian Coptic population in Egypt and suggested ways of dealing with the issue.(1)

The following are excerpts:

"A Country's Policy of Discrimination is One of the Most Central Factors in Harming Those of a Different Faith"

"Anyone who examines the persecution, the exclusion, and the marginalization that the Copts have suffered in recent years will find that the rejection of the other who belongs to a different religion has taken many forms - such as revulsion, contempt, defamation, curses, and public difficulty in tolerating the existence of the other. In some cases, the situation has reached the point of revoking the other's right to freedom, to expression, and to existence, and has even [led] to his elimination.

"It is clear that a country's policy of discrimination is one of the most
central factors in harming those of a different faith... Whoever follows the
words of the senior [Egyptian] officials discovers that they ceaselessly
boast about the rules [set out in Koran 9:29] that oblige the ahl al-dhimma
to pay jizya [poll tax] 'with willing submission,' and that they never stop
praising the contracts that restrict non-Muslims in the areas of housing,
external appearance, performance of their religious rituals, and upkeep of
their houses of worship. It is no wonder, then, that the laws setting out
worship continue to be handled as was customary hundreds of years ago, and that they differentiate between the rights of the 'majority' and the rights
of the 'minority'...

"The state's insistence that the construction, renovation, and decoration of
churches are activities that require a [government] permit means that the
state is incapable of accepting the changes of history and modern culture -
including [the principle of] respecting the citizen's right to choose his
faith and to worship... It seems that the decision to prevent [free worship]
reflects nothing but the desire of the 'majority' to be prominent at the
expense of the 'minority' - which is forced to reduce its presence if [this
presence] worries, embarrasses, or intimidates [the majority]...

"Accordingly... [the reality in Egypt is] that there are very few churches
but many mosques; [Christian] houses of worship tend to be ramshackle, with dim lights and faded colors, in contrast to the lofty mosques that [are
built to] seem ever-enduring, since 'Islam,' after all, 'is supreme over
others and others are not supreme over it.' Thus, the state controls the
physical symbols that express religious identity... The Copts' demand that
the state enable them to establish and maintain churches is received [by the
Egyptian public] as proof of their desire to compete with the Muslims... [as if] these are pesky demands aimed only at embarrassing members of the
regime...

"[But] in a country in which there are monasteries, and in which the voice
of the muezzin reverberates along with the sound of the bell calling to
prayer, one cannot brandish the motto 'Islam is the solution' or call for
the return of the 'Islamic caliphate' - and it is inconceivable for the
constitution to set out that the state is Islamic.

"Harassment Has Increased and the Discrimination Between Muslims and
Christians has Gotten Worse"

"The second example of the violation of the Copts' religions rights is
manifested in religious coercion, that is, in pushing women, particularly
underage girls, to convert to Islam under pressure... In this framework,
there are cases of young girls abducted and forced to convert to Islam...

"The [Egyptian] state favors one group at the expense of the other, and its
various apparatuses have become entangled in acts of violence... Egypt has not managed to be objective [regarding all its citizens], and, like the
other Arab countries, it has failed to secure the sovereignty of law and the
implementation of social agreement among all [elements of its society]. This
is because, in the eyes of the politicians and the decision makers,
governing means repression, coercion, and punishment of those who do not obey. This is a clear violation of one of the most important articles of the Human Rights Convention...

"It appears that the state does not recognize an individual's right to enjoy
religious freedom that includes not only the right to choose a faith and a
religion, but also the right to change his religion - or not to believe at
all. Conversion to Islam cannot be by violence, since faith cannot be
induced through compulsion and coercion... The state's intervention in the
question of faith is proof of its responsibility - whether conscious or
unconscious - for spreading [the accusation] of abandoning Islam [riddah,
the penalty for which is death]... This means that the expropriation of
religious freedom and the persecution and elimination of anyone who is
different apply not only to the Copts, but also to Muslims who have a
different view of the religion, or who seek to adopt another religion...

"State Institutions Employ a Policy of 'the Visible and the Hidden'"

"Today, the 'majority' allows an individual who believes in a different
religion to have a place in society, but [only] while reminding him that his
value is not equal to that of a Muslim, and while constantly giving him the
feeling that he is not a useful element [in society] and that he lacks the
necessary qualifications. As we know, the required qualifications are not
scientific qualifications, but religious ones. [Even] if the official [i.e.
state] discourse claims that this is not the case, how [else] can we explain
[the fact that] the Copts are being distanced from decision-making posts?
And what does it mean when a state does not permit a Copt to hold a high position in society?...

"The various state institutions employ a policy of 'the visible and the
hidden.' Publicly, they imply that the state does not reject the Copts -
that it condemns their persecution and never stops submitting important
recommendations to all apparatuses on how to handle the crisis wisely. And indeed, in recent years the media has highlighted some [Coptic] history that in the past had been marginalized. Various works of art have stressed the coexistence that once prevailed between Muslims and Christians, and the scope of the Copts' contribution to the national struggle has been revealed.
The number of encounters between Pope Shenouda III... and the official
Islamic establishment represented by the sheikh of Al-Azhar has doubled, and political statements have multiplied regarding the fraternal relations that prevail between the members of both religions, and regarding the realization of national unity in Egypt.

"But anyone who follows the events and the facts of daily life has noticed
what the official discourse hides. Harassment has increased and the
discrimination between Muslims and Christians has gotten worse... The state has not lifted a finger [to stop] the escalation in the discourse of the
extremists, who support the Islamist movements and control the various
institutions - particularly the media institutions...

"A Not Inconsiderable Number of Copts... Would Rather Submit to the Powerful Regime Than Fight it"

"Whether the Copts admit that they are being persecuted, deny it, or
downplay the importance of the attacks against them, there is no doubt that fundamental human rights are being violated in Egypt and in other Arab countries, just as persecution of 'minorities' is a fact of life that cannot be denied - even if some Copts claim that they are satisfied with their
situation and that they are against 'escalating [the struggle].' But isn't
[their very] insistence on concealing the religious discrimination [against
them] a sign of the restrictions and pressure that they are subject to, and
[a sign of] the threats that they receive so that they will not reveal this
local secret? Isn't the downplaying of the incidents in which churches were
looted and destroyed, and Christian blood was spilled, evidence of the siege against 'the minority?'

"Feebleness, fear, and a sense of oppression and helplessness have
infiltrated the souls of a not inconsiderable number of Copts, and they
would rather remain silent than reveal the secret. They would rather submit to the powerful regime than fight it. This oppression has led them to accept the deeds of the ruling class, and to submit to the reality that is accepted
as 'natural' in the society of the majority...

"The Copts are divided in opinion not [only] with regard to the appropriate time to deal with this matter, but also with regard to the [appropriate] way
of defending [themselves],... and with regard to terminology: Is it
permissible to talk of 'persecution,' 'discrimination,' and 'violation [of
rights],' or is it necessary to use expressions like 'being ignored' and
'neglected' by the state, or '[the state] turns a blind eye?' Similarly,
they disagree on the methods of struggle against discrimination... and
whether the issue of the Copts should be presented as a problem of a
'minority that is persecuted and besieged' or else considered within the
broader framework of the lack of democracy in Egypt and the violation of
fundamental human rights?...

"Defense of Religious Freedom Cannot Be Isolated From Defense of the Rest of the Fundamental Freedoms"

"Defense of religious freedom cannot be isolated from defense of the rest of the fundamental freedoms. It is important that every person in society,
regardless of gender, color, race, and religion, enjoy the rights he
deserves - such as the right to freedom, to respect, and to protection of
his physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing... The common denominator that must unite all levels of society is citizenship. Some of the backbones of citizenship are: equality in rights and obligations, and equality of all
before the law... [Likewise,] one of the merits of the democratic state is
that it does not consider people according to their faith, and does not
assess them according to their affiliation with one religion or another, or
according to their piousness. The goal that the state must pursue is for the
individual to be capable of playing an active role in society while
maintaining mutual constructive relations with others..."

Suggestions for Solving the Problem of Discrimination Against Christians in Egypt

In summary, Dr. Grami stated: "Global and local circumstances no longer
allow the situation to continue as it is... and even though some elements
have objected to raising the Coptic issue at the present time, public debate on this most sensitive Egyptian issue cannot be put off any longer."

Dr. Grami added that there is already public discourse regarding a number of practical solutions to the problem, and enumerated some of them: "Building a truly democratic government in which rule of law will prevail instead of tribal rule, in which national and human affiliation will replace the focus on religious affiliation, with a separation between religion and state;
changing the constitution and the laws so that they guarantee full equality
for all...; implementing social justice by providing work opportunities and
through [fair] distribution of resources among all [citizens]...;
encouraging modern education... and curricula capable of developing a
critical sense...; ending the hegemony of the religious establishment in all
areas of life...; opposing the extremist religious movements that carry out
acts of coercion and violence and do not respect freedom of religion;
discarding the criteria of religious affiliation in order to establish a
collective awareness that can unite the
efforts of all in the service of the homeland... ; and reexamining the
foundations for the operation of the media... The media establishment must spread the values of modernity and reflect the wealth of the cultural
system..."

Endnote:
(1) This is the second report in MEMRI's recently launched project: North
African Reformist Thinkers. For more, see the first report of the series:
"French Moroccan Progressive Author on 'The New Islamic Thinkers,'"
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA26406 .

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Reproduced by permission of IMRA, Independent Media Review and Analysis, Israel.

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