The New “Mauer”
Egypt’s Wall of Separation
by Ed Rizkalla
This year marks the 20th anniversary for dismantling the infamous Berlin Wall, the “Mauer”. It was a legacy of the Communist rulers of East Germany, which separated the German population living in the Eastern part of the country from those in the West, and claimed the lives of many Germans. In Egypt of the 21st century, a new “Mauer” has evolved over the past few decades separating its population into Muslims and the Copts. Though this new “Wall” is not seen by the eyes, its pervasive influence has been on the increase separating the Egyptian population into Muslims who may have access to the protection of the law and Copts who seem to have their human and civil rights frequently trampled upon and for the most part have no access to the protection of the law.
The Egyptian State and most of its media vehemently deny the existence of this new “Wall”, and claim that Muslims and Copts are all equal. They keep pointing the finger to outside agitators, including the so called “Diaspora Copts” as culprits who disseminate information about the discrimination and persecution of the Copts of Egypt. Sadly Egypt’s new “Wall” of separation is real enough.
The Copts form the largest indigenous non-Muslim population in the Middle East. For decades, the Egyptian government has covered the census data of the Copts in Egypt with a cloak of secrecy. The Coptic population however is estimated to be about 15% of the total population of Egypt or 12 millions. The vast majority of the Coptic population tends to be peaceful, law-abiding and loyal citizens.
So how real is the new “Wall” of Egypt? The Egyptian government spokesmen and most of its media keep denying the existence of discrimination against and persecution of the Copts and claim equality among Muslims and Copts. However “actions speak louder than words”. A brief review of the status of the Copts and a sample of recent actions against them show the reality of a wall of separation made up of covert and overt policies and actions pursued by government institutions, a hostile environment which maligns and marginalizes the Copts created by the public education system and the media, and recurring episodes of human and civil rights violations more often than not neglected and disregarded by the criminal justice system and courts of law.
The Copts continue to face discrimination in education, employment, token access to leadership positions and service in the armed services, and no access to the “Sovereignty Institutions” such as intelligence and national security services and most of the positions in diplomatic services…etc. Prior to the implementation of these policies and actions over the last 50 years or so, there was a reasonable number of Copts in leadership positions in government institutions and professors in the universities. Now it is difficult find Copts who managed to pass through the intricacies of the discrimination nets and pursue higher education funded by the Egyptian taxpayers, of which they constitute an integral part. The majority of Copts aspiring for higher education are forced to find other means to pay for their education. These policies and actions to deprive the Copts from the opportunity for graduate education spanning several decades; have effectively decreased the number of Copts with graduate degrees, leadership positions, and professorship at the universities. Many of the very same Copts denied the opportunity in Egypt, left the country and pursued their education abroad. Many of these same Copts now lead successful careers as leaders, professionals, and university professors in several countries of the Free World.
The “Wall” which separates the population into Muslims and Copts is glaringly obvious in the different set of laws and regulations for establishing places of worship. Whereas the Copts continue to face restrictions, bias, and unending delays in getting permits to build new churches or even repair aging ones, Muslims face no problems whatsoever in building or establishing mosques. Obstructions laid down into the way of establishing and building churches seem to have taken lives of their own. Over the past few years, the Copts have been the target of more frequent episodes of violence to obstruct building, repairing or establishing churches. Some of these episodes of violence are perpetrated by members of militant Islamic groups; however some are also carried out at the instigation of fanatic preachers by mobs of Muslims. Violent episodes against the Copts are numerous to enumerate (1). Over the past few months several attacks were carried out against the Copts, their churches, and their property at several locations in Egypt in a relatively short period of time, e.g. at the villages of Ezbet Bassilious, Ezbet Bushra-East, Ezbet Girgis Bey and Al-Hawasiliya (2) (3). The “Wall” separating the population into Muslims and Copts is even more obvious in the repeated inaction and neglect of local and State authorities to redress the Copts grievances and executing justice. To give credit when due, it is noted the Egyptian government apparatus moved against a terrorist secret cell believed responsible for the attack against a jewelry store and the murder of its Coptic owner, Mr. Makram Azer and four of his employees at al-Zeitoun, Cairo a few months ago. The militant Islamic terrorists attacked the jewelry store to rob and fund their operations (4). Alas the government apparatus didn’t mobilize to uphold the law and address the murder of its Coptic citizens. It seems that the move was primarily motivated by noting that the terrorist cell was about to carry out terrorist attacks against the state itself.
It is indeed a sad commentary on 21st century Egypt, where persecution of a large segment of the Egyptian population continues unabated, while the rules of law, justice, and equity continue to be disregarded. One hopes that Egypt’s new “Wall” of separation would soon meet the fate of its infamous predecessor, the “Mauer”.
The peace of the Lord be with you all. Irene Passe.
References:
(1) List of Atrocities (1972 through early 2009), by United Copts of Great Britain
http://www.unitedcopts.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=33
(2) Muslims set church ablaze but Egyptian security implicates a Christian Copt, by Mary Abedelmassih, AINA http://freecopts.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1056&Itemid=9
(3) Muslim mob targets Christians for building church, by Aaron Klein, World Net Daily
(4) Egyptian Prosecution conducts a photographic review for al-Zeitoun Accident, by Mohamed Ahmed, Asharq Alawsat Newspaper online (Arabic article),
http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=4&article=530850&issueno=11210
Ed Riakalla is a management consultant and freelance writer. He is the founder of Pharos on the Potomac Group (POPG), a non-profit organization at Annandale, VA. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzes76jv/pharosonthepotomacgroup