Egypt's New Directions

"The visit will send a signal that things are very different from Morsi's days. It's a different style and is likely to have a positive impact on the Copts."
Michael W Hanna, Egypt expert Century Foundation, New York

Egypt's interim president visits Orthodox Church

How much different is not all that removed from the perceptions of Egyptian Copts themselves. The Muslim Brotherhood claimed that Egypt's Christian community supported and agitated for the downfall of Mohammed Morsi. And that, in part explained why the Christian community and their Coptic churches were targeted in the subsequent days of rage after the removal of Mohammed Morsi from the presidency.

Not that they had been protected from Muslim extremist violence during the presidency of Mr. Morsi. Egyptian Copts have always been persecuted, but their status was semi-protected during the long presidency of Hosni Mubarak. And their condition certainly became more fraught with danger when Mr. Mubarak was removed from the presidency and replaced with the Islamist Brotherhood president, Mohammed Morsi.

The visit by Egypt's Interim President Adly Mansour  to Pope Tawadros II is a public relations gesture meant to reassure Egypt's Christians of their rightful place in Egypt, and meant as well to send the unmistakable message to all of Egypt's society that theirs is meant to be a secular government, not an Islamist one, inimical to the presence of non-Muslims among Egyptians.

It is good-will propaganda of a useful variety.

The military-installed government that dated back to Gamal Abdel Nasser was a primarily secular government. Where Nasser attended Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral consecration ceremony over 40 years previously. Pope Tawadros II was without doubt pleased indeed to welcome President Mansour to the cathedral as a sign of future respect and cooperation on a mutual level.

While Mohammed Morsi was fond of iterating that he presided over Egyptian affairs on behalf of all its citizens, Pope Tawadros accused him of failing to protect the cathedral when it was attacked in April by a mob a year ago. An event that caused a huge feeling of heightened vulnerability among the Christian congregation.


The new, interim administration has hopes that Egyptian Christians will now feel it incumbent upon themselves to vote positively in the January 14-15 referendum. The draft constitution enshrines equality for all Egyptians. The next parliament is set to legislate a new law to facilitate construction and upkeep of churches in the new Egypt.

And time will tell. Certainly Egypt has enough problems to deal with in its journey toward stability.

Labels: Christianity, Conflict, Egypt, Human Relations, Muslim Brotherhood

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, January 07, 2014