• 13:12
  • Thursday ,15 September 2016
العربية

Coptic unity before everyone loses

Suleiman Shafik

Article Of The Day

00:09

Thursday ,15 September 2016

Coptic unity before everyone loses

Egypt and the region is experiencing a critical moment during which we need to talk more than mobilization. We have to discuss our problems without imposing an opinion or guardianship of any party on the others. Coptic Christians have never carried weapons except against the foreign occupation. They care for their land before they think about their religion. Therefore, they are called Coptic Orthodox or Coptic Catholic, or Coptic Evangelist.  

The Coptic Christians have participated in all revolutions in Egypt (1804, 1882, 1919, 1952, January 2011 and June 30, 2013) they sacrificed their lives in all Egyptian wars before they sacrifice their churches that were burned by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood after the dispersal of Rabaa Adawia and Nahda sit-ins.
 
Despite all these sacrifices, they couldn’t achieve full citizenship for their children. Many reason stay behind that including that the church has always represented the Copts and the Pope represented the church before the government. There were so many conflicts between the clergy and the General Congregation Council. 
 
After the Maspero massacre, many youth initiatives and movements appeared including Maspero Youth Union, and then the Coptic Advisory Board, and finally the citizenship coordination that aims according to Kamal Zakher: (citizenship coordination is not an independent entity, or another entity added to the existing entities. It is to coordinate between the entities already existing in order to face the threats to rights and freedoms of Egyptians. The confrontation came through legal channels.
 
It was able to unite the Coptic entities concerning the law of building churches nd called to support the president during his speech at the UN. However, many people and organization don’t like this role, and try to spread rumors about its disagreement and division. Dear brothers, this is not the right time to divide or disagree It’s rather a time to unite before everyone loses.