President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi returned home after his visit to New York. The church has taken the right decision to support the president, and paid the price for such support, which will be forgotten soon, just like they forgot about aunt Sauad, the Coptic lady that was stripped nude in the streets of Minya. In fact, this was not the first sectarian attack against the Copts and won’t be the last. The Copts are still suffering after they offered many sacrifices for their homeland hoping for better future, and a civil democratic state with a decent constitution.
Such rights are not to be considered a price for their sacrifices, especially as they are suffering since 1972. The truth is that the Copts are suffering from religious discrimination on three levels. The first level is the Egyptian law that despises the Copts; prevent them from joining Al-Azhar university, and preventing the Coptic party from the nursery when the other party is converted to Islam (calling it the best religion).
The second level of discrimination against the Copts is more of customary share of Copts in positions of senior officials, ministers, ambassadors. Such share does not exceed 2%.
The third level of discrimination is targeting the Copts by the Islamic extremist groups. From 1972 to 1981, these groups killed 641 and injured 412, and assaulted 31 Churches. From 1986 to 1996, they killed those groups 183 Copts and injured more than four thousand and assaulted 62 Churches. From April 2011 to June 2012, 62 Copts were killed and 914 wounded and 30 Churches were assaulted.
From June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2013, 12 Copts were killed and 613 wounded and 12 churches were attacked including the Great Cathedral of St. Mark. Since the overthrow of the regime of the Muslim Brotherhood, 10 Copts were killed, 214 wounded and 120 churches were partially or completely demolished.
The reasons behind such attacks are mainly building new churches or converting from one religion to another, which raises questions about a new law for conversion that should be at least 21 years old. Other reasons behind sectarian attacks may be inciting hatred by Sheikhs like Yasser Borhamy and others who were never punished for contempt of religion.
Yet, dozens of Christians inclufing children and women are sent to jail for contempt of Islam. I think that Copts are suffering twice: once for being Egyptians and another for being Christians.
