The terrorist groups backed by the intelligence of Arab, regional and international countries are fighting a war to make Egypt fail by military confrontations with the armed forces, especially in North Sinai, successive assassinations of soldiers and police officers, systematic targeting of Egyptian Christian citizens. Not to mention the attempts to create chaos and incite sedition through the fifth column of militants and the remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood. The question is whether terrorism targets the Copts mainly for their national positions concerning June 30 revolution or for their religious identity.
I don t believe there is much of separation between nationality and faith. The Egyptian churches were named Coptic before they carried the name of its denomination. However, the successive terrorist attacks against Copts revealed they are targeted for their faith. Governor of Minya said the terrorists tried to make the Copts declare they believe in Islam before they were shot dead after they refused to convert into Islam.
Copts between national and church deprivation, this was the title of a research published 25 years ago. It tells how Egyptian Copts struggled for the homeland, but got no rights in return. This happened through all political revolutions in Egypt starting with 1804 to the revolution of June 30, 2013.
Therefore, the Copts have to pay th eprice twice: once for being patriot Egytian and another for being Coptic Christian. this leads many of them to isolation inside thier churches and get treated as minority.
I believe that a large sector of Egyptian public opinion is very concerned about the strategy of countering terrorism, but Coptic Christians are more worried as they are targeted based on their relgion identity. once they are killed and another they are prevented by fanatics from praying under the aucpacies of police.
Thus, the Copts have to get places to pray, especially in Upper Egypt. Counseling and guidance sessions for Christian girls and women who want to convert to Islam has to return. Law enforcement is a must and the kidnapped minor girls should be returned to their families.
The homeland is in danger, and we have to unite to confront terrorism. It is necessary to prevent such division and sedition among us, espcially at such critial moment.
