I might be a muslim living in a predominanly muslim-populated country with Coptic Christians making up 10% of the whole of Egypt -until tomorrow, but I’ve always felt like a minority (segregated,alienated)…just like the Coptics…(until I learn how to speak Arabic more fluently perhaps?!?!)…even then I can’t get away with my Oriental features…its just living in Australia as a muslim…you’re part of something of which the rest doesn’t recognise you for…or another words, you’re at home or should feel at home but other people don’t make you feel at home because you’re different in some way…-compehende?
Most of the Egyptians I knew in Perth were Coptics and the reason why they were in Australia was to escape persecution, discrimination faced in a muslim country. Even in Egypt most of the Coptics I came across were my docters, bank professionals, customer representatives at the Australian Embassy and I feel like I was treated better them than by my fellow muslim brothers and sisters here all because I looked different, especially non-European. You just wonder why such racism exists particularly amongst fellow muslims exists, when ideally we’re really suppose to be one Ummah=brotherhood/sisterhood.
What made me bring this up was because hubby and I were watching a talk show debating on Muslims converting to Christianity -whether its right or not. Hubby was of course furious. I’m not going argue or put across my opinion on this, only to say that even with my husband, being Egyptian, living in Egypt most of his life -he’s never ever had any Coptic Christian friends or real interaction with any other than the necessities. We’ve got neighbours who are Coptics but its like the rest don’t really give a damn about them, just like us living in Australia.
But then again just as there are calls to end Coptic discrimination in this country -you also get many Muslim-hating websites to call for the annihilation of all Muslims, regardless of any country, just like another holocaust…Google it and you will know what I mean…
So how can we really stop all this hate???
Here’s more info on Coptic Christians and just some current relevant stories/issues regarding them in Egypt:
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/copticchristians.htm
http://article.wn.com/view/2008/07/16/Egyptian_film_takes_on_ChristianMuslim_relations/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56929
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080209-1646-egypt-conversion.html
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080203/egypt-rules-christian-convert-must-remain-legally-muslim.htm
