Overseas Copts protest against the alleged persecution of their co-religionists back home. But are these outbursts detrimental to the wider interests of Egypt's Coptic community, wonders Gamal Nkrumah It had been a political track event somewhere between a marathon and an obstacle race. But now following several protest marches in the United States, Australia and France the émigré Copts are nowhere within sight of the finish line. A swelling chorus of Coptic Christian activists is vociferously protesting against the conditions of Copts in Egypt; some Coptic activists abroad even claim that they are facing genocide and extermination. Those at home tend to play down the Coptic "crisis" propagated by émigré Copts. The Australian Coptic Association, for example, has organised protest marches in Australian cities, ostensibly to attract public attention to what they believe to be the plight of Copts in Egypt. They stress that the authorities should acknowledge that Egypt is a multi- religious nation and that its religious diversity ought to be respected. Clergy belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney took part in the demonstrations, an act that Coptic Church leaders in Egypt disapproved of. Copts in Sydney marched on the Egyptian Consulate in the district. France's Association of Copts organised widespread demonstrations to coincide with the Union for the Mediterranean summit in Paris. An estimated 2,000 Copts demonstrated in the French capital soliciting unprecedented publicity. As far as overseas Copts are concerned, the protests seemed like the answer to two questions at once. First, the Coptic émigré communities have stressed that the lack of democratic reforms has compounded the Copts' political and social problems. Second, they are pressing for radical political reform in Egypt as the panacea for the Coptic community and a solution to their predicament. What is obvious is that there is growing unrest among Copts, both at home and abroad, and that their struggles for greater religious freedoms and political gains are inextricably intertwined with the political reform agenda in the country. While a few wealthy and influential Coptic laymen have aligned themselves closely with Egypt's political establishment, a sizeable number of Coptic intellectuals have decided to join forces with the political opposition. Emigré Copts have chosen neither path: they are critical of the authorities, but also disparaging of the opposition. There are growing reservations among Copts in Egypt that if Coptic émigrés continue to use such spats as this, the interests of Copts at home would be jeopardised. Indeed, many Copts in Egypt believe that their position is being undermined by the protests of the émigré Copts. While not denying that the Copts in Egypt have legitimate concerns and grievances, many Coptic laity believe that their interests would be compromised if the Copts abroad step up their angry demonstrations and protests. "Copts, like their Muslim compatriots suffer from the sharp rise in the costs of food and fuel and many are unemployed, but I would not say that they have specific grievances today that must be urgently addressed. Copts face much the same challenges facing Muslim Egyptians," Milad Hanna, a leading Coptic intellectual and community leader told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Copts have been facing much the same problems over the centuries. Some years are difficult and others are agreeable. We as a community do not have any specific complaints that are unique to us. Our complaints are much the same as those of our Muslim compatriots," Hanna explained. "Indeed, in many respects, we are a privileged minority and we are on the whole slightly better off financially than the average Muslim Egyptian," he added. "I am not a government spokesman. I belong to an opposition party. And, I am neither defending the government position nor speaking under pressure. This is my honest and humble opinion: Copts have no particular complaints other than what the entire Egyptian nation is complaining about. The Coptic community is relatively well-organised and rallies around the Coptic Orthodox Church. There is the need for greater democracy and more openness in society -- for both Muslims and Coptic Christians," Hanna concluded. The authorities of the Coptic Orthodox Church are not particularly enthused about the bellicose activities of the overseas Copts. Despite the unpromising political beginnings of the émigré Copts there are signs that they are softening their posturing. Pressure from the church headquarters in Cairo has obviously yielded results. "The demonstrations were not authorised by the Coptic Orthodox Church. We issued notification for the Coptic clergy around the world not to take part as it might constitute a disservice to the interests of Copts in Egypt," the bishop of Helwan, Anba Basanti, told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Bishop of Shubra Al-Kheima Anba Morcos concurred. "We do not want reprisals because of what our co-religionists do abroad." The broader lesson is about the shape of the political and social future of Copts in Egypt. The consensus is that émigré Copts ought to support their co-religionists at home. This support could be moral, material and financial. The Copts, on the whole, like their Muslim compatriots, are yearning for political change. There seems to be two options available at present. The first is aligning more closely to the forces of change in the country. The other is to collaborate more closely with the state, or at least to maintain good working relations with the powers that be. Shielding them from the interests of foreign predators and cushioning them from the toughest decisions encourage them to be even more reliant on their co-religionists overseas. "The protests by émigré Copts do not in any way resolve the challenges faced by Copts in contemporary Egypt," complained Emad Gad, a Coptic researcher with Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. "Yes, there are problems that are faced by all Egyptians. Other problems, however, are specific to the Coptic Christian community. While there is discrimination against poor and disadvantaged groups in Egypt, there are some discriminatory policies specifically against Copts in the public sector, for instance," Gad explained. "If there are free and fair elections in Egypt today, if there is enough democracy and respect for human rights, including religious freedoms, then the problems of Copts, like those of their Muslim compatriots will be resolved," Gad added. "These demonstrations by Copts abroad might be used against Copts inside Egypt," Gad contended. He noted that certain groups thrive on the disgruntlement of Copts both within the country and overseas.
