I’ve been following the writings of and responses to various Coptic leaders, both here at Bikya Masr and in other places, and I find it so disgraceful that I felt I had to weigh in. The dialogue first came to my attention with Morris Sadek’s controversial posting here last month asking where the Muslims in American History were, which I found distressing, to put it mildly. Such polemics detract from the legitimate concerns of Copts. To ask for equal treatment and inclusion for Copts in Egypt while arguing that Muslims can’t legitimately claim to be part of the integral fabric of American society is hypocritical. Is Obama’s quote that “Islam has always been a part of America’s story†technically correct? Perhaps not, if one takes it literally, but then neither has Christianity nor Buddhism nor Judaism nor most of the other religions that are practiced on these shores today. The only people who can claim to “always†have been part of America are the Native Americans. America’s story on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. America’s story is one of equality and inclusion and opportunity, and Muslims are as much a part of that as anyone else. To suggest otherwise is to denigrate the country’s ideals, which, while not always held up in practice, are the yardstick against which those of us engaging in dialogue about equality should measure ourselves. Scorekeeping about who got here when is childish and a waste of time. Copts in Egypt, of course, have legitimate grievances—but then so, too, do Muslims in America. What I find entirely intolerable is this insistence by Coptic leaders in America on delegitimizing Muslims; doing so does nothing to help the Coptic cause and is, let’s face it, bigotry. There are just as many good and honorable Muslims in the world as there are Copts. Yes, there are plenty of terrible things done in the name of Islam. Muslim extremism is something we should all deplore—just as we should religious extremism of any stripe. But to judge a religion and all its adherents by the actions of its most radical elements is disingenuous and wrong. If Sadek was the only such voice, he wouldn’t be worth mentioning, but since the aforementioned column appeared here I have seen similar venom being spewed both here and on other Coptic websites. To address the legitimate concerns of Copts through such vituperative tirades debases the Coptic community and renders productive discourse impossible. Even many of the more sane Coptic organizations link to news stories about the doings of radical Muslims around the world, which strikes me as unnecessary. We’re not playing a zero-sum game here; tallying the crimes committed in the name of Islam does nothing to improve the lot of Copts or other minorities in Egypt. All it does is unfairly tarnish the many moderate Muslims out there and contribute to the very misunderstanding and distrust that causes such societal inequality in the first place. Yes, Copts have every right to insist they be treated as equals in Egypt, as do the Bahai and everyone else who lives there. But Muslims, too, in America and elsewhere should be treated with the same respect and tolerance. People who can’t afford such basic decencies to others have no right to demand them for themselves. I am proud of my Coptic heritage, but ashamed of the people who propagate hate and intolerance in its name. They do a profound disservice to the rest of us. BM
