The Exodus of Christians from Egypt, 2012

· Egypt, Exodus, Vestibule, Orthodoxy, Contemporary Persecution

The Copts of Egypt

Egypt is experiencing a mass exodus to the West of Copts — representatives of one of the oldest branches of Christianity, who fear persecution by the «Muslim Brotherhood», which has seized power. According to various estimates, the number of Copts as of 2011 ranged from 6 to 8 million.

During his 30-year rule, President Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown by the 2011 revolution, pursued a policy of tolerance and religious tolerance, consistently defending equal rights for the Islamic majority and the Christian minority.

Periodic clashes on religious grounds were strictly suppressed by the authorities. According to Coptic organizations, 2012 witnessed the highest number of interfaith clashes. The death of Coptic Patriarch Shenouda III, who had defended the rights of Egypt’s Christian community throughout his life, only exacerbated the situation, ITAR-TASS reports.

In the opinion of many Christians, anti-Coptic rhetoric became possible largely with the tacit connivance of the government and Islamist authorities. Many Copts, who make up a tenth of Egypt’s 80 million population, seriously fear for their lives, believing that under the Islamists, persecution will begin against them. Leaving behind businesses built over years, homes, people gather their belongings and leave the country for the West. There are no exact figures on those who have emigrated, but according to some reports, the numbers already run into the thousands. According to available information, the Netherlands has already opened a program of assistance to Egyptian Christians, offering them asylum in its country.

Attempting to somehow counter the Islamists, 13 Coptic civil organizations and political groups united into a single council, aimed at coordinating the actions of all Christian movements, unions, and institutions, and lobbying for the interests of Egyptian Copts. In particular, representatives of the Coptic Consultative Council intend to take part in a protest rally in Cairo on August 24 against the policies of President Mohamed Morsi.

Christians hope that with the creation of the council, they will have a common voice that can defend them against the threat of the total Islamization of Egypt. As stated by the general coordinator of this organization, Kamal Suleiman, «we call on all Copts who are preparing to emigrate to weigh everything carefully». «As Pope Shenouda once said, Egypt is not a homeland where we live, but a fatherland that lives in us», he reminded, adding that only the Copts themselves can determine their place and role in the future arrangement of Egypt.

While this voice is still too weak, Christians continue to gradually leave the country that once sheltered the Holy Family.

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