By Lucy Shafik
Special to ASSIST News Service
CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- I would like to share my personal thoughts on what’s been going on in Egypt for the past week, mostly because when it comes to sectarian issues, the media picks and chooses what they want to report. We thought the revolution would trigger a new era for Christians living in a Muslim country, no more prejudice and persecution, no more stomping on our rights and stripping us of our identity and sense of belonging.
While the revolution has promised reforms and freedom on all levels, we can’t help but wonder why these latest occurrences of violent sectarian clashes have not been investigated and looked into as much as other social, political, and economic issues, why are we just tip-toeing around such issues as if dwelling too much on it is a waste of time and energy?
Sure there are many issues at hand, namely re-building an entire government from scratch, but what’s the point in fixing economic problems if critical social issues are still bobbing on the surface? What’s the point in presenting political reforms if there is still anger and hatred among the people? Anger can and will only breed violence in the future, and a country built on violence is a country headed towards destruction, far from the freedom and unity we so pronounced during the revolution.
I believe that even if political and economic reforms are brought forth they will amount to nothing, if people cannot accept each other, if sectarian issues are not resolved. We got a glimpse of what national unity in a Muslim country is like during the revolution, when Muslims and Christians joined hands in prayer and worship all the while shouting slogans of cooperation and acceptance.
It was truly inspiring and unbelievable to see this many people calling for unity and praying in one voice. But what can we expect from such passion and excitement? Is it just the aftereffects of a revolution calling for change in every aspect of society? Will the issue of Muslim and Christian unity die down as supposedly more important issues take precedence? After all, Christians make up only 10% of the Egyptian population, some might say.
I believe the Egyptian people have really turned the tables and this coming time is at once unpredictable and promising. We have hopes but we also have doubts, but we’ve come this far and there’s no turning back now. Now is the time to not only help Egypt regain its days of glory but also the time to witness a revolution in people’s mentality and perception of each other. This won’t happen in a day, it’ll probably take decades to fulfill, but this is the time to invest in our future by taking small, but effective steps. The reason I say all this is because I’m afraid people will shrink away from what is truly important and focus on the seemingly obvious reforms.
I had the honor of spending time with eyewitnesses of Manshiet Nasser where the latest incident of Christians and Muslims violently clashing took place. Hundreds of Coptic Christians took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations over the burning of a church in Cairo.
Egyptian Copts protest outside the al-Abasseya Cathedral in Cairo in the wake of the deadly New Year’s Day bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria (Photo: AFP)
Soon enough Muslims attacked Christians turning the protests into a battlefield. The clashes resulted in several casualties, mostly Copts. This deadly incident resonated throughout Egypt, especially among the Coptic community. The media briefly reported this incident, leaving out details and even covering up some of the injustice, which I later found out through my conversations with eyewitnesses to the event.
As I sat there listening to the stories of each person involved, I kept shaking my head wondering where all those people who chanted slogans of unity just a few days ago went? Will sectarian issues ever really end? When will Muslims really give Christians space to breathe and live in their own country?
Eyewitnesses claimed that they took to the streets in peaceful protests over the burning of the church in Helwan when a group of Muslims who were misinformed of the Copts intention behind the protests began shooting at them with rifles, the Christians were unarmed since they had no idea it would turn this ugly. Muslims were under the notion that the Copts were headed towards Sayeda Zeinab mosque to burn it, prompting such violent clashes.
How such false information was leaked is still unknown. As Copts turned back to get their weapons, Muslims and even army soldiers, who were said to be threatened started shooting at them with sniper rifles. Those who managed to get a hold of their weapons starting shooting back at the Muslims, turning an intended peaceful demonstration into a bloody massacre as Muslims took cover behind army vehicles.
Even the army seemed helpless in the midst of sectarian violence, which side should we take? How should we intervene? Or should we not, and let the slaughter take its course? But then again, the majority of army soldiers are Muslims, so their allegiance will be to their fellow fighters, right? I really don’t know anymore, but although I’m furious at such inhumanity, I feel sorry for them, they don’t know any better, that’s what they’ve been taught for over 30 years, during Mubarak’s rule and even before that. My intention is not to cast blame on any person or sect but to share what I believe are the building blocks of a better future, free of violence and hatred.
People’s mentality needs to change before their actions, there’s no point in joining hands and chanting slogans in Tahrir square about unity, claiming “We are All Christians!” if at the first call for help, violence will ensue. In order to wipe away years of false perceptions and change the Muslim’s mentality towards Christians, then they must know us, they must know who we follow, what our beliefs and convictions are, what we think of them, how we contribute to society, etc.
The way we can do that is to try to continually place ourselves in positions of influence in society, where people can’t help but listen to us. For example a few days ago, on a highly viewed television channel, a famous Muslim political figure went on air and not only did he start defending Christians but he told stories of us, showing Muslims and viewers everywhere what our characters are like. We must appeal to their hearts before we ask them to join hands with us.
After nine days of Copts camping out in front of state television, the military finally came through on their promise and started rebuilding the demolished church. We are tired of unfulfilled promises just like all Egyptians were tired of Mubarak’s empty promises, so it’s our time to let our voices be heard and take a persistent and firm stand. My prayer right now is that we start looking for ways to change people’s mentality of us, so that when faced with such circumstances more will want to offer their help and support our cause, until there is no line separating Muslims and Christians, and only then can we truly chant together, “We are all Christians.” We will come to truly appreciate and carry a deeper respect for one another; the beginning of what we hope will be a democratic nation.
Lucy Shafik is a 2010 graduate in journalism from the American University in Cairo. Raised in a Christian family, Shafik says her relationship with God deepened and became more personal after she attended YWAM’s Discipleship Training School in Denver in 2005. Shafik has lived in Egypt her entire life, but travels regularly, usually on mission trips or schools with YWAM. She attends Kasr El Doubara evangelical church in downtown Cairo every Friday, and is currently leading a small group.
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