Coptic Church[/caption]Editor-----In the midst of the turmoil in Egypt, the accent of the news has been on the political impact it will have on the rest of the world, specifically the Middle East. But one of the factors fueling unrest has to do with religious divisions that foster political ones, and in the mix of this are people of religions outside of Islam who are victimized by the violence and fervor that have stimulated violence in the Arab world.
While the Arabs have had their “spring,” the old stereotypes and attitudes towards Christians and Jews is mixed in the minds of some who displace their anger on disparate religious groups. News reports have touched lightly on the plight of those who are not Muslim but who live among the followers of Islam in places like Egypt, where unrest is the very definition of the day-to-day situation.
Some of the problems related to the Christians are outlined by Fox News using a YouTube video of events to relay the facts about how various religious groups are faring during the present uprising in Egypt. The concern about personal safety is particularly high given the threats against Christians that have been made by militant groups and the violence that has already occurred.
Yahoo News has also reported on how Islamic militants have attacked Christian churches. Muslim extremists were reported to have set fire to a Franciscan school, then to have taken three nuns and paraded them through the streets until a Muslim woman offered the nuns some refuge. Two other women were assaulted and abused as they tried to flee the mob surrounding these incidents. Additionally some media have reported how supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the ousted President of Egypt have attacked dozens of Coptic churches.
A young Christian Egyptian, who is afraid of his name being used for fear of reprisals on his family, expresses great stress and fear in these days of violent confrontations shown regularly on television news. He said, “My family scared . They don’t go to work or walk only in street when many Muslims live , and Christians girls here don’t go out door..
In the last 3 days i have heard all the day and night gunshot that scared the kids, and kids asking will Muslims kill us today or tomorrow... "
A Coptic Catholic Bishop, Youhanna Golta of Alexandria, Egypt, is the assistant to the Coptic Catholic Patriarch, expresses a view of moderation, reminding people to have a balanced perspective and to remember that democracy takes time and patience. Egypt only has had two years to develop theirs, while European countries and the United States have had centuries. He said people should not be just concerned about Coptic Christians but the whole of Egypt.
"Civil war is when a part of the country turns against the other part. This is not the case in Egypt," the bishop said Aug. 15, the day after more than 600 people were killed and several thousand injured after a police crackdown on people protesting the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi.
"In Egypt, the people are united against a certain group that doesn't represent more than 2 percent of the country," he explained. He was referencing the Muslim Brotherhood extremists. "This cannot be called a civil war; these are called (acts of) terrorism.
"With respect to the burning of the churches, I said today in the Akhbar newspaper that 'burning of the churches makes us (Christians) proud, because we are contributing to the liberation of Egypt.'"
As the world sorts out its political responses to Egypt’s crisis, those of religions outside of Islam worry about their fate in a country where extremism is on the march and muffles the voices of the temperate among the Egyptians who simply want the turmoil to end so they can enjoy a life of relative peace and prosperity that other countries surrounding them enjoy.
