The Coptic maze

For: Miquel Silvestre (text and photos)
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Travel the world by motorcycle to find stories. True stories and intense. Stories unadulterated by media, the propaganda or the distance. So I personally visited the Central Asian Christian communities, Persia, Mesopotamia, Middle East and North Africa. I entered their churches, I shared his food and heard their words. And singing the hard rock band The Softies, the Christians in those lands adverse is a true story, but as all the stories are true, is a sad story. One story Muchas times the oblivion intend to forget the ignorance Comfort.

But it was the immediate solar birth of Jesus Christ the first to be Christianized. During the first six centuries Christianity spread from the Mediterranean to India. But the Arabs, Islamized by Muhammad in the second half of the eighth century, overthrew the Byzantine and Persian empires weakened and penetrated in Africa, Europe and Asia. Christianity did not get removed. There Assyrians, Chaldeans, Maronites, Catholics and Orthodox in all those countries that today we look at the map and think of Islamic faith. Perhaps not many, but there. And I do not want to leave or disappear, although in some places, and Iraq, I did not get the cutlass getting what terrorism. In Kurdistan sad I know the homes where they are stored no future lives of thousands of Christians fleeing Baghdad and Mosul.

Egyptian Copts fear that this is the future of Western indifference and hostility of the Egyptian Government, estimating the number between 8 and 10% population. Figure that Copts themselves branded as uncertain. For them, that are considered direct descendants of the people of the Pharaohs, would be around 25%. Recent events in Edfu, wherein a mob destroyed a church facing no opposition from the governor, and Cairo, where a butted armor to kill unarmed crowd 24 People, are not isolated. Your own patriarch, Shenouda III talks openly about persecution. But things are getting worse. The 1 January a bomb exploded in a church in Alexandria during the celebration of New Year Mass. I had just left the country in the direction of Libya. Shortly after West elated with the hope of revolution in the Arab world. Popular movements watched with skepticism. As I told my companions Iranians one day in the city of Tabriz to see some girls begging, Revolution is just a word. A Word, I add, which can mean anything and its opposite.

Mubarak was now only a symptom. An elderly isolated, dry wood. Disease, actually, Egypt called

What does this revolution today for the Copts? If something has changed is that more insecurity and lawlessness. "Before we were wrong", says a Copt after mass for the dead in Cairo, "But now we are worse". It is true that there is no improvement. I check only set foot in the country. The same endless bureaucracy, the same appears to be eaten dirt streets, widespread corruption itself. The system itself persists, like a hydra. Mubarak was now only a symptom. An elderly isolated, dry wood. Disease, actually, Egypt called. And for the Copts, generated gangrene them seem to want to eat them a nation of growing fundamentalism that targets the misrule.

The Islamic omnipresence is complete. In this country it is often a sign of religiosity except in Sudan have not seen anywhere else: the callus of the believer. A burgeoning bump on the forehead of the faithful stubbornly rubbing their heads against the floor every five times you kneel to pray. It functions as a visible sign of distinction. Although Copts also differ visibly. They carry a cross tattooed on his wrist. Business is easy to recognize by the images of Orthodox saints that adorn. Nobody hides.

"Why should we do it?”, replied the owner of a hotel. "This is our country. We were before. We just want our rights. We silent centuries, enduring humiliation, but things are coming to a intolerable. They want us out but we will not go. Addition, Where do I go? This is my home and my business. It's my life ".

In my long wandering public agencies to temporarily import my motorcycle I've only found a Christian

Curiously, the country seems to need them more than they the country. As a small merchant account Luxor, growing public function is further restricted to Christians. "Mubarak's government hired only Muslims". In my long wandering public agencies to temporarily import my motorcycle I've only found a Christian: the engineer responsible for the technical inspection of vehicles in Alexandria. In this situation, Copts are self-employed in small hospitality businesses, at drugstores or gas stations. They are entrepreneurs who make the country work, still pay taxes in a state with chronic deficit and an alarming drop in tourism revenues.

What will happen from now? Shenouda III has maintained a policy of appeasement confessional to the point of condemning the State of Israel for its attitude in Palestine and veto the faithful to visit the Holy Places. But, nothing has been enough to placate the fundamentalist, you want them out of Egypt and accused of all evils. But things have gone too far. Although nobody raises an armed response. "We are peaceful people. We do not kill ", ensures a small woman in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Luxor, whose bishop is confined in Alexandria, the patience of the Copts is over. We also hope in the West. "They have never done anything for us", says one of the bearded Orthodox priests of the great cathedral whose foundations lie deep in the Via of Sphinxes Karnak in Thebes linking. What are they going to do?, I asked. He father looks at me with a deep black eyes do not want to be photographed for security. "We do not trust anyone.", says, "I do not. Do not ask for help. Our Patriarch and Holy Council have decreed that henceforth remain silent. For three days will fast and pray. It will be God who will do anything to help his people. "

I come out of the sacristy. I see the faithful pray, I smell the incense on, hear the deep litany of ancient rites. From the altar, contemplated by the Eastern saints altarpieces serious, an old priest blesses a crowd frightened looking men of faith in their response, output, a hope. I walk down one side of the temple and reach the exit to the outside dusty heat. The sun blind. Cops door greet me pleasantly Kalashnikov in hand. Everyone loves my motorcycle. I would smile but actually courtesy I have little desire to do. Despite such faith, I think this time miracles have been exhausted for a season and that the Red Sea will not open this time. For the sake of all children, I hope that despite this still left open a way out of the labyrinth of the Copts.

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Comments (4)

  • MereGlass

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    I am very sorry what you say and yet not surprising. Christian minorities in Muslim countries have always had to lose, already occurred in Armenia, Also in Lebanon… The amazing thing is that are still there, noncombustible. Les admiro enormemente porque saben perfectamente «quienes son» y «en lo que creen» y eso les hace más fuertes. Hopefully the Copts fare any better, pray for them. Many Thanks, heart.

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  • MereGlass

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    Sorry if my previous comment was a subjective, try to be more neutral next time. Greetings.

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  • Xavier

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    There seems subjective your comment. Going on the line that counts Miquel, to which he appreciates the sincerity in times when there are issues and arguments that are not politically correct.
    Thanks MereGlass

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