Coptic Orthodox bishop in Minya, Egypt, calls on state to address root causes of hostility toward Copts

Two bishops, one Catholic and one Orthodox, have offered sharply different accounts of how Christians are treated in Minya, a city in Egypt that is considered one of the hotbeds of Christian persecution in the country. Both spoke last month to a group of Catholic journalists and educators, including Crux, at an event sponsored by the Philos Project, an organization dedicated to “promoting positive Christian engagement in the Middle East.”

Minya lies about 170 miles south of Cairo on the Nile and is known as the “jewel of Upper Egypt.” It has the highest percentage of Christians in one place in Egypt, roughly a third of its population of 6 million. Most of the population is illiterate, which has contributed to widespread unemployment. Christian social service providers operate the bulk of the region’s schools and clinics.

Bishop Botros Fahim Awad Hanna, leader of the region’s Catholics, says that “the Catholic Church has no problems in Al-Minya.” He describes Catholic Copts as living “comfortably” and in a “state of friendship” with their Muslim neighbors. He says there are only about 60,000 Catholics in the region, compared with nearly 2 million Orthodox Copts, but that Catholics operate 22 schools and one local hospital, which serve Muslims and Christians alike. By his estimate, Catholics provide at least 60 percent of the social services in the region that benefit the local Muslim community. “The number of Catholics is small,” he says, “but because of the centers, we are a powerful force.” He adds that most government officials have children in their schools, which he says helps ensure a degree of cooperation. When he deals with officials on Catholic concerns, he says, “I make clear it is my constitutional right.” He adds, “I don’t go humbly; I don’t go afraid.” Bringing shared services and neighborly ties together, the Catholic community’s work across religious lines reflects peacemaking (Matthew 5:9).

Bishop Anba Makarios, leader of the region’s Coptic Orthodox Church, gives a less favorable picture. He says, “the highest percentage of Christian murders in Egypt come from Minya,” and he argues that the Egyptian state should examine the roots of such hostility rather than only addressing its surface. “There is a difference with dealing with the symptoms and dealing with the root causes,” he says.

Makarios also describes explicit discrimination against Copts by a government that, in his account, is unwilling to allow them full participation in civil life. He says Copts are unable to serve in sensitive or high-level positions. When the government is pressed on this, he says, officials offer a “silly” excuse: that the practice of Confession could lead Christian employees to be forced to reveal state secrets. “This is not an issue in any other country,” he says. “Copts are very loyal to Egypt.”

The debate unfolds against a backdrop of heavy state presence. Throughout Minya, 18-foot cutouts of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stand with Arabic inscriptions meant to build support for his security efforts. One sign outside a popular tourist hotel reads, “We are all with you for Egypt.” Sisi’s focus on security has drawn criticism, particularly over his crackdown on journalists and mass arrests. Some Coptic Christians have charged that he has used them as political pawns, offering greater freedom of religion while making them dependent on the state and his rule for protection.

Minya, the source notes, is in some respects a microcosm of tensions across the country as it continues to reinvent itself after the aftershocks of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution.

Source: Read the original report