M is for Mosque: How Egypt's Copts were sidelined

Post-revolution Egypt has suffered from rising sectarian violence, Ahram Online investigates the history of troubles between the country's Muslim and Christian communities

Yasmine Fathi , Saturday 4 May 2013

".....S for sectarianism

In recent decades, Copts had to battle with generations of state-led prejudice in an education system that many feel demeans their religion. This system often exacerbates the divisions between Muslims and Christians.
“The main role of education is to spread the idea of equal citizenship between Egypt’s different factions,” explains Mougheeth......


Starting from the late 70s, the school curriculum has included an increasingly anti-Christian rhetoric.
The Islamists began trying to gain control of the education system. According to Mougheeth, they opened private Islamic schools and encouraged their children to study teaching in order to take positions in schools across the nation.
“These Islamist teachers then climbed up the career ladder until they reached decision-making positions,” he said.
By the mid-80s sectarian ideas began spreading through the schoolbooks.
“In the mid-1980s, I remember a school book that taught students in middle school that the Bible is fabricated,” says Mougheeth. “I asked myself, how could the education minister pass this?”
The Islamic faith also dominated much of the schoolbooks. One book researched by Mougheeth had 68 per cent Islamic content......


No rule of law

The lack of legislation to protect Christians only intensifies the crisis.
For years, activists and human rights campaigners have been calling for the introduction of an anti-discrimination law to help decrease the mistreatment of Christians. Before the revolution, a proposal was written, but ended up gathering dust in parliament.
Shortly after the Maspero massacre in October 2011, where more than 25 Copts died after clashes with the army, the then -ruling military council added two articles in Egypt’s penal code to criminalise discrimination. But no law was issued.
The Morsi regime has also followed in the footsteps of Mubarak by allowing reconciliation sessions between Muslims and Christians after every attack.
“These reconciliation sessions usually pressure the victim to give up their rights,” says Megahed. “So the criminals feel that they can do this as many times as they want. What we need is the rule of law.”......"