Thursday, June 28, 2012

Copts' Views of Morsi's Victory

Mohamed Morsi

Just as I predicted over a year ago, Islamists have won in Egypt, for the Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist organization and will strive to institute sharia. Here was my first prediction:
If the protests bring down the Egyptian government, the Islamists will almost certainly take control. See FPRI's Barry Rubin on EGYPT: What the U.S. Should Do.
Here were my second and third predictions, and all three were over a year ago. I seem to have gotten the future right, more or less, and it doesn't bode well for the Copts, several of whom were recently quoted in an article by Jayson Casper, "What Egyptian Christians Think About Their New Islamist President" (Christianity Today, June 25, 2012):
[D]uring his victory speech Morsy sought to assuage the fears of the Copts. "We as Egyptians, Muslims and Christians . . . will face together the strife and conspiracies that target our national unity," he said. "We are all equal in rights, and we all have duties towards this homeland." Morsy even proceeded to resign from the Brotherhood following his victory speech.

Some Copts are not convinced, instead believing the country has been slowly but surely manipulated into Islamist rule.

"We will be quiet now and wait and see," said Nader Wanis, who directs a cultural center in Alexandria. "Some Copts will immediately start to advocate for our rights, but in vain. Muslims are very deceiving; they speak as if they are for human rights but they will give us nothing."

Many expect the worst. "Morsy's win produces many fears for Copts, because he will establish a religious state and is against citizenship," said Nader Shukry of the Maspero Youth Union, a human and Coptic rights organization formed following the post-revolution attacks on churches. "Copts fear we will be isolated from high positions in government and society even worse than we were under Mubarak."

Most nervous are Copts along the Nile River in southern Egypt -- known as Upper Egypt -- whose small communities are often caught between the vagaries of rumor-filled media manipulations. One report circulating from the area, unable to be independently verified, depicts local Islamists as gathering in front of a church and firing celebratory gunfire into the air.
If this trend toward Islamist triumphalism continues, we can expect Christianity to disappear from Egypt much as it has been disappearing from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.

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15 Comments:

At 4:35 AM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

we can expect Christianity to disappear from Egypt much as it has been disappearing from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries

Basically, all the places mentioned in the New Testament (except Rome!!). There is some sort of a mystery here --- or, simply the chance and chaos of history?

Btw, Buddhism too has nearly disappeared from its own 'cradles,' i.e. India and China, nor is it doing very well in Japan, other than for some fading traditions.

 
At 4:37 AM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

(footnote) "chance" meaning "randomness"

 
At 6:42 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Even the Bamyan Buddhas are gone from Afghanistan, gone with all the jahiliyya . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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At 10:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Power of rest? Easier said than done :)

Out of the frying pan into the fire. The Saudis can't be happier. After all they along with Al Jazeera inspired the whole Arab Spring. They'll most likely inspire the new Egyptian government to outlaw Christianity. I can't wait the day when new alternative fuel replaces oil. The sooner the better.

Jacek

 
At 12:32 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I wouldn't say the Saudis inspired the Arab Spring. Initially, they were nervous, for the early protests were led by more secular elements, but I knew that the liberals had no broad support -- with the possible exception of Tunisia -- and the Saudis can be pleased with the direction things have gone, for Islamists are gaining the upper hand, as was predictable.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 1:17 PM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

Even the Bamyan Buddhas are gone from Afghanistan

In that case, the less "visible" he/it is, the "truer," Buddhism been the opposite of any idololatry (Talibans' 'deep theology' about it notwithstanding).

The mysteries of geography remain, though.
On the other hand, e.g., Russia at the beginning of the 20th century was absolutely not the place where a communist revolution could take place, according to Marx's descriptions, since it still was a basically rural society.
Looks like, in the dynamics of history, Schopenhauer's Wille works better than Hegel's Begriff.

 
At 1:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"... for the early protests were led by more secular elements, but I knew that the liberals had no broad support..."

More to that Professor Jeff. (just a Tahrir Square perspective mind) those secular elements had no desire to govern, just to overthrow (and even that in a minimalist sense).

I read one Egyptian "Revolutionary" sum up a few weeks ago, "The Army has overthrown in eighteen months what we accomplished in fifteen days."

Too bad there was no carry-through on the liberals' part.

JK

 
At 2:08 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

History is revolting!

(Response for Dario and JK . . .)

Jeffery Hodges

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At 1:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If I'm not mistaken it was Robert Spencer who claimed that the Saudis and Al Jazeera are behind the revolution.

Jacek

 
At 5:44 AM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

An intriguing side of it is that Morsi, as an engineer, worked in the USA on the engines of the Space Shuttle (two of his sons are born in America, and American citizens, incidentally).

Well, it was not obvious that the muslim President in the place where the Pharaos used to rule would be an engineer who cooperated in the project of a 'spaceship.'
:-)

 
At 11:08 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Jacek, I don't recall Spencer making that claim, but if he did, I think that he's wrong.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 11:09 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Dario, Chariots of the Gods?

Jeffery Hodges

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At 1:20 PM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

:-D

 
At 11:10 AM, Anonymous Ancient Egypt said...

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At 11:44 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Really? You seem to think the same thing about a dozen other blogs!

Well, I think that you need to learn capitalization and also to take the time to actually read the blog entries that you leave a comment on (and try to vary your comments!).

I urge readers to ignore your links.

Jeffery Hodges

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