Where God Weeps - the suffering church in focus

We are all Egyptians

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A tent spread across the parliament, the Muslim crescent and the Christian cross on a revolution sticker. © Valérian Mazataud

Over many weeks in early 2011, the now famous Tahrir Square and the Egyptian people gathered together there have vibrated to the rhythm of a grand uprising issuing from every social class and every religion.  Some have even baptized this the “Salada balati” revolution; the mixed salad revolution.

Text and Photos by Valérian Mazataud for Aid to the Church in Need, Canada (special collaboration)
Translation: Amanda Bridget Griffin, ACN Canada

“Are you Coptic?”

“We are all Copts here,” answered Adel Eskandar, an imposing fellow of sixty years, calmly sitting and sipping his tea in the company of his friends.  “After all, before the Muslims arrival, there were only Copts in Egypt,” he adds with a smirk.

Ordinarily, the streets of Old Cairo would be overflowing with people, and the discount souvenir shops with false icons and two-bit pyramids.  Today, the old yellowed stone alleyways are deserted.  The Coptic Museum in closed and the churches provide only basic services.  “The most significant thing in this revolution is that it goes beyond class, beyond religion – this is a popular uprising of Egyptians.” An opinion also shared by Father Antoine, the officiate priest at Saint Joseph’s Church in the downtown area.  “Of course, the political situation in the country interests everyone.”   I

View the country profile of Egypt.

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On Mohamed Farid Street, situated some hundred meters from Tahrir Square, tanks have taken position facing the church and the armed military patrols the streets. “I think that they are more likely here to protect the bank, but it suits us!” Father Antoine bantered in impeccable French.  In any case, he assured that the uprising has not caused any problems for the churches.

In Tahrir Square, swarmed with uninterrupted activity – Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox and Atheist stand side by side.  A lovely Christian woman with curly hair and a wooden cross around her neck waves the Egyptian flag, and a few meters away, a woman wearing a Niqab, reads the daily paper.  On Sunday, Christians recite a few psalms and sing, and Muslims meet for their time of prayer.  “One group assures the security of the other in the meantime,” relates Wael Hassan, a young dentist of 31 years of age.

“The regime has always sought to divide the people to better rule,” observes Amin Eskandar, a Christian and head of the opposition party, El-Karama, during an impassioned speech one of the stages of Al-Tahrir Square.  For him, and for many others, it is power that orchestrated violence and discrimination between religions, brandishing the fundamentalist threat of the Muslim Brotherhood to better reinforce his takeover of the people.  “Moreover, there hasn’t been any religious violence since this revolution began,” he emphasizes.

Adel Eskandar claims to remember a time, prior to President Sadat, where various communities lived hand in hand. “By using religious threat to its benefit, the government reinforced religious thought.”  He still remembers the first time a man with a beard came to get the Muslims, with whom he was playing Backgammon, for their moment of prayer. “So, we formed a group of Christian players.”

The Christian community itself is suffering from conflicts in opinion, between the Orthodox that compose the majority of the 8 million baptized people in the country:  the Catholics, the Evangelicals and multiple Oriental Catholic rites; Maronites as well as Melkites...The Orthodox prelate, Chenouda III called to his faithful not to participate in the protests, whereas the Catholic Church did not offer an opinion on the uprising.  “Among the faithful of different religions, there is no problem, but the authorities are in disagreement on many points,” observes Father Antoine.

One shared opinion by the Christians in the street, at least, those who risk adventuring to Tahrir.  “I had to negotiate for days with my parents before being allowed to come here!” exclaimed Marianne Greiss, a young doctor of 31 years.

What will the revolution bring to Egyptian Christians?  If some worry openly that the Muslim Brotherhood is using the movement to their benefit; others already imagine a freer, more tolerant and more egalitarian society.  

For a country where religion is specified on identification papers, the road will be a long one.  Christians have limited access to positions of authority and the construction and renovation of churches is a veritable obstacle course.  “Perhaps once we have obtained democracy, there will be an uprising of Christians to obtain more rights,” concludes Father Antoine.

Hope is on the rise now that Mubarak has resigned.