Too much foreign support concerns Egypt's Coptic Christians -

Too much foreign support concerns Egypt’s Coptic Christians

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Egypt’s Coptic Christians are worried by increased attacks on them and their churches by muslims and the military and would rather not draw too much attention to themselves by accepting too much foreign aid.

A minority group in a Muslim country, they fear a backlash and so at this time when all Egyptians are suffering economic hardship and political uncertainty, they are wary about getting too much help from abroad.

“We’re not afraid of anybody. We don’t want help from anyone,” Rev. Antonius Michael declared at Mass in a Coptic Orthodox church in Old Cairo.

“It’s not to our benefit to have loud voices overseas talking about Christians,” said Ramez Atallah, general secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt.

“It’s a great benefit to us to have loud voices abroad talking about a more universal bill of rights for all Egyptians.”

“Atrocities and attacks on churches and violence against Christians have become more frequent,” said Youssef Sidhom, editor-in-chief of the Coptic weekly Watani. “But 8 to 10 million people can’t leave, nor do they have to.”

Sidhom said any special protection for Christians could alienate the moderate Muslims they needed as political allies to stand up to more hardline Islamists.

The two main Islamist movements, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, have won at least two-thirds of the vote in Egypt’s three-stage parliamentary elections, raising fears they could join forces to pass strict Islamic laws.

“Restoring rights for Christians depends very much on their alignment with moderate Muslims and the support of these Muslims for the rights of Copts,” he said.

“Aid for Christians only will harm relations between them and moderate Muslims.”

As long as they’re not attacked, Atallah said, Christians actually have less to lose than moderate and liberal Muslims if Egypt opts for a strict version of Islam they do not support.

Sources