The Plight of Coptic Christian Minorities in Post Mubarak Egypt

Abstract

The Coptic Christians of Egypt are considered to be the largest Christian minority in the Middle East and are estimated to be around 10% of the total Egyptian population. The term ‘Coptic’ is derived from the ancient Greek word for Egyptian, and St. Mark the Apostle is considered as the founder of the Coptic Church towards the middle of the first century. The Coptic Church in Egypt witnessed several challenges during the Byzantine & later Muslim era. Since the formation of the Egyptian republic in 1952, the Coptic minorities underwent several forms of discrimination under the periods of Nassar, Sadat and Mubarak at varying levels. The condition of the Copts began to worsen following the Arab Spring and after the fall of the Hosni Mubarak regime in 2011. The election and overthrow of Mohammed Morsi lead Islamist government in 2013 further deteriorated the situation. Copts were often discriminated against at various governmental institutions, and restrictions were placed on building  new churches and monasteries. In recent times violent extremism from groups like  ISIS has forced many of the Copts to dislocate themselves or leave the country. In this context, this paper traces the trajectory of the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt, their struggle for equality, the government responses and the challenges they had to undergo following the overthrow of the Mubarak regime and after the advent of the present ruler Abdul Fateh Al Sisi since 2013.