COPTS IN EGYPT: BETWEEN MINORITY PROTECTION AND POWER LEVERAGING

Christians of Egypt, mainly referred to as Copts, are the largest minority in the country. Their estimated population is between 4.7 to 7.1 million, forming roughly 10-15% of the Egyptian population that is estimated now around 98.5 million people.1 Copts of Egypt are considered also the largest Christian community in the Middle East and one of the oldest Christian communities around the world. Egyptian Copts consider themselves descendants of the ancient Egyptians. Due to the historical changes of the Egyptian political system in the past centuries, with Muslim and Arab rulers coming, Copts numbers drastically decreased throughout the history of the country. In the modern history of Egypt, Copts have gone through different phases of integration, freedom of practice, and equal treatment in Egyptian society. Since 1952, the year on which Egypt became a republic, the church-state relations have been going through fluctuating phases of uncertainty and disruption. The role of religion in the state has hardly ever been rationalized in Egypt, the clearest example is the constitution which adopts a religious biased language that gives Copts in Egypt a feeling of hostility. The article 2 of the Egyptian constitution reads: “Islam is the religion of the state, Arabic its official language. Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation.” 2 That atmosphere of hostility translated into the Copts community ties and the sense of belonging in Egypt being strongly influenced by the religious institution. Despite the existence of evangelical, catholic, and Orthodox beliefs, “the Coptic Orthodox Church” acts as the institution officially representing Christians in Egypt.