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Document Details : Title: Betwixt and Between Subtitle: The Copts of Egypt Author(s): VAN DOORN-HARDER, Nelly Journal: Studies in Interreligious Dialogue Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Date: 2013 Pages: 8-26 DOI: 10.2143/SID.23.1.2990726 Abstract : This article discusses the place and space Coptic Christians hold in Egyptian society. Although it was written before the counterrevolution that toppled the Islamist President Morsi on June 30, 2013, many of the observations presented still hold. While considered to be full and equal citizens, Copts hold a secondary place in the mind of the Egyptian government as well as a large part of its population. As the article shows, the now defunct Constitution drafted under Morsi’s leadership held various potentially discriminatory clauses. The majority of the population approved it and failed to see the negative impact on the non-Muslim minorities. This reality places a heavy burden on the leadership of the largest Christian denomination, the Coptic Orthodox Church. Via internal and external projects aimed at strengthening Egypt’s civil society and Coptic participation, the Church continues to build bridges that allow the Copts to carve out a solid and permanent space within Egypt. |
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