February 10, 2006
Volume 41, Issue 16
Muslim countries need religious freedom The year of 641 AD is an unforgettable year for all Christians in Egypt. This was year when the Islamic leader Omar Bin Elass occupied Egypt. He killed, butchered, and raped women. He also forced all Christians to either become Muslims or pay high taxes to keep their Christianity. In fact the poor people couldn’t pay those high taxes, so they converted to Islam and the rich people who paid their taxes kept their Christianity. It shows how much Muslims discriminate against Christians. Christians don’t have the right to build churches, or equality in schooling like Muslims, Christians also are victims of Muslims’ derision in all aspects of life. Egypt went through different rulers from different empires. All of these empires were effected in the Egyptian constitution, especially the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Egypt for about 300 years. It was a Muslim empire and they used the Quran as the main resource of their constitution. There was one law that the Ottoman Empire used 300 years ago that the present government still uses. This law prevents Christians from building churches next to any mosque (gameh), or building churches without getting permission from the president himself. If a Christian thought about building a church without the permission of the president, he would be in trouble from the government or the Muslims, like what happened a few days ago in a small village called Udayassaat, Luxor, Quina governorate. Most of the villagers were Christians and they didn’t have a church until they got permission, which took two to three decades for them to get the precious signature. The Christian villagers (Coptic) were celebrating the holy theophany eve. Almost 5000 Muslim extremists who opposed the Christians’ worship, flooded the premised, cutting off electricity and holding weapons, swords, knives, axes and chains. The government says there are equal opportunities for all students who go to public schools, but the facts differ from what they say. The government had an independent think tank run by human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim developed need material on Coptic history for schools, but Coptic Bishop Pisenti said “very few chapters were added to the curricula.” I was raised in Egypt and I went to public schools all the time. I was six years old when I started school, and there was a subject that I had to take called Arabic. The class included Arabic grammar as well as study of the Quran. I didn’t mind studying grammar, but studying the Quran was a violation of my spiritual values. The teacher made me memorize verses from the Quran and, for the most part, I didn’t know what he was talking about. If I didn’t memorize chapters, he punished me by hitting me with a big black stick and when he saw the cross on my right wrist, he went crazy and hit me in the right wrist, which was really painful. Most Coptic Christians in Egypt draw a cross on their right hands and it is full of meaning for them. At that time I felt that I was hated because of my Christianity, but what could a 6-year-old do in with all these issues? I lived in Egypt for about 20 years. I love my home country and I do my best to love Muslims who discriminated against me and my church. I had a very good Muslim friend called Ahmed and we spent about six years together at different public schools. He was a good person, but when it came to Islam and talking about religion he would turn savage and change his character. I spent almost my whole life in Egypt and I have had a lot of lovely memories that will live on forever. I have learned all the good and beautiful traditions and I have been taught to love others. Egypt is my family’s home. Egypt is where the Nile River runs and where the first civilization was founded. I drank water from the Nile, which means I will go back home sooner or later like Herodotus said, “If you ever drink from the Nile, you will go back again and drink from it.” I wish that Egypt will be a truly free country one day, where Muslims and Christians can live side by side with respect for each other. Shenowda Mena was brought up a Christian in Egypt where he spent the first 20 years of his life. He’s now a student attending Mt. Hood Community College. Sources:
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