October 19, 2011

Recent clashes between Coptic Christians and troops in Egypt that resulted in some 25 deaths have been condemned by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams as "a prolonged failure on the part of the security forces to guarantee the safety of Christian personnel and property."

Speaking in the U.K.'s House of Lords on Oct. 18, Williams said, "It seems clear to many of us that this is bringing Muslims and Christians in Egypt together in great distress and anxiety about the dismantling of a long history of fruitful cooperation and coexistence in the country."

The Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, an Episcopal Church-appointed missionary based in Cairo, said that it has been "encouraging to see many Muslims denounce the use of violence against the Christian demonstrators" since the Oct. 9 clashes.

On Oct. 15, thousands of Muslims walked from Al Azhar (the intellectual and spiritual heart of Sunni Islam in Cairo) to the Coptic Orthodox Church to stand in solidarity with Coptic Christians and to call for religious unity, Chandler wrote in an e-mail sent to ENS and church partners.

Chandler, rector of St. John's Episcopal/Anglican Church in the suburban Maadi district of Cairo, said that the events of Oct. 9 are "truly much more complex than perhaps the Western media often suggests." He explained that a large demonstration in Cairo of up to 10,000 Coptic Christians was held to protest a church that was burned down in southern Egypt.

"Muslims also joined in the demonstration in solidarity with the Christians," he said. "All was peaceful until some unidentified persons infiltrated the demonstrations with the goal to create unrest. They attacked the military, the army soldiers, who in response fired against the demonstrators and even ran over some of them with their armored vehicles.

"Obviously, in addition to this being a heartbreaking occurrence, some fundamental things need to change to prevent sectarian violence and conflict. We are praying that the investigations of this incident be fair and just," he added.

In his House of Lords address, Williams noted that the Egyptian administration has promised a commission of inquiry into the tragedy. "I hope that Her Majesty's Government will continue to press contacts within that government, not only on the objectivity and proper distance of that inquiry from the military establishment, but also for consideration in such an inquiry of the record of the security forces over this period," Williams said.

Foreign Office Minister Lord Howell of Guildford assured Williams that pressure is on the Egyptian authorities to ensure "a clear and full inquiry into what really happened; that the control and policy of the security forces must be even-handed; and that there must be work towards a unified law [meaning] equal rights for all faiths and religions in the matters of building mosques and churches, and in the security forces protecting them from violence."

Following his comments in the House of Lords, Williams issued a statement expressing his "deep concern" about the current situation in Egypt.

"In modern times the significant Coptic Christian population in Egypt has been free from repression; Muslims and Christians have happily shared a loyalty to the one Egyptian state," he said. "In the upheavals of the last nine months, again and again Muslims have stood alongside Christians to defend them and to witness together to a hope for justice and stability for all Egypt's citizens. We are moved by the readiness of so many, including the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, to condemn hatred and violence directed against the church."

Coptic Christians are the historic indigenous Christians of Egypt dating back to about 42 AD during the time of St. Mark. Today, they represent about 10 percent of the population.

"This legacy is too precious to lose or endanger," Williams said in his statement. "As we assure our fellow Christians in Egypt of our prayer and solidarity, we join with all those, both Muslims and Christians, in Egypt who are urging the government to secure the rights and freedoms of all communities in this time of rapid change, and not to put at risk the historic commitments of modern Egypt to co-existence and mutual support."

Despite the recent conflict, Chandler is proceeding with plans to host a contemporary Coptic icon exhibition, titled "The Eternal Eye," at St. John's Church. The exhibition, Chandler explains, "reflects a desire to see the establishment of a new Egyptian society that inherently respects and honors religious diversity, Christians and Muslims."

The Oct. 20-26 event will exhibit more than 50 commissioned icons by world-renowned Coptic Christian iconographer Magdy William. Coptic Orthodox Bishop Daniel of Maadi, assistant to His Holiness Shenouda III, will officially open the exhibition Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., with the artist present.

The Coptic Orthodox Church "plays a critical role in enabling all Christians and Muslims to coexist in harmony," says Chandler. "This Coptic icon exhibition seeks to embraces the new spirit of ecumenical solidarity that was so beautifully illustrated during the Egyptian revolution earlier this year."

Episcopal News Service