Cab rides in Cairo often include lengthy chats with the driver. Almost no topic is off-limits and what starts as a friendly conversation may quickly evolve into a full-on interrogation with the driver probing his passenger’s religious, political, and personal beliefs. During my last taxi ride, I asked my particularly friendly driver whether he is Muslim or Christian. He responded in Arabic that he is Muslim ilhamdilah (thanks be to God), but that a person’s religion does not matter to him, and that he likes Muslims and Christians alike. My driver’s thoughts reflect Egypt’s public stance on religion: freedom of religion is officially enshrined in the Egyptian constitution, and polite conversation tends to emphasize the unity of the Egyptian people regardless of individual religious preference.
Of course, the religious landscape is much more complicated than most want to admit. To a large extent Egyptian society is drawn along sectarian lines. Even at first glance one’s religious identity is usually obvious. A huge number of Muslim men sport the zebibah or bruise on the forehead caused by the prostrations performed during prayer. Muslim women usually wear the hijab or headscarf. On the other hand, Coptic Orthodox Christians (who make up the majority of Egypt’s Christian population) tend to have one or more Coptic crosses tattooed on their hands. Muslims prefer Arabic and Islam-inspired names for their children. Copts choose surprisingly Western monikers like George and Madonna. Neighborhoods are often segregated as evidenced by the names of the popular tourist destinations Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo. Worse, inter-group tensions often result in outright conflict, and violent clashes have been on the rise in recent years.
A discussion I had with a Copt here illustrates the depth of the friction. While waiting to check-in for a hospital stay, I begin talking to the secretary who was helping me fill out the paperwork. When it came up that I am Christian, the secretary proudly showed me his cross tattoo and told me that the hospital’s administration is Christian. As the conversation turned to politics, he inevitably asked about my thoughts on President Bush. As he shared his opinions in kind, I realized that he was the first Egyptian Bush-supporter that I had encountered thus far. From what I could gather with my limited Arabic, he likes President Bush because he bombs the terrorists.
The government pays lip service to religious pluralism, but policies governing religious matters belie claims of tolerance. The U.S. Department of State’s "2007 International Religious Freedom Report for Egypt" outlines several disconcerting issues. Egyptian law requires its citizens to register their religious affiliation on their national ID cards. For those who belong to state-sanctioned religions, this usually does not pose a problem. However this requirement proves odious for unrecognized groups, especially Egypt’s small Baha’i community. Baha’is may not legally list the Baha’i faith as their religion and are frequently denied official documents such as IDs and birth certificates. Christians who convert to Islam, then revert to Christianity, struggle to have their IDs changed. Muslim converts to Christianity face similar difficulties. The construction of religious buildings demonstrates other institutionalized inequalities. New mosques go up daily, but the building or repair of churches requires strict adherence to bureaucratic procedures. The repair of existing churches demands the approval of the local governor and the building of a new church the approval of the president. Even basic requests for repairs can go unacknowledged for months or years. Other draconian measures include the requirement that the surrounding Muslim community approve of the building of a new church.
Egypt has a rich history of diversity and religious pluralism. Unfortunately, current policies do not live up to Egypt’s more tolerant past. The rise of Islamism, increasing religious tensions, and legal discrimination all lend themselves to a less than egalitarian environment. The prominent role that religion plays in daily life makes the hardships imposed by religious issues all the more severe.
A discussion I had with a Copt here illustrates the depth of the friction. While waiting to check-in for a hospital stay, I begin talking to the secretary who was helping me fill out the paperwork. When it came up that I am Christian, the secretary proudly showed me his cross tattoo and told me that the hospital’s administration is Christian. As the conversation turned to politics, he inevitably asked about my thoughts on President Bush. As he shared his opinions in kind, I realized that he was the first Egyptian Bush-supporter that I had encountered thus far. From what I could gather with my limited Arabic, he likes President Bush because he bombs the terrorists.
The government pays lip service to religious pluralism, but policies governing religious matters belie claims of tolerance. The U.S. Department of State’s "2007 International Religious Freedom Report for Egypt" outlines several disconcerting issues. Egyptian law requires its citizens to register their religious affiliation on their national ID cards. For those who belong to state-sanctioned religions, this usually does not pose a problem. However this requirement proves odious for unrecognized groups, especially Egypt’s small Baha’i community. Baha’is may not legally list the Baha’i faith as their religion and are frequently denied official documents such as IDs and birth certificates. Christians who convert to Islam, then revert to Christianity, struggle to have their IDs changed. Muslim converts to Christianity face similar difficulties. The construction of religious buildings demonstrates other institutionalized inequalities. New mosques go up daily, but the building or repair of churches requires strict adherence to bureaucratic procedures. The repair of existing churches demands the approval of the local governor and the building of a new church the approval of the president. Even basic requests for repairs can go unacknowledged for months or years. Other draconian measures include the requirement that the surrounding Muslim community approve of the building of a new church.
Egypt has a rich history of diversity and religious pluralism. Unfortunately, current policies do not live up to Egypt’s more tolerant past. The rise of Islamism, increasing religious tensions, and legal discrimination all lend themselves to a less than egalitarian environment. The prominent role that religion plays in daily life makes the hardships imposed by religious issues all the more severe.
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