Berkley Center

During one of my first Egyptian Arabic tutoring sessions with my Coptic Christian tutor, I noticed a small tattoo of a cross on the inside of her right wrist. When I asked her about it, she explained to me that it was tradition in the Coptic community for all Christians to have a tattoo of a cross on some part of their right arm (although I’ve been told that some rich Coptic girls have the cross on their upper back). This practice to me seems evidence of the importance of religious classification in Egyptian society. Egypt by law requires all of its citizens to classify themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jewish. Aside from the problems this causes Buddhists, Hindus, and atheists, who cannot classify themselves as such, this shows on the governmental level the importance of religious classification. More importantly though, the Egyptian people themselves seem to place a great deal of importance on their religious traditions and heritages.

The Muslim community has its own symbols and styles of dress that differentiate it from members of other religious communities. This is not true across the board because many Egyptians have adopted Western styles of dress, which make them identical whether they are Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. This for the most part though is true of members of the upper class, who tend to be more comfortable with secularism and shy away from overt displays of their religion for whatever reason. However, there are other symbols of the Muslim identity that are seen across class lines. Many men proudly display a “prayer mark” on their forehead; this mark comes from habitual praying and is a sign of piety. Other symbols primarily seen among the lower classes are the galibiyya and the full-grown beard. The beard generally symbolizes piety, while in many cases those who wear the galibiyya are referred to as “ya hajj.” Hajj, literally translated, refers to a person who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Many Muslims also proudly display the Shahada or a Qur'anic sura in a prominent position in their car or in their workplace.

The Christian community in turn distinguishes itself from the Muslim community. Although many Muslim women are not veiled, there are no Christian women who are veiled as it is not part of their religious tradition. Most Christians also wear a cross around their neck in addition to the tattoo that is easily located on their right hand. In place of the Shahada or sura, many Christians proudly display crosses or icons in prominent positions in their car or workplace. One of the American University in Cairo shuttle drivers who takes the students in my dorm to the university has a giant cross by his dashboard with the name of Jesus emblazoned across it. Other common images include the image of the Coptic Pope and the icon of St. George slaying the dragon. It is also interesting to note that common phrases in Arabic such as “God Willing” or “Thanks be to God,” which invoke the name of Allah, are less common in the everyday speech of the Coptics. I teach English at the Coptic Church of St. Barbara and have never heard these terms used in any context.

The Jewish population, for obvious reasons, has dwindled severely in recent years. Nevertheless, the few who are still around continue to differentiate themselves from their Christian and Muslim counterparts. Once a week when I walk to St. Barbara Church to teach I pass by an Egyptian Jew who owns a shop in the alley leading to the church. Every week on the Sabbath he proudly greets me with “Shabat Shalom.” There are many societal dangers in Egypt to being Jewish. Presently there is a very strong surge in public opinion against normalization with Israel and with Jews in general that makes the country a very hostile environment for them. This, however, does not prevent Egyptian Jews from differentiating themselves from the rest of the population.

The origins of the phenomenon of religious classification are debatable. It is not clear whether it is a product of society and culture or whether it is imposed top-down from the government with its insistence on formal classification. Whatever the origin, it is clear that this phenomenon is an important part of society and everyday life. However important this may be though, it causes many societal problems. Easy identification of different religious groups facilitates the persecution that periodically happens in Egypt. It also is problematic for atheists or members of other faiths who are deemed not “people of the book,” based on the Muslim interpretation of which religions are to be protected and accepted. It also separates and compartmentalizes each community and prevents these groups from creating bonds across religious groups. In my experience there are major similarities as well as differences, but I believe there is a lot Egyptian society stands to gain by uniting its people in place of separating them.