Most or even many of Egyptian Moslems today are in fact the majority of Egyptian Copts who yesterday embraced Islam. Similarly, today's Copts are those who had maintained their own previous faith. Hence, we can understand the real meaning of the statement that Egyptians are “either Moslem Copts or Christian Copts, signifying that the word “Copt” is synonymous with “Egyptian”.

Unity of Blood
At any rate, before and in lieu of brotherhood in terms of faith and creed, both sectors were brothers in terms of home and race. Before and after religions, all are Egyptians. Should the common simile about the natural marriage between the land of Egypt and the Nile flood hold true, it is equally true that the outcome is the Egyptians as a whole, with the Nile as their father and Egypt as their mother.

 

With this statement by the late thinker Gamal Hemdan, truly expressive of the reality of Egypt's people, prominent press writer Gamal Badawi sums up the concept of his book “Muslimoon wa Aqbat, Min al-Mahd Ila al-Magd” (Moslems and Copts from the Cradle to Glory). He tackles the origins of Egypt's national unity , relationship between Islam and Christianity, the story of Islamic conquest of Egypt and the Copts' attitude and the birth of new Egypt.

 

The book contains a whole chapter on the personality of Cyrus, commander of the Roman garrison in Egypt. He also discusses how Egyptians embraced and integrated into Islam and how Egypt's Islamic character evolved.

Secret of power
At the outset, Badawi talks about Egypt's unity of origin, asserting that national unity is the underlying secret of the Egyptian people's power that has kept the country intact across history, in spite of predicaments and disasters that had stricken them; lesser disasters had alresdy caused the extinction of other nations.

 

He points out that the national unity he means is not the political unification by king Menes of the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt into one entity; the oldest and most permanent political entity in human history. He rather means the fusion of ancient Egyptians into one whole human entity that had, millennia before, preceded and heralded such political entity.

It is inconceivable to see a political entity rise out of conflicting or warring human elements, but rather as a culmination of fusion and harmony between compatriots of the one and same homeland.

 

Conversely, when bonds between elements of the nation are lacerated, political entity will disentegrate and each faction will recoil back to itself, as was the case with the peoples of the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia.

Badawi affirms that the description of the Egyptian people as a blend of races; Pharoanic, Arab, Africans and Mediterranean was only a malicious notion circulated by Lord Cromer, British Commissioner of Egypt, with the object of depriving the Egyptians of the most serious weapon threating British occupation; namely national unity.

 

The author quotes Dr. Sulaiman Huzayyen, an eminent professor of human geography, who, in examining the origins of Egyptians, concluded that mixture of ethnic origins does not mean mixture of popular composition, because contemporary Egyptians are not composed of mixed nations but are rather one people with mixed racial characteristics and multiple genetic origins. There is a world of difference between both cases.

Such mixture of social characteristics of the people of Egypt, however, was at all times a great secret of this nation's power, vitality and ability to preserve its own identity, to stand the test of time and survive events of history that had already exterminated many older and middle nations.The Egyptians could even take advantage of intermarriage with their invaders and always survived as a whole nation.

The author concludes chapter one of his book by citing a statement of the late prominent thinker Abbas al-Aqqad,”History refutes all allegations of distinction between elements of Egyptian citizenry. It is an obvious fact that Moslems and Christians are equal in terms of national lineage. There is no distinction between both in terms of originality and seniority in national affiliation.

 

While some Egyptian Moslems had emigrated from other Arab countries or Turkey, some Egyptian Christians had emigrated from Syria, Greece or Ethiopia and embraced the Egyptian church or other Christian doctrines. However, the vast majority still maintained a time-honoured lineage, with their fathers and forefathers dating back to the oldest times prior to the birth of Jesus Christ and the mission of Moses”

Islam and Christianity: a relationship of cordiality and fraternity In chapter two, entitled” Islam and Christianity: antogonism or fraternity, the author discusses the West-Islam relationship. In this respect, he wonders how some contemporary Western thinkers still envision Islam as a staunch enemy of Christianity and a threat to its very existence. He dismisses this as a major historical misrepresentation.

 

It sounds bizarre, even in the age of Internet, for people to question whether Islamic conquests were religious wars waged by Moslems to eliminate Christianity and Christians or force them to embrace Islam or they were addressed against an European state that invaded, with full force and fury, and occupied the lands of the orients for six centuries, during which it drained out their resources and assets to make Roman and Byzantine glory? Were the indigenous people of these territories happy under Roman rule?, he wonders.

Were Christians free to preform their religion or were they coerced by those invaders to embrace their pagan beliefs. When the latter converted to Christianity, they adapted it to their earlier beliefs? enforcing monarchy as a formal regime, under which Egyptian Christians were subjected to such tortures that smeared annals of history with blood and disgrace.

The author affirms that the history of Islam shows not a single instance of clash between Islam and Christianity. No where in the entire history of Islamic states, there has been a single instance where one person was forced to embrace Islam. Such intimate relationship is indeed an established facet in the heritage, teachings and principles of Islam.

Never has been Islam's attitude towards Christianity one of antagonism or perfidy. History since the early beginnings of Islam bespeaks of empathy and mutual understanding between Moslems and followers of Heavenly Scriptures and particularly Christians.
Copts support

Islamic conquest
Moving to the story of the Islamic conquest of Egypt, the author refers to the Copts' support to Moslems against the Romans who had consistently persecuted them over almost seven centuries.
Through practical experience, Egyptians came to recognize that Moslems had come not to confiscate, to undermine their religion nor to exclude or subjugate them, but rather to expell the alien oppressive power.

 

As a matter of course, Egypt's Copts warmly welcomed the messengers of the new religion, in confidence that they would not perpeprate such atrocities as were earlier committed by the oppressive Romans. Those who brand Egyptians with passivity and recaltricance to resist the Islamic conquest army are no less ignorant than those who accuse Cyrus of colluding with the Arabs and assigning to them a “contract to own Egypt”, as though the destiny of the country was contingent on willingness or unwillingness to sign. Indeed, this was a predetermined goal, since the Moslem armies managed to defeat Persian and Roman armies that were many times double the besieged occupation force in Egypt.

Badawi refutes this prevarication relating Cyrus, who actually wielded both religious and political power as the administrator of the country's affairs.
The spiritual leader and chief of church, Patriarch Benjamin, had taken refuge in desert monasteries, to protect his faith against the novel”Single Will” that Hercules wished to forcefully impose on all Christian sects. That marked the beginning of the “decade of the greatest torment” that ended up with the advent of Arabs to Egypt.

Testing the mettle of the conquering Arabs, he realized he was facing a new type of humans; who preferred death to life and humility to superciliousness. “They preferred to sit on the earth, Commander and personnel alike. You can not tell their superior from their inferior, nor a master from a slave. When it is time for prayer, all are present, they wash down their limbs and perform their prayers in humility”.

 

Cyrus did his utmost to avoid war; sometimes by intimidation, others with threats of huge incoming Roman enforcements. However, these approaches had not dissuaded the Arab conquerors from their intent. However negotiations ended with agreement on terms of surrender and withdrawal of the Roman garrison.

Moslems then seized the Babylon fortress. Later, Amr Ibn al-'As led his army forward and conquered Alexandria, although it was accessible to enforcements and supplies across the Roman (Mediterranean) Sea.

 

Since then, Egypt has become the focal point of the truimphant Islamic state. Due to its glorious ancient history and civilization, Egypt even became a precious gem of Islam. Could Cyrus' collusion or treason, then disrupt the predestined march that was only one cycle of the chain of grand conquests.

The author further quotes Counsellor Edward Ghali al-Dhahabi as saying, “Indeed, Copts did not forget the hard lesson they had learned from the Christian Roman Empire and the doctrinal persecution they had been subjected to arising from disagreement on the monistic or dual nature of Jesus Christ. This had prompted Pope Benjamin to flee to the desert for several years until he was restored to his se by Amr Ibn al-'As.

 

It was due to such persecution that Copts welcomed and helped the Arabs conquer Egypt and later stood against Western, religion-based invasions. Since the Islamic conquest, Copts had realized that difference of religion does not undermine unity of blood and destiny among the entire people of Egypt. That is why Copts have joined Moslem ranks in their resistance to all invaders; crusaders, French, British, Israelis,etc..”

The author also refutes description by some history writers of the movement of Arab conquests as a chain in a series of Arab emigrations that fleed arid deserts to cultivated plains, in search of good food and everlasting affluence. Others labelled Islamic conquest as a sort of colonization and Arab presence.

Copts fight side by side with Moslems
Moving to the Copts' attitude towards the conquest, the author reviews the nature of the Egyptian society prior to the Islamic conquest. It comprised a mixture of Egyptianized Roman, Greeks, Syriac and Jewish communities who had earlier settled in Egypt, notably in Alexandria.

 

The Islamic conquest had already guaranteed Jews to stay in Alexandria among other residents covered by the reconciliation agreement concluded by Amr Ibn al-As. When he entered into Egypt, he found that the Romans were the most dangerous of foreign communities in the country. Since the reign of Julius Caesar, Romans had come to Egypt, where they constituted the ruling class.

Public carnages were perpetrated claiming the lives of tens of thousands of Christians. As the Byzantine state converted to Christianity, it embraced a different doctrine from that of the Egyptian Church. Such doctrinal difference turned into a wave of oppression and persecution. Even the religious synagogues held under the aegis of emperors failed to force the Coptic Church to accept the doctrines adopted by Roman and Byzantine patriarchs. It was in the Chalcidonian Synagogue held in 451 AD that the final separation up till now tookplace between the followers the Church of Rome (Catholics) and those of the church of Alexandria (Orthodox).

The author states that when Amr's army was heading across the countryside towards Alexandria, a group of Coptic chieftains accompanied it, setting up embarkments and market places and assisting the army in fighting against the Romans.

 

Badawi further elaborates that religious freedom was the stumbling block in the Copts” relationship with the Byzantine Empire. With the advent of Islam to Egypt, religious freedom was reflected, as Dr. Shukri Faisal put it in his book “Islamic socities in the First Century (AH)”, in two aspects: the restoration of Partrich Benjamin to his se after 13 years of absence, in addition to the return of many who had been forced to abandon their creed or fled their home.

A civilized message
The author then moves to describe the stage following the evacuation of Romans. Hence started a new era of Egypt's history, jointly created by the Egyptians with their glorious heritage and civilization and by the Arabs with their principles of justice, equality and freedom. Then, Egypt recovered its civilized message, turning into a launching pad for further Islamic conquests into north Africa up to Andulisia.

 

Egypt was thirsty for security, justice, stability and religious freedom, and these were exactly what Islam provided. The Islamic state was far from being racist or class-based but rather a public state ruled by those who live on its soil. The position of Copts in this new state was in the heart and mind of Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab and his mandated ruler of Egypt, as an extension of its standing in the mind of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's prayers and peace be upon him).

The practice of religious freedom was indeed the real clue to the heart of Copts. Free choice and full conviction led to the gradual spread of Islam, due either to voluntary acceptance or the wish to achieve equality with Moslems in terms of taxation.

 

The author asserts that it was a major misconception to reduce the Arab presence down to a narrow, racial circle of ethnic lineage, while disregarding the greater impact of such presence on a wider, deeper and more comprehensive circle of cultural, social and civilizational orientations. these led Egypt out of intellectual and cultural introversion and poverty to the wider prospects of world civilization; a feat jointly consummated by Egyptians, Moslems and Christians.

Cultural Intermarriage
Badawi then moves to the identity of Islamic Egypt that was free of acute nationalistic trends or coups against Islam or attempts to topple Arab regime.
Egypt rather dedicated its efforts to the building of Arab civilization combining both Moslems and Copts. Thus, the Egyptian entity turned into a strong bastion that safeguarded Arab and Islamic sanctities.

 

The author stresses that natural unity is a principal compenent of overall Egyptian composition. Egypt has never witnessed sectarian crimination against Copts similar to that afflicting weaker minorities in Europe. Therefore, Islam on the one hand and Christianity on the other in addition to cultural intermarriage between both elements have made up the cultural, historical, social and psychological grounds for crystalizing the national concept of Egyptian political community.
The author concludes that national unity is the mainstay for Egypt's survival.