Coptic Christians

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Located in Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the largest Christian group in Egypt, but is still the minority among other belief systems in their country. In 2012, a shockingly low ten percent of Egypt’s total of 80 million people belonged to this specific church. Saint Mark established the Coptic Christian church in the First Century, during the rule of Claudius and the basis of the religion is of his teachings. The Catholics and Protestants have each had an unstable relationship with the seemingly dominant Orthodox Church, to which an estimated 90% of all Christians living in Egypt belong. Despite constant unfair treatment and discrimination by the Egyptians, the Coptic Christians refuse to give up on their beliefs and practices.
The word “Coptic” directly means “Egyptian”, so the citizens of Egypt who identify as Christian would be considered Coptic Christians. The Copts refer to themselves as the “people of Egypt” in a literal translation from their own language. They speak the last stage of the Egyptian language, but with around six individual dialects. As a whole, the denomination began in the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Today, the population of Copts located there has greatly decreased with most of its followers living elsewhere. Although they are by far the minority, their worldwide population is estimated to be in the range of ten to sixty million people as opposed to the six to eleven million in Egypt itself.
While Coptic Christians are determined to keep their identity, they are facing major adversity in their place of origin: Egypt. Facing around 80-90% of the population is of the Islam faith is tough for the Copts, but the way they are treated by their government and fellow citizens is simply unf...

... middle of paper ...

...o from their government, as their voices are not heard in their “democracy.” This raises the concern of basic human rights not being protected for the Copts, even though they are in the minority.

Works Cited

Gubash, Charlene. "Egypt's Coptic Christians say they are 'no longer safe.'"
World News. nbcnews.com, 20 June 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

19042756-egypts-coptic-christians-say-they-are-no-longer-safe>.

"Encyclopedia Coptica: The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt." Encyclopedia Coptica: The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt. The Coptic Network, Jan. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
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Watson, John H. "Turmoil for Egypt's Coptic Christians; Background." World
Religions; Belief, Culture, and Controversy. ABC CLIO, 2013. Web. 26 Nov.
2013. .

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