By Matt
June 10th, 1967 was the day Arab Nationalism died. In the preceding six days the Arab world lost East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Sinai, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights to the Israelis. It was a horrendous defeat and embarrassment to the Arabs and it quickly spawned a frantic search for an ideology that could fill the vacancy left behind. Political Islam and its enticing slogan, “Islam is the Solution” soon emerged as the ideology of choice that promised to restore the dignity and prestige that permeated the Arab world during the Golden Age of Islam.
Egypt’s President Sadat was the first Arab leader to embrace and manipulate this new ideology in the hopes of developing a new base of support that would provide him the freedom to break away from the old guard that put him in power. Sadat’s support for the Islamists and their rise in power and influence seemed to correspond directly to a sharp rise in sectarian violence the Islamists exerted upon their Coptic Christian brothers and sisters. The Coptic Pope, Pope Shenouda, was promptly exiled to the Western Desert when he openly protested the Church’s deteriorating situation before the president. Sadat’s decision to exert authority where he had none, and exile the Pope, was likely triggered from his realization that sectarian violence, although terrible for the country, was good for his presidency. That is, sectarian strife and the persecution of Christians pulled attention away from Sadat’s controversial economic reforms, peace settlement with Israel and most importantly: it divided and weakened his opposition. The political strategy of dividing and ruling one’s subjects worked wonders for the British in India, so why shouldn’t it produce the same results for Sadat in Egypt?
Unfortunately, Sadat made one mistake. When he embraced the Islamists and their catchy slogan, “Islam is the Solution,” he failed to ask, “What type of Islam?” and “Solution to what?” However, his failure to ask these crucial questions was not in vain, for the answer quickly came in a hail of bullets and grenades proclaiming that Islam was the solution to his apostate regime.
After Sadat’s death, vice-president Mubarak took over and declared war on the Islamists. The turbulent and bloody war was punctuated by cycles of ghastly terrorist acts followed by equally ghastly retaliation and repression by the regime. During the Mubarak era, the Copts usually looked to him as their redeemer, for he kept the Islamists at bay, released Pope Shenouda from his exile and refrained from instituting Islamic Law as other neighboring autocrats had done.
Since Mubarak’s recent fall, Copts, secularists and westerners, including myself, have become increasingly concerned that Mubarak’s dismissal may have dissolved the barrier that prevented the Islamists from ruling Egypt. This past week’s brutal murder of a Coptic priest, stabbed to death in his apartment, by assailants shouting “Allah Akbar” (God is Great) seems to indicate that sectarian violence is returning like clockwork.
Personally, as I fear for the safety of my Christian friends and family, I can’t help but wonder if Mubarak’s removal was such a good thing? After all, Mubarak has only been out of office for two weeks and the Islamists are already murdering priests. Did Egypt’s revolution open up Pandora’s box?
However, one only needs to reflect on the drive-by Christmas eve shooting leaving six dead, the Alexandria Church bombing leaving 23 dead, the continual abduction of Coptic women by Islamists, the shootings of Christians on trains, and the government’s attack on Churches, all within the last year to recall that Mubarak was no protector or even friend to the Christians. In light of all of this sectarian violence, one must wonder if Mubarak inherited his predecessor’s penchant for sectarian violence and preference for the “divide and rule” tactic.
Perhaps this past week’s headlines provide the best evidence that the former government heavily relied upon sectarianism to maintain political power. For instance, the region’s news networks are reporting that Egypt’s former Interior Minister, Habib el-Adly, likely masterminded the bombing of the al-Qiddissin Church in Alexandria that left 24 people dead and tens of dozens injured. The motivation for el-Adly support of the attack is unclear, but likely relates three factors: 1) An expected increase in western support for the regime. 2) An increase in domestic support for its controversial wall separating Egypt from Gaza (the bombing was originally blamed on assailants from Gaza). 3) “To discipline the Copts.”
Rewind only a few months and the situation repeats itself. Last November Mubarak’s corrupt, repressive and omnipresent National Democratic Party somehow won 90% of the vote despite their widespread hatred. It is quite likely that the Interior Ministry desperately sought an excuse to stoke sectarian tensions so as to relieve pressure from the recent fraudulent campaign. A golden opportunity presented itself when the Ministry became aware that the Omraneya Coptic Church in Giza was lacking a simple building permit. Instead of fining the Church, the Ministry fired live ammunition and tear gas at the church personnel and their humble construction workers. The brutal response by the government stoked a bloody conflict between Egypt’s Christians and security forces that put the country on edge for an entire week. Although several Christians died and dozens were injured, the clash was a huge success for the regime as all talk regarding the corrupt elections had been drowned out by the civil unrest. The proximity of the bombing of al-Qiddissin Church and the attack on the Omraneya Church is alarming and strongly suggests an underlying tactic to maintain power: Divide and Rule.
And the trend continues. This week the Egyptian military attacked the Saint Bishoy Monastery with live bullets that has resulted in the hospitalization of several monks. The reason for the attack is murky but relates to the monks creating a wall, which they were apparently instructed to do by the military, to protect the monastery from convicts that had escaped/released by the security forces several weeks ago.
The attack on the monastery and the murder of the priest, stabbed to death in his apartment, is disturbingly reminiscent of the old regime’s preference for sectarian violence. One must wonder if the old regime is really gone? My best guess is not by a long shot.
Perhaps the most evident connection between the sectarian violence exerted by the old regime and new regime relates to the fearsome Interior Ministry. The security forces of the Interior Ministry, like Native American shape shifters are known for trading their skin for another’s when the situation is suitable. Last month, in hopes of producing fear and panic, they dressed as Bedouins and broke into prisons releasing several thousand inmates. During the protests I encountered them dressed as peasants enigmatically informing me that they were recording my conversation (see blog entry “Feb 1st The Million Man March).
If the security forces could dress as peasants and Bedouins in hopes of spreading fear and unrest then it is equally possible that they donned the garb of knife wielding Islamists who murdered the Coptic priest last week. It is also quite possible that they donned the garb of soldiers and attacked St. Bishoy’s monastery. Both of these events featured the Interior Ministry’s trademark persecution of religious minorities and have resulted in the heightening of sectarian tensions as seen in this weeks protests of Copts at Tahrir.
Another event that transpired this past week, seemingly aimed at fomenting sectarian division, was the appointment of Tarek al-Beshry, an Islamist Judge, to head Egypt’s constitutional reform panel. The appointment of al-Beshry appears suspicious because of his pronounced Islamist leanings. Al-Beshry’s appointment has threatened to split the reformers between the Islamists and the secularists over the ancient fear that an Islamic state may be imposed upon Egypt. Based upon the enormous amount of concern directed towards this issue one might question if this fear is justified.
Political Islam is no longer as new or fresh as it was several decades ago. The lofty dreams promoted by the Islamists were significantly sullied by the disastrous examples of Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan and other states that have imposed an Islamic political mandate. Further, Islamist entities, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, have long since realized that if they want to acquire more than just 20% of the vote then they must broaden their appeal and this means compromise. The struggle toward reform within the Brotherhood is evident in the fact that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is internally dividened on whether Copts and women should run for president. It seems likely that the Brotherhood realizes that if they wish to be something more than a minor political player then they must widen their appeal beyond the dictates of Political Islam. This means compromising and liberalizing their political agenda.
It seems naïve to believe that with the removal of a few fat-cat scapegoats the military-intelligence-security apparatus that has been ruling this country since the 1952 coup will simply hand the country over to the young revolutionaries. This past week’s headlines have demonstrated the unlikelihood of this possibility. From my vantage point the economic, political and sectarian tension within Egypt are building towards a powder keg that the old guard is constantly flicking matches at. Cairo’s intellectuals, revolutionaries, and political thinkers are all in agreement that it only takes one direct hit to set the whole country ablaze. Egypt’s unfolding situation reminds me of a quote from Herodotus, the 6th century B.C.E. father of history, he wrote: “The Egyptians believed that fire was an animal, that consumed all that it came across, until it died with the food that it had fed on.” It would seem that the hopes of Egyptians are dependent upon the prevention of the type of fire their ancient ancestors had warned them of.
References:
Interior Minister masterminding Church bombing:
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/02/07/136723.html
Attack at St. Bishoy Monastery:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/egyptian-armed-forces-remove-wall-around-monastery-beheira
Murder of Coptic Priest:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/coptic-christian-priest-killed-egypt-setting-new-protests-religious-minority
Resulting Protest of Copts:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/egypts-copts-march-demand-secular-state
Division of the Muslim Brotherhood:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/brotherhood-divided-over-minority-presidential-candidates
Islamist to head Constitution Reform:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/moderate-islamist-head-egypts-constitutional-reform-panel
Egypt’s Recent Corrupt Elections:
http://www.alarabiya.net/views/2010/12/14/129624.html
Attack and Protest on Egyptian Church:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/two-feared-dead-coptic-protest-over-church-construction