Beyond the cross and the crescent: plural identities and the Copts in contemporary Egypt
Author: Vivan Ibrahim
Publisher/Publication: Ethnic and Racial Studies
Volume/Issue: 38(14)
DOI/ISBN: 10.1080/01419870.2015.1061138
The aim of this article is to examine the shift in the way that the Copts perceived their identity and rights during the 1990s in contrast to previous decades. While during the second half of the twentieth century, the Coptic community opted for a more invisible approach for the path to equal citizenship, the 1990s saw the rise of Coptic civil society as well as the Coptic rights movement in favour of a more open and all-encompassing Egyptian national identity. This development was a result of a disappointment regarding the impact of the relationship and clout of the Coptic Church with the state, which eventually led to Copts organizing in order to be aknowledged and to be considered a community with equal rights.
