Thursday, April 28, 2016

Identity in the Egyptian Context


As a final post on my time in Egypt, I am posting my final reflection paper I wrote as part of the course work. I don't expect many people to read the entire post, but I know there are some people from my group who would be interested, as well as others who might want to know how I've incorporated my encounter with Egypt into my own life and thoughts about identity.

 Identity in the Egyptian Context
          Identity is a multi-layered, complex part of being human. Many aspects of identity are given to people at birth, such as gender, race, nationality, sexuality, and ethnicity to name a few. All of these factors shape who we are and how we interact with the world around us. These factors also influence how others view and treat us. However, we also make choices that help define our identity and who we are in the world. During my time Egypt, I witnessed first-hand many of the different layers of identity that exist. As I encountered Egypt through the people I met and the places we visited, I saw how religion, nationality, and history, even ancient history as it exists in Egypt, plays an important role in defining our identity as well as our choices. In this paper I examine many different issues of identity that Egyptian Christians face, and how I experience my own identity. Identity changes the way we see the world and the way the world sees us. Through my time in Egypt I found similarities in identity as well as deep differences that opened up my worldview to expand my understanding of identity and how the context around us shapes us in many different ways and how we can also shape the world around us.
Tradition and history as part of identity
            The first full day of my time in Egypt included an introduction to Coptic Christian identity with the tour of Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church. In this space, I saw in person the way that history, tradition, and art play an important role in the identity of Coptic Christians. The outside of this church, also known as the Hanging Church, has mosaics depicting different biblical scenes that took place in Egypt, as well as important events in Coptic Christian history. These mosaics, which are fairly recent additions to the courtyard, show that the history of Christianity in Egypt goes back a long ways and that this history is still important today. As I walked through this courtyard and into the church, I stood in awe of the history and tradition that was right in front of me. Even though a lot of the church has been rebuilt and renovated throughout its history, the deep history and set of traditions could be felt in the air, just walking through. Inside the church, every space was filled with sacred designs and art that depicted history, tradition, and symbolism. Coming from Mennonite churches in the Untied States, I am not used to such decoration and icons. However, through the art and carvings on the doors, walls, pulpit, and even the benches, I witnessed depictions of how God has worked through the life of the Church in Egypt. This art made me feel closer to God as it witnesses to Christians today of the power and glory of God. The art itself is part of a long tradition in the Coptic Church and serves to be a sacred space where Christians can encounter God.
            The sense of history and tradition was amplified with our next stop at Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church. This is the spot where tradition says that baby Jesus stayed with his parents after fleeing to Egypt when King Herod ordered the killing of all children in and around Bethlehem as written in the Matthew 2:1-18. Although this fact cannot be verified, I could see how proud the Egyptians we encountered in the church were of the fact that their ancestors welcomed and hosted baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. In this story, Egypt is seen as a place of refuge. This identity of being the host of baby Jesus is important to some of the Coptic Christians we met and thus the story of Jesus staying at that church has been passed from generation to generation and is believed by many to be true. This tradition of being host has become a part of the Egyptian Christian identity.
            A major part of the trip was spent visiting ancient Egyptian sites including the pyramids of Gaza, the Valley of the Kings, the Abu Simbel temples and many, many more. These sites were incredible to behold in person and are a source of national pride for many Egyptians. This shared common history is one source of identity for most Egyptians, regardless of religion. Jacques van der Vliet writes that this shared identity is called “pharaonism” in academic terms and “is a way of claiming a deeply rooted national identity that transcends the religious opposition between Egypt’s Muslim majority and its indigenous Christian minority.”[1] The Egyptians I encountered were deeply proud of the ancient history of Egypt and were happy that we as foreigners got the chance to visit these ancient sites. Even as we would discover deep differences between different groups in Egypt and how religion plays a huge role in identity formation, I witnessed how history also defines ones identity and can be a bonding point for people.
Paradox of identity
            Although ancient Egypt can be a bonding point for all Egyptians, Egyptian Christians also struggle with identifying with the Egypt in the Bible. Even as Egypt is host to baby Jesus in the gospels, Egypt is better known for being the monster in the story of the Exodus. The complexity of identity comes to the forefront as Egyptian Christians have had to process what it means to be able to identify as the Israelites in the Exodus story, as part of God’s chosen people and identify as Egyptians, who were the oppressors in the story. Safwat Marzouk writes in Egypt as Monster in the Book of Ezekiel, “Reading the Hebrew Bible in a Christian Egyptian context is an identity question.”[2] He goes on to describe how some Egyptian Christians have thrown out the story of the Exodus, not wanting to deal with this issue of identity. These Christians believe that by ignoring these texts, they are able to stay true to their nationalistic sense of identity of being Egyptians. For many, these ancient texts do not have anything to do with current Egypt.[3] Another approach that Christian Egyptians take that Marzouk describes is an allegorical interpretation; “they argue that Egypt in the Bible is just a symbol for something else.”[4] These Christians will say that they identify with Israel, because it stands for the good, while Egypt in the story stands for the evil. They are able to identify with their religious identity instead of their political identity. Marzouk is critical of this approach because by only reading the text allegorically, Egyptian Christians ignore the historical realities.[5] The identity of an Egyptian Christian is one of paradox when it comes to the Bible as seen here.
            My identity as an American Christian also comes with a similar paradox. Obviously, the United States is not mentioned in the Bible and was not a political state during the writing of the Bible. Growing up with the Exodus story, I have always identified with Israel in the story and have not given the Egyptians in the story much thought. However, learning about Egyptian Christians struggle with this paradox, I have been able to make connections. The United States today could be described as a powerful empire in the world. In many places in the world, the United States is seen as the oppressor. When I was traveling in Egypt, I was seen as a representative of the United States. Part of my own identity is being a white, middle-class American. This is not an identity I chose, but it is a part of myself that I have to live with. I live with a paradox of being a pacifist Christian and at the same time, a citizen of a country whose foreign policy and military hurts a lot of people throughout the world. Instead of denying a part of my identity, I need to be able to see my own identity as complex and always changing. Marzouk writes, “When one sees identity as something fluid and hybrid and recognizes that formulating an identity is an ongoing process, one is better able to live with paradox.”[6] Learning about the Egyptian Christian identity and visiting Egypt as a white, privileged, American Christian, allowed me to recognize the paradox within my own identity and think deeper about the complexity and fluidity of having both a national and religious identity that sometimes clashes.
Identity as a minority group
            Although I recognized some similarities between Egyptian and American Christians as both groups have to live with a paradox of having national and religious identities, the Egyptian situation is different as Christians there are a minority group in the country and face some persecution and discrimination. During the trip we met with several different groups of Christians, both Orthodox and Protestant. Three encounters were very significant to me as I learned about being a Christian in a country with a repressive government and Islam as the majority religion. The first encounter was with Dr. Rev. Andrea Zaki, the head of the Protestant Churches in Egypt. He talked about the tough political situation Egypt was in and how many Christians were supportive of the current government because it was better than Hosni Mubarak who was in power for years and then the short time after the revolution when the Muslim Brotherhood was in power. The current government has put many people in jail unjustly and has resorted to violence. However, the church in Egypt wants to simply survive and thus has a choice to support the lesser of two evils or speak out against injustice and face greater persecution and violence. The church in the United States cannot comprehend this, as Christianity is the majority religion. I can speak out about peace and nonviolence, but I do not live in a place were violent persecution is an actual threat. The church in Egypt has to make choices that I, as a privileged American Christian, cannot fully understand because of the political context it is in.
            The second encounter that emphasized the difference between American and Egyptian Christians was with Tharwat Wahba, one of the professors at the Presbyterian Seminary in Cairo. During a question and answer time the professor mentioned that foreign friends will sometimes ask about the state of LGBTQ issues within the church in Egypt and he tells them that the church in Egypt is simply trying to survive and does not have the time and energy to be having those types of discussions. Although I would give a small push-back to this as I have read about the violence and persecution that LGBTQ persons have faced in Egypt, I think he makes an important point. The church in Egypt has a different identity than the church elsewhere in the world and is facing different problems. I can say that the Egyptian church needs to look into some of these issues, but I can only say that because I am sitting in my nice home in the United States, not having to worry that I could go to jail for something I say. I do not have to worry about being discriminated against for my beliefs. I have the privilege of being able to think theologically about issues facing the LGBTQ community because I do not have to think of what real persecution the church will be facing tomorrow. Egyptian Christians do not have this privilege. 
            The third encounter was with Reverend Gendi Rizk, the pastor of the El-Saraya Church in Alexandria. He told the story of how a new church was being built after years of jumping through bureaucratic hoops. However one day, he showed up and there was bulldozer in front of the church. At first he described the anger he felt, but then he decided that the church in Egypt has been there for two thousand years and they had already waited years to build the church, so it was okay to wait longer and retaliating against the people destroying their building would not do much good. It was interesting to hear this story for different reasons. First, it confirmed the real persecution that exists against Christians in Egypt. This persecution is not just imagined, but is a part of life there. Second, it showed the patience and resiliency of the Christians in Egypt. On one of the first days, our leader Dr. Safwat Marzouk asked the group why the church has survived in Egypt, while it has disappeared in other countries in the Middle East. One answer I would give to this question is this patience and resiliency that I witnessed through Rev. Rizk as well as through other Christians, Coptic and Protestant, that we encountered while in Egypt. The Christians I encountered had all experienced persecution and discrimination in different ways, but yet stories like Rev. Rizk’s was not uncommon. In the midst of hardship, Egyptian Christians have remained true to what they believe is the core of the gospel, which is to love others and meet human needs.
            Christian-Muslim relations is a big conversation in Egypt. One’s religion is put on your identity card at birth. As mentioned, there is real persecution and discrimination towards to Christians from the Muslim majority. However, this is not the whole picture. On our last day in Cairo, we visited Al-Azhar University, a prestigious Islamic institution, and met with one of the top scholars. He emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace and that the Quran teaches religious tolerance. Our hosts at the university showed us great hospitality and served us fresh juice and snacks, even as we were only there for an hour. They welcomed questions and encouraged more dialogue between Christians and Muslims. These Muslims we met saw their faith as a large part of their identity, but one that promoted peace within the country. They spoke harshly against Islamic terrorist groups. Many Muslims feel this way and see Egyptian Christians as their neighbors. The same is true of many Christians. In a study by Yvonne Haddad and Joshua Donovan published in Studies in World Christianity, they found that the Copts in Egypt were living peaceably with their Muslim neighbors. There are cases of discrimination, but Copts identify themselves as Egyptians and do not want Western interference as advocated by some of the Diaspora currently living in the United States.[7] Through researching and learning about Muslim-Christian relations, I was able to see that identity is more complex than just claiming a minority, persecuted position. One’s identity is caught up in a web of relationships with the other, which is both a large group such as Muslims or the government, as well as your neighbors. Even as I had three encounters with Christians discussing discrimination and persecution, I also witnessed people trying to live peacefully with their neighbors and work together to create a better future for their country.
Christian identity in action
            Learning how to live peacefully together is one way that I witnessed Egyptian Christians putting their Christian identity into practice. The emphasis on the identity of Christians as acting out the simple message of the Bible was made by Rev. Rizk and exemplified by actions he and his church in Alexandria have taken. Rev. Rizk talked about how he has studied theology in both Egypt and the United States, but his home church in Egypt has influenced his theology the most. He told our group that he sees that the call of Christians is to act as Christ and meet the human needs that exist within one’s community. He then told us of the different ways that his church tries to live this call. He first described how the church started a nursery school for members of the congregation because both parents worked and needed a place for their children to go. Then, the church started a school for people with special needs because a family in the congregation had a child with autism and in Egypt there is a stigma against this group of people and very little in the way of educational services. The school has grown to reflect the current society with the majority of the students coming from Muslim families. The school works to provide skills to people of all ages with special needs and also works with the families to incorporate the people into society and work against the negative stigma. The church sees both the nursery school and the special needs school as a part of their call of being Christians. However, the church also works on church planting, believing that evangelism is also an important part of the gospel and this is not at odds with the social services they provide. Opening these schools and church planting are specific actions that the church in Egypt has taken to live out its Christian identity.
            Other organizations we met with have also found ways to live out what it sees as its Christian identity. While in Cairo, we met with CEOSS, the Coptic Organization for Social Services, which is a large nonprofit serving 250 communities throughout Egypt working in the areas of development, culture, and resource development. The organization was started and is run by Christians, but sees its mission as much broader. The mission as stated on their website is “to promote the sanctity, equity, and harmony of life. It seeks to contribute to the transformation of society by nurturing moral and spiritual awareness, enhancing a sense of belonging, promoting respect for diversity, addressing conflict, and advancing social justice for individuals and communities.”[8] The organization sees this mission as part of the gospel that is for all people, not just Christians. They emphasize that they work for all Egyptians, regardless of religion or social status. I was impressed to hear about all the work that CEOSS does and how it is responding to the needs that are in Egyptian society. They do not give any direct handouts, but instead support other organizations that do, and try to address some of the root causes of conflict in the country by such actions as facilitating dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
            Another example of where I saw Christians living out their identity was a visit to Manshiyat Naser, better known as Garbage City. This area of Cairo is home to some of the city’s poorest people who have been the outcasts of society whose main occupation is that of garbage collecting. Although many of the main streets have been cleaned, there was still garbage everywhere, including inside the houses. However, at the end of the road were two huge churches built out of the rocks. There, we learned the incredible story of a Coptic priest who felt a call from God to witness to the garbage collectors and live within that community. He saw the humanity in the people there and today the church includes sixty thousand families. Instead of a place of garbage and poverty, I saw the neighborhood as place where God’s love was able to take hold and transform lives. As we talked with a man who grew up there, we learned how life there is still really hard for the people, but the church has made things better. The church works to meet basic human needs as well as provide a space for anyone to feel welcome. Through its witness to the city’s marginalized and outcasts, the church has grown to huge numbers and is living out its Christian identity in a radical way.
My changing identity
            My time in Egypt changed the way I look at identity. First, while living in my own specific context in the United States, I often forget how much my identity is influenced by the history and traditions of my family, my nation, and my religion. The United States does not have as old of a history as Egypt, but its history is still a large source of identity for Americans. I am influenced by this history in many ways that I have recognized and other ways that I am still figuring out. Within my Mennonite faith, I can see very clear ways that tradition, especially the pacifist tradition, has largely influenced my identity and my actions. Growing up in this specific tradition has changed the way that I see the world around me. Within the larger Christian tradition, my time in Egypt allowed me to see how my identity has been shaped by biblical history. I felt at home in the churches we visited because the history of God’s people is also my history. I could celebrate with the church in Egypt because these were my brothers and sisters in Christ. History and tradition have a profound impact on identity.
            My time in Egypt also made clear how there is often a paradox in our identities. Identity overlaps many different areas of our lives and often these different identities do not mesh well together. In both Egypt and the United States, I see how religious and national identities are often at odds. Sometimes you have to choose which identity you act from, while at the same time, it is important to be able to find ways to recognize and live in the paradox. This is not an easy task, but I am encouraged that it is possible from the ways I witnessed many Egyptians authentically trying to do this. I also recognize, though, that this paradoxical identity changes when one is part of a minority group. After being in Egypt, I am able to more fully recognize the privilege of living in the majority. As a white, middle-class, heterosexual American, I do not face many of the daily struggles that minority people do. My privilege allows me to concentrate on large-scale justice issues because I do not face discrimination and struggle on a daily basis. The trip reminded me of my privilege and how this also impacts my identity and my actions in real ways.
            Finally, as I witnessed Egyptian Christians making choices to live out their Christian identity by meeting simple human needs and trying to be Christ’s love to the world, I was inspired. We are all given a certain identity in the world, but we also have the freedom to make choices of how we live out that identity. I hope that I am different because of my time Egypt, witnessing people living out the simple gospel message. I want to continue to find ways to live out my own Christian identity in the context of where I am now in the United States. I live in a very different context than Egypt, but there are needs all around me and my choices can affect lives. Just as my identity influences my choices, my choices and actions help determine my identity in the world.
Conclusion
            My time in Egypt allowed me to witness many different layers and aspects of identity. History and traditions still shape identity today and can be used to remind people of a shared identity. Identities are also often paradoxical. Egyptian Christians have to live with the paradox of identifying both with Egypt and Israel in the exodus story and what it means to have a national identity that is at times at odds with a Christian identity. American Christians also face a similar paradox as we want to bring peace to the world, but are citizens of a country with an oppressive military and foreign policy. Idenitites are also largely defined by social location and holding a minority identity changes the way one acts in the world. Egyptian Christians face many different problems than American Christians and are impacted greatly by their position of being a minority group in Egypt. However, people also have a choice of how to live out their identity in the world. I witnessed Egyptian Christians living out the gospel message of meeting needs in society and showing Christ’s love. Identity plays a huge role in our lives and is complex and multi-layered and often presents paradox. However, by recognizing the many different aspects, we can find ways to live out our identity in ways that make this world a better place.


            [1] Jacques van der Vliet, “The Copts: 'Modern Sons of the Pharaohs'?” Church History and Religious Culture 89, no. 1-3 (2009): 279.
           
            [2] Safwat Marzouk, Egypt as Monster in the Book of Ezekiel (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), 10.
           
            [3] Ibid., 11.
            [4] Ibid.

            [5] Ibid., 12.

            [6] Ibid., 242.
            [7] Yvonne Haddad and Joshua Donovan, “Good Copt, Bad Copt: Competing Narratives on Coptic Identity in Egypt and the United States,” Studies in World Christianity 19 no. 3 (2013): 225.
            [8] “Who We Are,” CEOSS, last modified 2015, accessed March 19, 2016, http://en.ceoss-eg.org/about-us/who-we-are-2/

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