Suzy Hanna is a regular contributor. Suzy’s background, education and personal interest in Human Rights and Politics have seen her on the front lines of elevating her passions. Suzy has fronted an array of media outlets and presented papers at University. Suzy wrote this article following the much vaunted opening (second opening) of the New Cathedral built in the New Capital city, approximately 45 km away from Cairo. Not long after, a mob number hundreds attacked the Coptic Orthodox community in Zaafarana, Southern Egypt.
The truth about Egypt
My ancestors are famous for creating great monuments which take the world’s breath away. People travel the world to get a glimpse of the beauty that radiates from these works of ingenuity. The splendor of these designs is a historical marvel, recorded in the most respected of antiquities. Mathematical and scientific wonders meet aesthetic and architectural creativity and magnificence.
My ancestors were masters at beautifying the ugly. Great and marvelous monuments to hide the truth within. Because all of this beauty is to house rotting corpses and decaying flesh.
My ancestors loved hiding the ugly truth of death and decay within the most beautiful encasement possible. Egyptians are the masters of image and portraying the most beautiful and appealing appearance, regardless of how detached it is from reality. Reality is irrelevant as long as the world marvels at the beauty we have just portrayed.
These were all of my thoughts as I watched the opening of the biggest Cathedral in the Middle East in Egypt (and the largest Mosque, which happens to be the twice the size of the Cathedral). Religious leaders spoke in each other’s religious House of Worship and politicians spoke about national unity and brotherhood, as we all marveled at the beauty of the new Cathedral.
Simultaneously, another attempted bomb outside a church took the lives and limbs of innocent police officers, as the officers attempted to thwart yet another terrorist attack outside a church. You see, every celebration that the Coptic Church celebrates, such as Christmas, Easter, New Year etc, must have at least one attempted bombing. For years now, Copts cannot celebrate at church without having their celebrations sealed with their blood. And the building of the largest Cathedral in the middle East in Egypt makes no difference to the reality that Copts face in every other church in Egypt.
I am so grateful for this gorgeous Cathedral. I have no doubt that it sends a strong message to the terrorists who are trying to genocide my people that the Copts are here to stay. Believe me, it is an honour to have the title of the largest Cathedral in the Middle East. I do not doubt the backlash that the government faced to get it through.
But beneath the beauty and splendor and image- what this the reality? The reality is the angry mob of thousands in Zaafarana and other places who attack churches and Copts. (See the video links below from our Facebook Page). The reality is bombings every Christian celebration. The reality is persecution on a daily basis.
What’s the point of the biggest Cathedral in the Middle East if the people themselves are educated to hate Copts and Christians? For any real change to occur, Egypt must let go of our obsession with image and focus on solving the reality. Egypt must let go of our fixation on decorating death and decay with beautiful monuments to hide the rotting that is happening inside. Only then can Egypt get better.
Suzy Hanna
Follow Suzy on twitter @suzyhanna1 and follow ACM on twitter @auscma
Video of hundreds attacking Coptic Christians near Minya
The angry mob celebrates after forcing police to shut down church building
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The Australian Coptic Movement Association Ltd (ACM) was founded in 2010
The ACM is a community advocacy group that fights for human rights in Egypt by exposing the persecution
suffered by Copts and other minorities. We also stand for greater political and civil liberties,
and call for the justice and security of Coptic Christians.
ACM activities have included organizing rallies, cultural events, lobbying the Australian government to
pass motions in the Federal and NSW Houses of Parliament, conducting letter-writing campaigns,
releasing media statements, publishing material (including our own book) providing support to
Coptic asylum seekers, and encouraging Copts to assimilate into the wider community.
Now, more than ever, we are in great need of independent civil society community groups to play an influential role locally and overseas.
We also seek individuals to become involved by joining local action groups (Australia wide) to volunteer us in your local area. Please contact us via email for information on aucopticmovement@gmail.com
Account Name: The Australian Coptic Movement Association Ltd
BSB: 032 – 273
Account: 317405
Donations greater than $2.00 are tax deductible.
