The Coptic Question in the Mubarak Era

The Mubarak years have left a heavy legacy to post-revolutionary Egypt. After the downfall of Mubarak’s regime, some of the more serious problems swiftly continued deteriorating to the extent that many observers started doubting the possibility of a brighter future. The situation of the Egyptian Christians, the Copts, was one of these problems. The last decade of Mubarak’s rule witnessed repeated outbreaks of sectarian violence between Muslims and Copts. Before and after the fall of Mubarak, concern about sectarian strife was rising amid calls to confront it and close ranks, while Coptic activists were pressing more insistently for political and social change. Most worryingly, discussion in Egypt and around the world revealed highly conflicting points of view about what the Coptic question was really about and what should be done to resolve it.