Aladdin star Mena Massoud’s recent comment about being ignorant of the politics of Israel and Palestine is an opportunity for the whole Coptic community to reflect on our own apathy regarding the suffering of Palestinians. The backlash Massoud’s comments received had many Copts on the defensive, claiming that Coptic people are not brought up with sufficient knowledge about the Israeli occupation in the way Muslims are, especially if raised in the diaspora. Many will argue that this is not true and that most Coptic families are in fact very knowledgeable about the political situation. There are also many Copts involved in activism for Palestine. Nonetheless, Mena’s ignorance on the subject is not uncommon and provides a good opportunity for us to engage more actively as a community with Palestinian solidarity. At the core of this stands the conviction that Palestinians, Muslims and Christians alike, are facing a violent and oppressive apartheid state and need our support. This is a complex issue, as Coptic people are a marginalized community within Egypt and many were offended that fellow Egyptians who are Muslim were calling out Mena – a source of great pride…
Let us Coptic People Talk about our Apathy Towards Palestinian Solidarity
June 8, 2019
