Copt 202367 219753642 2008-06-16T19:01:28Z AndonicO 1792859 Protected Copt: Edit warring [edit=sysop:move=sysop] {{pp-dispute}} {{Infobox Religious group| | group = Copts<br>Aqba{{Unicode|ṭ}} أقباط<br>{{Coptic|ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙ'ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ 'ⲛ'Ⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓ'ⲁⲛⲟⲥ}}<br>ni.Remenkīmi en Ekhristianos |image = [[Image:CoptsCollage.jpg|300px]] |image_caption = <small>Top row (left to right)<br/>[[Mary of Egypt|Saint Mary of Egypt]] • [[Boutros Boutros Ghali]] • [[Ester Fanous]] • [[Saint Maurice]]<br/> Bottom row (left to right)<br/>[[Makram Ebeid|Makram Pasha Ebeid]] • [[Meriam George]] • [[Paul the Hermit|Saint Paul the Hermit]] and [[Anthony the Great|Saint Anthony the Great]] • [[Pope Cyril VI]]</small> | population = 8,000,000 to 18,000,000 (estimates vary) |region1 = {{flagcountry|Egypt}} |pop1 = 7,500,000 - 16,600,000 (2008) |ref1 = {{lower|<ref> Official population counts put the number of Copts at around 6% of the population, while some Coptic voices claim figures as high as 15 to 20%. While some scholars defend the soundness of the official population census (cf. E.J.Chitham, The Coptic Community in Egypt. Spatial and Social Change, Durham 1986), most scholars and international observers assume that the Christian share of Egypt's population is higher than stated by the Egyptian government. Most independent estimates fall within range between 9% and 20%, for example the CIA World Factbook [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html], or the Washington Institute [http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2386]. For a projected 83,000,000+ Egyptians in 2008, this assumption yields the above figures. </ref>}} |region2 = {{flagcountry|USA}} |pop2 = 300,000 - 1,000,000 |ref2 = {{lower|<ref>According to the National Council of Churches of the U.S.A., the Coptic Orthodox Church has at least 300,000 members (as of the year 2000), [http://www.electronicchurch.org/] while US-Coptic Associations indicate 700,000 - 1,000,000 [http://sce.uhcl.edu/akladios/Magdy%20Akladios%20Website/Links%20For%20Church/Copticsflocktowelcome.doc].</ref>}} |region3 = {{flagcountry|Australia}} |pop3 = 70,000+ (2003) |ref3 = {{lower|<ref>In the year 2003, there was an estimated 70,000 Copts in New South Wales alone: - {{cite hansard | url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20031112040 | house=Parliament of NSW - Legislative Council | date= 12 November 2003| page=Page: 4772: - ''Coptic Orthodox Church (NSW) Property Trust Amendment Bill''}}</ref>}} {{lower|<ref>[http://www.coptic.org.au/modules/diocese_bodies The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions - Under the Guidance of His Grace Bishop Daniel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} |region4 = {{flagcountry|Kuwait}} |pop4 = 65,000 |ref4 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51603.htm Kuwait]</ref>}} |region5 = {{flagcountry|UK}} |pop5 = 25,000 - 30,000 (2006) |ref5 = {{lower|<ref>Copts number at least 20,000 in Britain [http://www.middlekilleavy.com/index.php?artid=2631&option=com_cifeed&task=newsarticle] plus another 5,000 - 10,000 Copts who are directly under the [http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_86.html British Orthodox Church (1999 figures)]</ref>}} |region6 = {{flagcountry|Canada}} |pop6 = 25,000 (2008 est.) |ref6 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55822&APATH=3&GID=431515&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=56&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=99&GK=NA&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0 Census — Growth rate from 1991 to 2001]</ref>}} {{lower|<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/can_rel1.htm Christian religious data from Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} |region7 = {{flagcountry|Jordan}} |pop7 = 8,000+ (2005) |ref7 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.jordanembassyus.org/06032005001.htm King commends Coptic Church's role in promoting coexistence<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} |region8 = {{flagcountry|Germany}} |pop8 = 3,000 - 5,000 (2005) |ref8 = {{lower|<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Germany#Orthodoxy</ref>}} |region9 = {{flagcountry|Austria}} |pop9 = 2,000 (2001) |ref9 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.hrwf.net/religiousfreedom/news/2004PDF/Austria_2004.pdf Austria 2004] Religious Freedom news</ref>}} |region10 = {{flagcountry|Switzerland}} |pop10 = 1,000 (2004) |ref10 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=5090250 Orthodox Copts open church in Switzerland]</ref>}} |region11 = {{flagcountry|France}} |pop11 = |ref11 = |region12 = {{flagcountry|New Zealand}} |pop12 = |ref12 = |region13 = {{flagcountry|Netherlands}} |pop13 = |ref13 = |region14 = {{flagcountry|Brazil}} |pop14 = |ref14 = |region15 = {{flagcountry|Italy}} |pop15 = |ref15 = |region16 = {{flagcountry|Sudan}} |pop16 = |ref16 = |region17 = {{flagcountry|Bolivia}} |pop17 = |ref17 = | rels = Predominantly: [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Orthodox Christianity]]. <br>Minorities include: [[Coptic Catholic Church|Coptic Catholicism]], [[Protestantism]] | scrips = [[Bible]] | langs = Liturgical: [[Coptic language|Coptic]]<br>In Egypt: [[Egyptian Arabic]]<br>In the diaspora: [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]] and others}} {{Copts}} A '''Copt''' ([[Coptic language|Coptic]]: '''{{Coptic|ⲟⲩⲣⲉⲙ'ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ 'ⲛ'Ⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓ'ⲁⲛⲟⲥ}}''' ''ou.Remenkīmi en.Ekhristianos'', literally: ''Egyptian Christian'') is a native [[Egyptian people|Egyptian]] [[Christianity|Christian]]. Today, more than 95% of the Copts belong to the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]]. The remaining (around 500,000) are divided between the [[Coptic Catholic Church|Coptic Catholic]] and the Coptic [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches. The Copts are by far the largest Christian community in [[North Africa]] and the [[Middle East]]. The word "Coptic" was originally used in [[Classical Arabic]] to refer to [[Egyptians]] in general (see [[etymology]] section), but it has undergone [[semantic shift]] over the centuries to mean more specifically Egyptian Christian after the bulk of the Egyptian population converted to [[Islam]].<ref>"The people of Egypt before the Arab conquest in the 7th century identified themselves and their language in Greek as Aigyptios (Arabic qibt, Westernized as Copt); when Egyptian Muslims later ceased to call themselves Aigyptioi, the term became the distinctive name of the Christian minority." [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026216 Coptic Orthodox Church]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online''. 2007</ref> In modern usage, it is frequently applied to members of the Coptic Orthodox Church irrespective of ethnic origin. Thus [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian]] and [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Eritrean]] Christians (and [[Nubians]] before their conversion to Islam) were traditionally referred to as Copts, though this has been falling out of use since their Tewahedo Churches were granted their own [[patriarch]]s. [[Image:Copts.GIF|thumb|left|Copts Around the world]] The number of Copts in [[Egypt]] has been subject to some controversy. Coptic sources put forward figures ranging from 14% to 20% (between 10 and 15 million), but the Egyptian government insists that Copts represent about 6% (5 million) of the Egyptian population. Part of the controversy could be attributed to the increasing number of Copts born outside Egypt and who do not carry Egyptian passports. The number of Copts within Egypt may be very slowly declining due to higher emigration rates caused by harassment and discrimination at the hands of [[Islamism|Islamist]] militants and the Egyptian government. Egyptian Copts have occasionally been on the receiving end of violent acts from Islamic extremist groups. Copts have leveled the accusation that the Egyptian government has sometimes been complicit or uncaring in the face of such incidents.<ref>Imad Boles, ''[http://www.meforum.org/article/23 Egypt - Persecution: Disappearing Christians of the Middle East]'', Middle East Quarterly (Winter 2001).</ref> The 2006 [[The World Factbook|World Factbook]] estimates that 7.6 million or 10% of [[Egyptians]] are Christian (9% Coptic and 1% other denominations).<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html#People CIA World Factbook. Egyptian people section]</ref> ==Etymology== The English word ''Copt'' is from [[New Latin]] ''Coptus'', which is derived from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] {{Unicode|''qubṭi''}} قبطي (pl: {{Unicode|qubṭ}} قبط and {{Unicode|aqbāṭ}} أقباط), an Arabisation of the [[Coptic language|Coptic]] word ''kubti'' ([[Coptic language#Bohairic|Bohairic]]) and/or ''kuptaion'' ([[Coptic language#Sahidic|Sahidic]]). This word is in turn derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word {{polytonic|Αἰγύπτιος}}, ''aiguptios'': "Egyptian", from {{polytonic|Αἴγυπτος}}, ''aiguptos'': "Egypt". {{Hiero | ''Hut-ka-Ptah'' | <hiero>p:t-H-Hwt-t:pr-kA:Z1-t:niwt</hiero> | align=left| era=default}} The Greek term for "Egypt" has a long history. It goes back to the [[Mycenaean language]] (an early form of Greek) where the word ''a<sub>3</sub>-ku-pi-ti-jo'' (lit. "Egyptian"; used here as a man's name) was written in [[Linear B]]. This Mycenaean form is likely from [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] {{Unicode|''ḥwt-k3-ptḥ''}} ("Hut-ka-Ptah"), literally "Estate (or 'House') of [[Ptah]]" (cf. [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] {{Unicode|''<sup>ālu</sup>ḫi-ku-up-ta-aḫ''}}), the name of the temple complex of the god [[Ptah]] at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. As the chief temple precinct of the capital of Egypt, the name was applied to the entire city of Memphis and ultimately to the country as a whole. A similar situation is observed in the name ''Memphis'' [Greek Μέμφις], which comes from the Egyptian name of the [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramid]] complex of [[Pharaoh|king]] [[Pepi II Neferkare|Pepi II]], ''mn nfr ppy'' (lit. "Established in Perfection or 'Beauty' is Pepy") at [[Saqqara]] but which was applied to the nearby capital city. Interestingly, this usage survived in Sahidic as ''Gupton'' and ''Kupton'', meaning "Memphis". In modern [[Egyptian Arabic]], [[Cairo]] is usually called ''Masr'' (Egyptian Arabic: مَصر), which is also the name of Egypt. There is another theory which states that the Arabic word {{Unicode|''qibṭ''}} "Copt" was an Arabisation of the Greek name of the town of Κόπτος ''[[Coptos]]'' (modern قفط {{Unicode|''Qifṭ''}}; Coptic ''Kebt'' and ''Keft''), but is generally no longer accepted. References to ''Copts'' in the [[Coptic language]] are both Greek and Coptic in origin. The words ''kuptaion'' (Sahidic) and ''kubti'' (Bohairic) are attested, but are used in the surviving texts to refer to the language, rather than the people; these both derive from Greek Αἴγύπτιος ''aiguptios'' "Egyptian". The Coptic term for the word "Egyptian" is ''rem en kēme'' (Sahidic) {{Coptic|ⲣⲙⲛⲕⲏⲙⲉ}}, ''lem en kēmi'' ([[Coptic language#Fayyumic|Fayyumic]]), ''rem en khēmi'' (Bohairic) {{Coptic|ⲣⲉⲙ'ⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ}} , etc., literally "people of Egypt"; cf. [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''{{Unicode|rmṯ}} n [[Kemet|kmt]]'', [[Demotic Egyptian|Demotic]] ''rmt n kmỉ''. The [[etymology|etymological]] meaning of the word therefore pertains to all people of Egyptian origins, not only those who profess Coptic Orthodoxy. Medieval writers before the [[Mamluk]] period often used the words Copts (Arabic: قبط) and Egyptians (Arabic: مصريون) interchangeably to describe all the people of Egypt whether Christian or Muslim. After the bulk of the Egyptian population converted to [[Islam]], the word Copt came to be associated with Egyptians who retained their Christianity. In the [[20th century]], some Egyptian nationalists and intellectuals began using the term Copts in the historical sense. For example, Markos Pasha Semeika, founder of the [[Coptic Museum]], addressed a group of Egyptian students in these words: "All of you are Copts. Some of you are Muslim Copts, others are Christian Copts, but all of you are descended from the Ancient Egyptians".<ref>qtd. in M. Hussein. ''el Ittigahat el Wataneyya fil Adab el {{Unicode|Muʻaṣir}}'' [National Trends in Modern Literature]. Vol. 2. Cairo, 1954</ref> ==History== {{main|Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria}} [[Image:StMarkcoptic.jpg|280px|thumb|left|Coptic icon of [[Mark the Evangelist|St. Mark]]]] The Copts are one of the oldest Christian communities in the [[Middle East]]. Although integrated in the larger Egyptian nation, the Copts have survived as a distinct religious community forming today between 10 and 20 percent of the native population. They pride themselves on the apostolicity of the Egyptian Church whose founder was the first in an unbroken chain of patriarchs. ===Foundation of the Egyptian Christian Church=== According to ancient tradition, [[Christianity]] was introduced to the [[Egyptians]] by [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark]] in [[Alexandria]], shortly after the ascension of [[Christ]] and during the reign of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[emperor]] [[Nero]]. The legacy that [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark]] left in [[Egypt]] was a considerable [[Christian]] community in [[Alexandria]]. From Alexandria, [[Christianity]] spread throughout [[Egypt]] within half a century of [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark]]'s arrival in [[Alexandria]], as is clear from a fragment of the [[Gospel of John]], written in [[Coptic language|Coptic]], which was found in [[Upper Egypt]] and can be dated to the first half of the second century, and the [[New Testament]] writings found in [[Oxyrhynchus]], in [[Middle Egypt]], which date around the year 200 A.D. In the [[2nd century|second century]], [[Christianity]] began to spread to the rural areas, and scriptures were translated into the local language, today known as the [[Coptic language]] (which was called ''the Egyptian language'' at the time). By the beginning of the 3rd century A.D., [[Christian]]s constituted the majority of [[Egypt]]’s population, and the [[Church of Alexandria]] was recognized as one of [[Christendom]]'s four Apostolic Sees, second in honor only to the [[Roman Catholic Church|Church of Rome]].<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentarchy</ref> The [[Church of Alexandria]] is therefore the oldest church in [[Africa]]. ===Contributions to Christianity=== The Egyptians contributed immensely to the formation of the worldwide [[Christian]] mind. To name a few examples, the Catechetical School of Alexandria was the oldest catechetical school in the world. Founded around 190 A.D. by the scholar [[Pantanaeus]], the school of Alexandria became an important institution of religious learning, where students were taught by scholars such as [[Athenagoras of Athens|Athenagoras]], [[Clement of Alexandria|Clement]], [[Didymus the Blind|Didymus]], and the great [[Origen]], who was considered the father of theology and who was also active in the field of commentary and comparative Biblical studies. However, the scope of this school was not limited to theological subjects; science, mathematics and humanities were also taught there. The question-and-answer method of commentary began there, and 15 centuries before [[Braille]], wood-carving techniques were in use there by blind scholars to read and write. Another major contribution made by the Egyptians to [[Christianity]] was the creation and organization of [[monasticism]]. The most prominent figures of the monastic movement were [[Anthony the Great]], [[Paul of Thebes]], [[Macarius the Great]], [[Shenouda the Archimandrite]] and [[Pachomius|Pachomius the Cenobite]]. By the end of the fifth century, there were hundreds of monasteries, and thousands of cells and caves scattered throughout the Egyptian desert. Worldwide Christian monasticism stems, either directly or indirectly, from the Egyptian example. Thus, [[Saint Basil|Saint Basil the Great]] Archbishop of [[Caesarea Mazaca]], and the founder and organiser of the monastic movement in [[Asia Minor]], visited [[Egypt]] around 357 A.D. and his monastic rules are followed by the [[Eastern Orthodox Churches]]; [[Saint Jerome]], who translated the [[Bible]] into [[Latin]], came to [[Egypt]] while en route to [[Jerusalem]] around 400 A.D. and left details of his experiences in his letters; and [[Benedict of Nursia|Saint Benedict]] founded the [[Benedictine Order]] in the sixth century on the model of [[Saint Pachomius]], although in a stricter form. Countless pilgrims have visited the Egyptian [[Desert Fathers]] to emulate their spiritual, disciplined lives. ===The Ecumenical Councils=== The Egyptians also played a major role in the first three [[Ecumenical council]]s. Thus, the [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicaea]] ([[325]] AD) was presided over by [[Alexander of Alexandria|Pope Alexander of Alexandria]], along with [[Hosius of Córdoba|Saint Hosius of Córdoba]]. In addition, the most prominent figure of the council was the future [[Pope of Alexandria]] [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]], who played the major role in the formulation of the [[Nicene Creed]], recited today in all Christian churches of different denominations. One of the council's decisions was to entrust the [[Pope of Alexandria]] with calculating and annually announcing the exact date of [[Easter]] to the rest of the Christian churches. The [[First Council of Constantinople|Council of Constantinople]] ([[381]] AD) was presided over by [[Timothy of Alexandria|Pope Timothy of Alexandria]], while the [[Council of Ephesus]] ([[431]] AD) was presided over by [[Cyril of Alexandria|Pope Cyril of Alexandria]]. Undoubtedly, the fact that the first three [[Ecumenical council]]s in the history of [[Christianity]] were headed by Egyptian patriarchs attested to the major contributions that the [[See of Alexandria]] has contributed to the establishment of early Christian theology and dogma. ===Council of Chalcedon=== In [[451]] A.D., following the [[Council of Chalcedon]], the [[Church of Alexandria]] was divided into two branches. Those who accepted the terms of the Council became known as [[Chalcedonian]]s or [[Melkites]]. Those who did not abide by the Council's terms were labeled [[non-Chalcedonian]]s or [[Monophysites]] (and later ''Jacobites'' after [[Jacob Baradaeus]]). The [[non-Chalcedonian]]s, however, rejected the term [[Monophysites]] as erroneous and insisted on being called [[Miaphysitism|Miaphysites]]. The majority of the [[Egyptians]] belonged to the [[Miaphysitism|Miaphysite]] branch, which led to their persecution by the [[Byzantines]] in [[Egypt]]. ===The Arab Invasion of Egypt=== In [[641]] A.D., [[Egypt]] was invaded by the [[Arabs]] who faced off with the [[Byzantine]] army, but found little to no resistance from the native Egyptian population. Local resistance by the Egyptians however began to materialize shortly thereafter and would last until at least the ninth century.<ref>Mawaiz wa al-'i'tibar bi dhikr al-khitat wa al-'athar (2 vols., Bulaq, 1854), by [[Al-Maqrizi]]</ref><ref>Chronicles, by [[John of Nikiû]]</ref> Examples include the Revolt of the Beshmorites, a large-scale national resistance staged in the mid-eighth century in the [[Nile Delta]]. It was crushed by [[Marwan II]], the [[Umayyad]] [[caliph]]. The last large-scale armed resistance of the [[Egyptians]] against the [[Arabs]] was towards the mid ninth century, which was brutally crushed by [[Al-Ma'mun]], the [[Abbasid]] [[caliph]]. Local resistances against the Arabs and the Muslims remained through the [[12th century]], such as the [[1176]] revolt of the Christian inhabitants of [[Qift]], which was promptly suppressed by [[Al-Adil I|Al-Adil]], brother of [[Saladin]], who hanged nearly 3000 Copts on the trees around the city. The [[Arabs]] imposed a special tax, known as [[Jizya]], on the [[Christians]] who acquired the status of [[dhimmis]], and all native Egyptians were prohibited from joining the army. Egyptian converts to Islam in turn were relegated to the status of [[mawali]]. Heavy taxation was one of the reasons behind Egyptian organized resistance against the new occupying power, as well as the decline of the number of Christians in Egypt.[[Image:Cairo, Old Cairo, Hanging Church, Egypt, Oct 2004.jpg|thumb|right|250px|More than seven million [[Egyptians]] follow the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith as members of the [[Coptic Church]].]] The [[Arabs]] in the 7th century seldom used the term ''Egyptian'', and used instead the term ''Copt'' to describe the people of Egypt. Thus, [[Egyptians]] became known as ''Copts'', and the non-Chalcedonian Egyptian Church became known as the [[Coptic Church]]. The Chalcedonian Church remained known as the [[Melkite|Melkite Church]]. In their own native language, [[Egyptians]] referred to themselves as ''rem-en-kimi'', which translates into ''those of Egypt''. Religious life remained largely undisturbed following the Arab occupation, as evidence by the rich output of Coptic arts in monastic centers in Old Cairo ([[Fustat]]) and throughout Egypt. Conditions, however, worsened shortly after that, and in the eighth and ninth centuries, during the period of the great national resistance against the Arabs, Muslim rulers banned the use of human forms in art (taking advantage of an iconoclastic conflict in [[Byzantium]]) and consequently destroyed many Coptic paintings and frescoes in churches.<ref>Kamil, p. 41</ref> The [[Fatimid]] period of Islamic rule in Egypt was tolerant with the exception of the violent persecutions of caliph [[Al-Hakim]]. The Fatimid rulers employed Copts in the government and participated in Coptic and local Egyptian feasts. Major renovation and reconstruction of churches and monasteries were also undertaken. Coptic arts flourished, reaching new heights in Middle and Upper Egypt.<ref>Kamil, op cit.</ref> Persecution of Egyptian Christians, however, reached a peak in the early [[Mamluk]] period following the [[Crusader]] wars. Many forced conversions of Christians took place. Monasteries were occasionally raided and destroyed by marauding Bedouin, but were rebuilt and reopened. ===Copts in modern Egypt=== The position of the Copts did not begin to improve until the rule of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali]] in the early 19th century, who abolished the [[Jizya]] and allowed Egyptians (Copts as well as Muslims) to enroll in the army. Conditions continued to improve throughout the nineteenth century under the leadership of the great reformer Pope [[Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria|Cyril IV]], and in the first half of the twentieth century (known as the ''Golden Age'' by the Copts) during Egypt's liberal period. Copts participated in the Egyptian national movement for independence and occupied many influential positions. Two significant cultural achievements include the founding of the [[Coptic Museum]] in 1910 and the Higher Institute of Coptic Studies in 1954. Some prominent Coptic thinkers from this period are [[Salama Moussa]], [[Louis Awad]] and Secretary General of the [[Wafd Party]] [[Makram Ebeid]]. Following the [[1952]] coup d'état by the [[Free Officers Movement|Free Officers]], the conditions of the Copts have been slowly deteriorating and their human rights are often consistently violated. Today, members of the [[non-Chalcedonian]] [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] constitute the majority of the Egyptian Christian population. Mainly through emigration and partly through [[Europe]]an, [[United States of America|American]], and other missionary work and conversions, the Egyptian Christian community now also includes other [[Christian]] denominations such as [[Protestants]] (known in Arabic as Evangelicals), [[Roman Catholic|Roman]] and [[Eastern Rite Catholic]]s, and other [[Christian Orthodox|Orthodox]] congregations. The term ''Coptic'' remains exclusive however to the Egyptian natives, as opposed to the Christians of non-Egyptian origins. Some Protestant churches for instance are called "Coptic Evangelical Church", thus helping differentiate their native Egyptian congregations from churches attended by non-Egyptian immigrant communities such as Europeans or Americans. In 2005 a group of Coptic activists created a [[Coptic flag|flag]] to represent Copts worldwide<ref>[http://freecopts.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=38 The Free Copts - The Coptic Flag, Meanings and Colors<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. This flag is not officially recognized by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. == Human rights == [[Image:CopticCenser.jpg|thumb|right|Coptic priests and deacons during prayer]] The religious freedom of [[Egypt]]'s Coptic community is hampered to varying degrees by extremist [[Islamism|Islamist]] groups and by discriminatory and restrictive government policies. Copts have faced increasing marginalization after the [[1952]] [[coup d'état]] led by [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]. Until recently, [[Christians]] were required to obtain presidential approval for even minor repairs in churches. Although the law was eased in [[2005]] by handing down the authority of approval to the governors, Copts continue to face many obstacles in building new or repairing existing churches. These obstacles are not found in building mosques.<ref>WorldWide Religious News. [http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=19813&sec=36&cont=3 Church Building Regulations Eased]. [[December 13]], [[2005]].</ref><ref>Compass Direct News. [http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4132&id=17&critere=&countryname=&rowcur=25 Church Building Regulations Eased]. December 13, 2005.</ref> [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] is a Copt who served as [[Egypt]]'s ''acting'' foreign minister twice under President [[Anwar Sadat]] ([[1977]] and [[1978]] - [[1979]]).<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Minister_of_Egypt</ref> Although [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] later became the [[United Nations Secretary-General]], his appointment as an only ''acting'' foreign minister depicted [[Egypt]]'s systematic elimination of [[Copts]] from all governmental influential positions. Today, only two Copts are on [[Egypt]]'s governmental cabinet: Finance Minister [[Youssef Boutros Ghali]] and Environment Minister Magued George. There is also currently one Coptic governor out of 25, that of the [[Upper Egypt]]ian governorate of [[Qena]], and the first Coptic governor in a few decades. In addition, [[Naguib Sawiris]], an extremely successful businessman and one of the world's 100 wealthiest people, is a Copt. In [[2002]], under the [[Mubarak]] government, [[Coptic calendar|Coptic Christmas]] (January 7) was recognized as an official holiday.<ref>ArabicNews.com. [http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/021220/2002122025.html Copts welcome Presidential announcement on Eastern Christmas Holiday]. [[December 20]], [[2002]].</ref> Nevertheless, the [[Copts|Coptic]] community has occasionally been the target of hate crimes and physical assaults. The most significant was the [[2000]]-[[2001]] El Kosheh attacks, in which 21 [[Copts]] and 1 [[Muslim]] were killed. A [[2006]] attack on three churches in [[Alexandria]] left one dead and 17 injured.<ref>BBC. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4911346.stm Egypt church attacks spark anger], [[15 April]] [[2006]].</ref> In addition, many [[Copts]] continue to complain of being minimally represented in law enforcement, state security and public office, and of being discriminated against in the workforce on the basis of their religion.<ref>Freedom House. [http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/publications/endangered Egypt's Endangered Christians.]</ref><ref>Human Rights Watch. [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/egypt12212.htm Egypt: Overview of human rights issues in Egypt]. 2005</ref> Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution, and [[Egyptians]] who convert to [[Islam]] face no complications. However, [[Egyptians]] converting from [[Islam]] to [[Christianity]] or any other religion face great troubles with the government including arrest and being tortured by the National Security'' "Amn El-Dawla"'' officers to force them to deny their new faith, as the Coptic file is considered, by the governmental authorities, a national security issue. Public officials, being conservative themselves, intensify the complexity of the legal procedures required to recognize the religion change as required by law. Security agencies claim that such conversions from [[Islam]] to [[Christianity]] may stir social unrest, and therefore take steps to prevent it from happening sometimes by detaining the subjects.<ref>[http://www.comeandsee.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=502 Egypt: Egypt Arrests 22 Muslim converts to Christianity]. 3 November, 2003</ref><ref>[http://www.ahram.org.eg/acpss/eng/ahram/2004/7/5/ARAB43.HTM EGYPT: NATIONAL UNITY AND THE COPTIC ISSUE. 2004]</ref> == Language == {{main|Coptic language}} The Coptic language is the last stage of the [[Egyptian language]]. <blockquote>"Coptic should more correctly be used to refer to the script rather than the language itself. Even though this script was introduced as far back as the 1st century BC, it is usually applied to the writing of the Egyptian language from the first century AD to the present day."<ref>[http://www.stshenouda.com/coptlang/copthist.htm#Definition Hany N. Takla, History of Coptic Language]</ref></blockquote> Today, Coptic is the [[liturgical language]] of the Egyptian Church and is also taught in Egypt and worldwide in many prestigious institutions. Dialects of Coptic language: *[[Sahidic]]: [[Theban]] or [[Upper Egypt]]ian. *[[Bohairic]]: The dialect of the [[Nile Delta]] and of the medieval and modern Coptic Church. *[[Akhmimic]] *[[Lycopolitan]] (also known as [[Subakhmimic]]) *[[Fayyumic]] *[[Oxyrhynchite]] == Calendar == {{main|Coptic calendar}} The Coptic calendar, also called the Alexandrian calendar, is used by the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] and also by [[Ethiopian calendar|Ethiopia]] as its official calendar (with different names). This [[calendar]] is based on the ancient [[Egyptian calendar]]. To avoid the calendar creep of the latter, a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of [[Ptolemy III]] (Decree of Canopus, in [[238 BC]]) which consisted of the intercalation of a sixth [[epagomenal day]] every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the idea was not adopted until [[25 BC]], when the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] Emperor [[Augustus]] formally reformed the calendar of [[Egypt]], keeping it forever synchronized with the newly introduced [[Julian calendar]]. To distinguish it from the Ancient Egyptian calendar, which remained in use by some astronomers until medieval times, this reformed calendar is known as the Coptic calendar. Its years and months coincide with those of the [[Ethiopian calendar]] but have different numbers and names. ==== Coptic year ==== [[Image:CopticCross.jpg|150px|left|thumb|Coptic Orthodox Cross with traditional Coptic script reading: 'Jesus Christ, the Son of God']] The Coptic year is the extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year, retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. The three seasons are commemorated by special prayers in the Coptic Liturgy. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons. The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of 5 or 6 days, depending whether the year is a leap year or not. The year starts on [[29 August]] in the [[Julian Calendar]] or on the 30th in the year before (Julian) Leap Years. The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Julian Calendar so that the extra month always has six days in the year before a Julian Leap Year. The Feast of Neyrouz marks the first day of the Coptic year. Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of [[Thout]], the first month of the Coptic year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with [[11 September]], except before a Gregorian leap year when it's [[September 12]]. Coptic years are counted from AD 284, the year [[Diocletian]] became Roman Emperor, whose reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for ''Anno Martyrum'' or "Year of the Martyrs"). The A.M. abbreviation is also used for the unrelated Jewish year (''Anno Mundi''). Every fourth Coptic year is a leap year ''without exception'', as in the Julian calendar, so the above mentioned new year dates apply only between AD [[1900]] and 2099 inclusive in the Gregorian Calendar. In the Julian Calendar, the new year is ''always'' [[29 August]], except before a Julian leap year when it's [[August 30]]. [[Easter]] is reckoned by the Julian Calendar in the Old Calendarist way. To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after it). [http://copticchurch.net/easter.html More Information on the Coptic Calendar] {{see also|Computus}} == Prominent Copts == {{main|List of prominent Copts}} Many Copts are internationally renowned. Some of the most well known Copts include [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] the sixth [[United Nations Secretary-General|Secretary-General]] of the [[United Nations]], [[Sir Magdi Yacoub]] an internationally renowned heart surgeon, [[Hani Azer]], a world leading civil engineer, and billionaire [[Fayez Sarofim]], one of the richest men in America and the world. == Related words == <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:AncientCopticPriest.jpg|thumb|right|Coptic priest from the 19th century]] --> * From the Greek word Αίγυπτος "Aiguptos" or "Aigyptos", the name for ''Egypt'' in many [[Europe]]an languages was derived. * The word {{Unicode|''qabāṭī''}} ''قباطي'', a kind of textile import from Egypt and which was used to cover the [[Kaaba]] since before Islam, is derived from Arabic قبط {{Unicode|''qubṭ''}}. * The English word ''gypsy'' is derived from the [[Middle English]] ''egypcien'' meaning "Egyptian". Likewise, the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word ''gitano'', also meaning ''gypsy'', derives from a common Latin source. This is due to the mistaken belief that Gypsies were of Egyptian origin. ''Gypsy'' and the (probably) related term, ''gyp'' ("to swindle or cheat") are generally viewed as being pejorative; see the article ''[[Roma (people)]]''. * In modern [[Egyptian Arabic]], the word ''koftes'' (pl. ''kafatsa''), is a pejorative word used colloquially to refer to Christians. It is perhaps an Egyptianised form of the Latin ''Coptus'', under phonetic and linguistic factors different from those which existed when {{Unicode|''qubṭ''}} was derived from Greek ''aiguptios''. This, however, seems unlikely. *Medieval sources mention one of the sons of ''Mitzrayim'', who in turn descended from the Biblical [[Noah]], as a possible source for the word 'Copt'. == See also == * [[Aigyptos]], in [[Greek mythology]]. * [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Orthodox Church]] * [[Coptic Catholic Church]] * [[List of Copts|List of prominent Copts]] * [[Coptic Saints]] * [[Coptic language]] * [[Coptic flag]] * [[Egypt]] * [[Egyptian|Egyptians]] * [[Egyptian diaspora]] * [[incubator:Wp/cop|Coptic Wikipedia]], currently in incubator stage * [[Coptology]] * [[Coptic Museum]] == References == * Courbage, Youssef and Phillipe Fargues. Judy Mabro (Translator) ''Christians and Jews Under Islam'', 1997. * Denis, E. (2000). ''Cent ans de localisation de la population chrétienne égyptienne''. Astrolabe(2). * Kamil, Jill. ''Coptic Egypt: History and a Guide.'' Revised Ed. Amrican University in Cairo Press, 1990. * [http://www.copticheritage.org/parameters/copticheritage/calendar/The_Coptic_Calendar.pdf The Coptic Calendar by Bishoy K. R. Dawood] (1.29MB pdf file – historical development and technical discussion) * [http://www.copticchurch.net/easter.html An introduction to the Coptic calendar] (Gregorian equivalents are valid only between 1900 and 2099) * [http://www.smart.net/%7Emmontes/ortheast.html The Orthodox Ecclesiastical Calendar] * [http://www.andrewfanous.com/CopticCorner/CopticCalendar.htm Ancient Egyptian Calendar and Coptic Calendar] ==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}} == External links == * [http://www.coptic-cairo.com/ Coptic Cairo] * [http://www.copticchurch.net/ Coptic Orthodox Church Network] * [http://www.copts.com/ Copts] * [http://www.coptsunited.com/ Copts United] * [http://www.freecopts.net Free Copts] * [http://www.copticmuseum.gov.eg/English/default.htm Coptic Museum] * [http://www.stpeterandstpaul.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=30 In Search of the Lost Egyptian Identity] * [http://www.theestimate.com/public/01282000a.html Egypt's Copts After Kosheh] * [http://www.ciaonet.org/book/bengio/bengio03.html Egypt: Minorities and the State] * [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5636.htm International Religious Freedom Report: Egypt] * [http://www.unitedcopts.org/ United Copts of Great Britain] * [http://koptisk.dk/ Coptic Orthodox Church in Denmark] * [http://www.coptipedia.com/ Coptic Orthodox Church French texts] * [http://www.amcoptic.com AM Coptic Association] * [http://www.copteseurope.info/ Association des Coptes d'Europe ] Coptic Association of Europe. * [http://www.freeegypt.de/ Coptic Christians of Egypt- German Site] * [http://bc.ub.leidenuniv.nl/bc/tentoonstelling/Coptic_manuscript/index.html Coptic texts and manuscripts at Leiden University Library] [[Category:Christianity in Egypt]] [[Category:Coptic Orthodox Church]] [[Category:Egyptian people]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in the Middle East]] [[Category:Egyptian society]] [[Category:Religion in Egypt]] [[als:Koptisch]] [[ar:أقباط]] [[ca:Copte]] [[da:Kopter]] [[de:Kopten]] [[et:Koptid]] [[es:Copto]] [[fa:قبطی]] [[fr:Coptes]] [[hr:Kopti]] [[he:קופטים]] [[nl:Kopten]] [[ja:コプト正教会]] [[no:Kopter]] [[pl:Koptowie]] [[ru:Копты]] [[simple:Copt]] [[sv:Koptisk]] [[tr:Kıptiler]] [[uk:Копти]]