The Copts have suffered unimaginable persecution, oppression, and humiliation by the Muslims of Egypt like no nation has ever suffered from any people in power. The person who wants to get to know about this in more detail must read the Coptic history. But on this site I try to encapsulate the oppression of the Copts in snapshots. I have talked about one example in a previous article, How They Treated Us and the Dhimmi Syndrome, particularly this incident which was witnessed by Mr Carlo de Rossetti, the Austrian Consul in Egypt, in the last days of the Mameluke chief, Murad Bey (c. 1750 – 1801):
One day, while [Mr Rosseti was] upon a visit at Mourad Bey’s own house, a Mameluke, (whom he found in the room paying his respects to the Bey,) upon going out, saw Signior Rosetti’s horse and copt servant at the door; he instantly took off saddle and bridle, in short all the paraphernalia, set the horse off at full gallop, made the unfortunate servant put himself upon his hands and feet, then saddled and bridled him, and left him in this position, to his great annoyance, and to the entertainment of all true believers!! Nor did he dare to stir until his master came down. A complaint was made to the old Bey, whose answer was, “My dear Rossetti, young men will amuse themselves; you had better sit upon your ass in future.[1]
Today, I would like to tell you about another incident that happened around the same time. This story is told by another Briton, this time unnamed but we know he was a mechanic in the service of Muhammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt (1805 – 1848). He talks about the lawlessness and cruelty of some of the Ottoman irregulars who were suppressed by the Pasha once he seized power. One of these, a devout Muslim by the name of Mohamet Aga, tells the Briton about the great days before Muhammad Ali when he used to have freely murder Copts as they celebrated their Spring Day, Sham al-Nasim, that immediately follows on Easter:
I have conversed with some of them; they all take delight in recounting the exploits of former days. One instance I recollect in particular, which was one of the most villainous, cold-blooded actions I ever heard of, and this outrage was committed by a man professedly religious, and who attends regularly at prayers five times a-day. There is a holiday observed by the Copts, something like our May-day; at this festival they all repair to the gardens round Cairo; in fact all the city join in keeping holiday. I met a Mooslim on that morning, I said, “Mohamet Aga, are you not making holiday to-day?” he told me that he had no reason to be merry, but, says he, “A few years since, such a day as this would not have passed without I had killed at least three Copts.” I asked him how? “Why,” said he, “I would introduce myself enveloped in a cloak in their company, and whilst they were enjoying themselves I would fire a pistol from under my cloak, and who durst accuse me?”[2]
It is a story that I share with the reader without comment.
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[1] Carlos Bey, A Non-Military Journal or Observations Made in Egypt by an Officer upon the Staff of the British Army; Describing the Country, its Inhabitants, their Manners and Customs; with Anecdotes, illustrative of them, London, 1803, p. 39.
[2] Appendix C to Report on Egypt and Candia, addressed and submitted to Sir John Bowring by an unnamed English mechanic on the Manufactures of Egypt, and State of the Labouring Population, dated 3 April 1898, p. 199.