Sectarian Conflict in Egypt: Coptic Media, Identity and Representation

241 Pages·2012·1.259 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Iskander

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Sectarian Con ict in Egypt
In light of the Egyptian uprising in early 2011, understanding the dynamics
that are shaping Egyptian politics and society is more crucial than ever
as Egypt seeks to redefine itself after the Mubarak era. One of the most
controversial debates concerns the place of religion in Egypt’s political
future. This book examines the escalation in religious violence in Egypt
since 2005 and the public discourses behind it, revealing some of the
complex negotiations that lie behind contestations of citizenship, Muslim–
Christian relations and national unity.
Focusing on Egypt’s largest religious minority group, the Coptic
Orthodox Christians, this book explores how national, ethnic and religious
expressions of identity are interwoven in the narratives and usage of
the press and Internet. In doing so it offers insights into some of Egypt’s
contemporary social and political challenges, and recognizes the ways
that media are involved in constructing and reflecting formations ofidentity
politics. The author examines in depth the processes through which
identity and belonging are negotiated via media discourses within the wider
framework of changing political realities in Egypt. Using a combination
of methodological approaches – including comprehensive surveys and
content analysis – the research offers a fresh perspective on the politics of
identity in Egypt.
Elizabeth Iskander is a research fellow at the German Institute for Global
and Area Studies and a visiting fellow at the Middle East Centre at the
London School of Economics and Political Science. She holds a PhD in
Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge. Her
research focuses on Arabic media, conflict prevention, language, power and
identity, and politics and religion in the Middle East.
Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics
1 Algeria in Transition 7 The United States and Iran
Reforms and development Sanctions, wars and the policy
prospects of dual containment
Ahmed Aghrout with Sasan Fayazmanesh
Redha M. Bougherira
8 Civil Society in Algeria
2 Palestinian Refugee The political functions of
Repatriation associational life
Global perspectives Andrea Liverani
Edited by Michael Dumper
9 Jordanian–Israeli Relations
3 The International Politics
The peacebuilding
of the Persian Gulf
experience
A cultural genealogy Mutayyam al O’ran
Arshin Adib-Moghaddam
10 Kemalism in Turkish
4 Israeli Politics and the First
Politics
Palestinian Intifada
The Republican People’s
Political opportunities, framing
Party, secularism and
processes and contentious
nationalism
politics
Sinan Ciddi
Eitan Y. Alimi
5 Democratization in Morocco 11 Islamism, Democracy and
The political elite and Liberalism in Turkey
struggles for power in the The case of the AKP
post-independence state William Hale and
Lise Storm Ergun Özbudun
6 Secular and Islamic Politics 12 Politics and Violence in
in Turkey Israel/Palestine
The making of the Justice and Democracy versus
Development Party military rule
Ümit Cizre Lev Luis Grinberg
13 Intra-Jewish Conflict in 20 Europe and Tunisia
Israel Democratization via
White Jews, black Jews association
Sami Shalom Chetrit Brieg Powel and Larbi Sadiki
14 Holy Places in the 21 Turkish Politics and the Rise
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict of the AKP
Confrontation and Dilemmas of
co-existence institutionalization and
Edited by Marshall J. Breger, leadership strategy
Yitzhak Reiter and Arda Can Kumbaracibasi
Leonard Hammer
22 Civil Society and
15 Plurality and Citizenship Democratization in the
in Israel Arab World
Moving beyond the The dynamics of activism
Jewish/Palestinian civil Francesco Cavatorta and
divide Vincent Durac
Edited by Dan Avnon and
Yotam Benziman 23 Politics in Morocco
Executive monarchy and
16 Ethnic Politics in Israel enlightened authoritarianism
The margins and the Anouar Boukhars
Ashkenasi Center
As’ad Ghanem 24 The Second Palestinian Intifada
Civil resistance
17 Islamists and Secularists Julie M. Norman
in Egypt
Opposition, conflict and 25 Democracy in Turkey
cooperation The impact of EU political
Dina Shehata conditionality
Ali Resul Usul
18 Political Succession in the
Arab World 26 Nationalism and Politics
Constitutions, family in Turkey
loyalties and Islam Political Islam, Kemalism
Anthony Billingsley and the Turkish issue
Edited by Marlies Casier and
19 Turkey’s Entente with Israel Joost Jongerden
and Azerbaijan
State identity and security 27 Democracy in the Arab World
in the Middle East and Explaining the deficit
Caucasus Edited by Samir Makdisi and
Alexander Murinson Ibrahim Elbadawi
28 Public Management in Israel 36 The Contradictions of Israeli
Development, structure, Citizenship
functions and reforms Land, religion and state
Itzhak Galnoor Edited by Guy Ben-Porat and
Bryan S. Turner
29 Israeli Nationalism
Social conflicts and the politics 37 The Arab State and Women’s
of knowledge Rights
Uri Ram The trap of authoritarian
governance
30 NATO and the Middle East Elham Manea
The geopolitical context
post-9/11 38 Saudi Maritime Policy
Mohammed Moustafa Orfy Integrated governance
Hatim Al-Bisher, Selina Stead
31 The Kurds and US Foreign and Tim Gray
Policy
International relations in 39 The Arab State
the Middle East since 1945 Dilemmas of late formation
Marianna Charountaki Adham Saouli
32 The Iran–Iraq War 40 Regime Stability in
Antecedents and conflict Saudi Arabia
escalation The challenge of succession
Jerome Donovan Stig Stenslie
33 Surveillance and Control 41 Sacred Space in Israel and
in Israel/Palestine Palestine
Population, territory and Religion and politics
power Edited by Marshall J. Breger,
Edited by Elia Zureik, Yitzhak Reiter and
David Lyon and Leonard Hammer
Yasmeen Abu-Laban
42 The UN and the Arab–Israeli
34 Conflict and Peacemaking Conflict
in Israel–Palestine American hegemony and UN
Theory and application intervention since 1947
Sapir Handelman Danilo Di Mauro
35 Arab Minority Nationalism 43 Sectarian Conflict in Egypt
in Israel Coptic media, identity and
The politics of indigeneity representation
Amal Jamal Elizabeth Iskander
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Sectarian Con ict in Egypt
Coptic media, identity and representation
Elizabeth Iskander
Firstpublished2012
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Iskander,Elizabeth
SectarianconflictinEgypt:Copticmedia,identity,andrepresentation/
ElizabethIskander.
p.cm.–(RoutledgestudiesinMiddleEasternpolitics;43)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1.CopticChurch–History–21stcentury.2.Egypt–Church
history–21stcentury.3.Christianityandpolitics–Egypt.4.Churchand
state–Egypt.5.Religionandstate–Egypt.6.Egypt–Religion.I.Title.
BX134.E3I852012
281'.7209051–dc23 2011046369
ISBN978-0-415-69578-7(hbk)
ISBN978-0-203-11920-4(ebk)
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byTaylor&FrancisBooks
‘A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial
appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry
in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes
more converts than reason.’
Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Contents
Acknowledgements xii
Introduction 1
PARTI
Copts, Copticness and the Egyptian media 9
1 The contemporary Coptic community: between the state
and the Church 11
Meanings of ‘Copt’ and ‘Copticness’ 11
Contemporary challenges 17
2 The Egyptian press in national political life 22
The early Egyptian press 23
The press after the 1952 revolution: a shrinking
of the public space 28
The press and politics: controlling the flow of
information 35
Copts on the national front page 40
Conclusion 44
3 Coptic online spaces: the impact of the Internet on
Coptic politics 46
Crossing more red lines: the Internet effect 47
Virtual Copticness: constructing Coptic networks
online 48
The function of online Coptic media: minority or
particularistic? 56
Connecting the national and the virtual 64
Conclusion 67