Amidst a spectacular afternoon of somber pageantry and graphic grief underpinned by liturgical lamentations commemorating a blood-soaked decade of terrorist persecution wielded against their minority brethren in Egypt, the placidly inclined Coptic Orthodox Christian community of Southern California yesterday not only was urged to swing back with lethal force but be prepared to die if necessary.
A powerful and repeated theme by speakers throughout the afternoon was for the perennial underdog body of Coptic Orthodox faithful to finally gain their long-pursued equal rights by retaliating against those who seek to wipe them out. It may be the only path to gaining historically-denied fair footing in their beloved homeland of Egypt.
On four large posters across a stage and also periodically by video flashed onto gigantic screens in a spacious hall throughout the afternoon, gory church-adjacent death scenes executed by Muslim terrorists, capitalizing on their 90 to 10 percent advantage over Coptics in Egypt, were served up to underscore the urgency of a call to immediate battle.
In contrast to the ancient history of the Coptic Orthodox, the latest slaughters of their people inform today’s and yesterday’s headlines.
Mayhem Scarcely Interrupted
Two months ago tomorrow, 24 Copts were massacred in a Muslim-generated bomb attack in Alexandria at the St. Mark and Pope Peter Coptic Orthodox Church on what was to have been a joyous day. One week ago yesterday, Father Daoud Boutras, a mentor of the leader of the Los Angeles Diocese, was stabbed to death in his apartment in Shotb in southern Egypt.
While many religious persons still are trying to make up their minds whether last month’s revolution was good, bad or unknowable, last week Egyptian soldiers began defacing numerous sacred, historic — and occupied — monasteries, destroying fencing, leaving the monks open to further assaults. The army shot at monks and others, causing an indeterminate amount of injury.
Although the day was dedicated to memorializing the scores of Coptic martyrs savagely assaulted since 1998 for not being Muslims and to sealing Christianity-wide camaraderie, the call to fight was unmistakable. Nevertheless, perhaps in the ironic religious spirit of brotherhood, the term “Muslim” seldom was invoked. Instead, the Muslim extremist perpetrators of the mass maniacal murders of Coptics in Egypt usually were merely identified generically. They were labeled attackers rather than a specific kind.
Interlacing the nonviolent creed of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an admonition to act muscularly now, His Grace Bishop Serapion warned an audience of 1300 devout Coptic Christians at the Los Angeles Convention Center that “the cost of freedom, justice and equality is very high. People will suffer. But this is the price of freedom. Do not lose hope. We must be strong.”
As spiritual leader for the past 15 years of the 40,000 Coptics who comprise the bulk of the Los Angeles Diocese that reaches from the Central Valley across the ocean to Hawaii, His Grace Bishop Serapion was greeted by each who deferentially approached with a deep bow and hand-kissing in honor of his stature. Dozens of often-bearded black-cassocked priests poured in from the diocese’s 30 churches.
Evaluating the Revolution
Bishop Serapion stated a clear-cut conclusion about the direction of the 25th of January Egyptian Revolution, which was quite on everyone’s mind. Be cautious, he said, “because a lot of work is to be done. It was a great revolution, a beautiful dream. We are concerned, though, about the direction the country is taking.” Alluding to recent crimes against Coptic Orthodox, Bishop Serapion said identity of the next person or group to lead Egypt is less important than what kind of society Egypt becomes in the new era.
In a splendidly designed tribute to the rich, moderately ornate tradition of their religion that dates back two millenia to the arrival in Egypt of the Gospel co-author St. Mark, a crowd tilted toward their twenties and thirties seemed resolved to answer the challenge.
Especially when it was sounded by two of their own, Miss Susanna Khalil and Miss Alexandra Georgy, (the honorifics, as denoted in the program, showing the organizers’ respect for American cultural tradition).
Ms. Khalil, particularly, made a brilliant presentation, issuing a crackling clarion call for her peers that resounded row-by-row.
“A revolution is not a resolution,” she declared. “We have only taken the first steps in a long journey.”
Reflecting collectively on the good fortune of many in the room to have been born in and lived their entire lives in America, she said that “we should not apologize for our blessings” but should be inspired by the examples of the brave living and dead to aid all in need.
Don’t be fooled, she warned in reeling off extraordinarily insightful aphorisms.
“Many of us are afraid Egypt can fall into the wrong hands. There may be danger in raising our voices, but we cannot afford to be silent.”
“Just because Coptic Christians and Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder during the revolution,” Ms. Khalil said, “we may not assume how it will turn out.”
“We may not rely merely on hope.”
“We must showcase our victories instead of mourning our defeats.”
“Miracles do happen, but not without our contribution.”
“The New Egypt must accept the separation of mosque and state.”
“We Copts must work until all Egyptians are equal.”
The Last Roundup
Gleaming oratory can ring out from unexpected quarters, and throughout the afternoon, emcee Dr. Bishoy Said was, indeed, the master of the ceremony. Besides religious dignitaries, the 80-member planning committee invited County leadership:
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who sent an eloquent deputy, here-and-gone County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who delivered a postage stamp-sized talk, 90 seconds, that seemed to skip over sincerity as if it were an infectious disease, and a surprise rival of Bishop Serapion and Ms. Khalil for rhetorical dominance, Sheriff Lee Baca. His exceptional 18-minute oratory will be examined in tomorrow’s edition.
