We Are All Copts: “Islamic State” is the Enemy of the Egyptian People

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

Horrific crimes of murder and arson have been committed daily against Christians in Sinai over the past week. This is the work of the Islamic State—a sectarian terrorist group whose brutal acts against soldiers we’ve already seen. Now, this despicable group has shifted its focus, launching attacks against Copts in Sinai. This terrorist organization isn’t just an enemy of the state and its institutions; it’s an enemy of the people, especially the poor in Sinai, and even more so, the Christians among them. They declare anyone they want an infidel and kill whoever they please, all in the name of establishing what they call the “Islamic State in Sinai”—even if it means building it on the bodies of everyone, rulers and citizens, soldiers and civilians alike. Cursed be this so-called “Islamic State.”

We’re fighting for a country where we can truly live and realize our dreams of freedom, social justice, and human dignity. A homeland where everyone is equal, without discrimination based on religion, color, race, or creed. And while our struggle is primarily against the ruling regime, we also have to stand firmly against this sectarian terrorist organization known as the Islamic State. We need to challenge its ideas and face down its supporters with courage, just as people around the world resist Nazi and fascist groups. This organization is an even more significant threat—not only to the revolution but to people’s very lives—than any fascist group.

Dozens of Christian families have been forcibly driven from their homes in Sinai, fleeing the horrors brought on by this group. How could they not be terrified when they’re facing this kind of persecution? Yes, they are, without a doubt, the primary targets. This group targets local tribes, accusing them of cooperating with security forces, but it targets Christians simply because they are Christian. Meanwhile, the institutions of the military state remain silent. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi appeared riding a bicycle among his officers at dawn on a day when dozens of Coptic families were packing their belongings to escape from Arish. While Al-Azhar floods us daily with prohibitive fatwas, it issued nothing but a trivial, brief statement condemning these crimes. How can such a statement carry any weight when Al-Azhar’s teachings and mosque sermons continue to entrench sectarianism, fueling hostility toward Copts?
And then there’s the Church, which issued a statement only after intense pressure—and it was mild and out of touch with the gravity of the situation, talking about “national unity and alignment.” What unity and alignment? We have no unity or alignment with either ISIS or the regime. How can we believe that those who tortured Magdy Makin to death in a police station would protect the Copt, who was burned alive by ISIS?
The ruling regime, along with its security and intelligence agencies, spends most of its energy tracking down political activists and poor citizens. For them, protecting the ruling system is far more important than stopping the bloodshed of thousands of citizens. And if those citizens are Christians, it’s even less of a concern. For this regime, the blood of Christians holds no value as long as the Church plays its role in containing and silencing the Copts within its walls and as long as the Pope serves as an “ambassador” for the Coptic community. We still remember how the government prevented Copts from protesting after the bombing of the Boutrosiya Church; the ruling regime seemed to want Copts to die in silence, whether at the hands of terrorist groups or by the state’s machinery. In all cases, the Pope, church priests, the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, and his men are there to keep the anger contained.

We have always said that the military state entrenches sectarianism and is relentlessly focused on suppressing any progressive ideas or initiatives. A state that closes libraries bans street theater and art festivals, and fights human rights organizations cannot be the tool to eliminate terrorism and its networks.

We applaud the tribes of Arish, who established the Popular Committee in response to the killing of ten young men by the police last month. We urge them to make the protection of Copts in Arish part of the Popular Committee’s mission. The path to safeguarding both the tribes and the Christian families is now clear: popular committees organize the people of North Sinai to confront the crimes of both the security forces and the Islamic State.

Down with the Islamic State gangs… Down with the military regime.