ABSTRACT

The Copts are an inalienable element of Egyptian society; while other minorities were leaving Egypt after 1921, millions of Copts stayed. There are two major elements in the Coptic historical identity: the millennia of existence as a community in the Nile valley and their Christian religion. These elements constitute the "mythomoteurs" of the collective consciousness of the Copts, who refer to themselves as "the true Egyptians". In the early twentieth century, the Copts opted for participatory Arab nationalism instead of an insecure alliance with the British. Yet the Copts participated in almost all non-Islamic parties in the Egyptian political sector. The modern Coptic identity consists of a mixture of church, community, potential nation, beleaguered minority and privileged few. Consecutive governments have tried to curb communal violence, most probably out of fear of the rising Islamist movement rather than ambition to help the Copts.