ABSTRACT
Coptic activism has gained traction because of existing civil and social forces, which have operated for some time. This chapter provides an overview of the Coptic Question, and examines some of the challenges in examining the Coptic Question. A growing number of activists are pursuing a public identity for Copts, a form of the politics of recognition and the right to difference —terms influenced by Western discussions of pluralism. This is important since it highlights the engagement of the Copts with globalised and contemporary debates concerning citizenship. Sectarian conflict, particularly in Upper Egypt, also continued to be prevalent. In 2000, twenty-one Copts were killed in the village of Kosheh following riots between Muslims and Copts. The historiographical trends have placed varied emphasis on how the Copts fit into Egyptian narratives of the nation. Taken in a specific Egyptian historical context, the term minority is also contentious as it challenges the Egyptian national unity narrative.
