Islam is setting the tone in Egypt and this has far-reaching consequences for Christians. One Egyptian pastor put it this way: "Islam permeates all of life, like capitalism in the West. It is everywhere; on the streets, in the media, in the schools and in the private domain." The largest minority is the Coptic Orthodox Church, to which some 8 to 9 % of the population belongs. This church is under constant pressure from society. This applies to the leadership of the church, but certainly also to its members.
Poverty
In addition to religious pressures, there is a lot of poverty in Egypt. In most known lists, Egypt ranks low. For us that is information, for millions of Egyptians a daily reality. One-third of Egypt's population lives in poverty. Many Christians are among the most vulnerable in society.
Abductions
Structural disadvantage of Christians creates dire situations. Bishop Thomas, an amiable and inspiring man, is concerned. In Qussia, the area where he works, girls are regularly kidnapped and married off to Muslims. The family, as well as the church, does not put up with this and asks the police to investigate. Then sometimes the news is that the girl consents to this marriage. Bishop Thomas says there is indeed not always coercion. Girls are sometimes so desperate because of poverty and discrimination that they take this step. "Remember that poverty eats away at your self-esteem," he says. And that self-esteem is often low among girls in this male-dominated society anyway.
Resilience training
The bishop is not only concerned, he also sees opportunities for the church. To make girls more resilient to social pressures, he started the Bent el-Malik, Daughters of the King programme several years ago. This is a training programme for teenage girls between 14 and 19 years old. They receive education on a range of topics, pastoral care and a place to form their self-esteem.
Twice a year, the church organises a training week for two hundred girls. Once for trainees from the city and once for trainees from the surrounding villages. This distinction is necessary because there is a big difference in education levels between children from the city and from rural areas.
The training takes place in a monastery, a place where Islam is absent. Monasteries are sometimes called the lungs of the Coptic Church for this reason. Here there is plenty of room for Christian themes and encounters. Here there is no pressure from Muslim male society. And above all: here the girls are well taken care of, both physically and spiritually. In the process, pastoral care is also done among themselves. Girls who have attended before and have grown in their self-esteem are paired with younger, less accomplished girls.
Powerful
The girls gained a lot from this training and it shows. The older girls' powerful appearance and self-confident demeanour is striking. What they have learned, they gladly pass on to the new participants. And this care continues, even after the training weeks.
Diaconate wholeheartedly supports this beautiful project. Will you help?
