From Coptic Egypt With Love

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Egyptian Christian woman dates man from South Sudan.
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Samuelx
Samuelx
2,121 Followers

Apparently, all Arabs are Muslim, that's what some of my friends and classmates seem to believe. That's news to me, because the Coptic Christian community is very much alive in places like Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, even though we're constantly hounded by Islamists. My name is Marianne Shafik and I'm the daughter of Egyptian immigrants living in Ottawa, Ontario. My parents, Elijah and Faiza Shafik left their hometown of Sohag, Egypt, for the bright lights of Ontario, Canada, in 1989. Even back then, Christians were being persecuted by the Muslim majority and many of us started leaving for places like Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and Canada.

My parents didn't flee Egypt simply because of general anti-Christian sentiment, they fled because there was a price on my mother's head. What the Muslims won't tell you is that while anyone who joins Islam is welcomed into the faith, those who seek to leave are in mortal danger. The Law of Apostasy declares that all those who leave Islam for other faiths must be slain. It's ironclad, and has been in effect since the earliest days of the faith.

My mother Faiza Shafik ( nee Suleiman ) was born into a Sunni Muslim family in the town of Sohag. One day, she met my father Elijah Shafik, a young Christian man from the Coptic faith. They fell in love, and soon began meeting in secret. In Egypt and pretty much everywhere in the Muslim world, Muslim women are jealously guarded and protected. It's as much for the woman's protection as it is for the honor of her family, mainly her father and brothers, and later, her husband and sons. Yet somehow, my mother did the unthinkable. She fell in love with a Christian man and left Islam to be with him.

When my mother's relatives, my maternal grandparents, found out, they actually tried to kill her. Mom and dad ran away, moving from place to place. It's against the law in Egypt and every other Muslim country for a Muslim person to convert to another religion. I don't care how liberal and progressive the Muslim person may claim to be, they have nothing but hatred in their heart for those who leave the religion. Take Turkey for example. It's the most Western-style of all Muslim nations and it's supposedly democratic and progressive. And yet, any Turkish man or Turkish woman who decides to leave Islam for Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, or Atheism, will face the death penalty. This in a country that claims to have religious freedom and democracy enshrined in its constitution. Ha! Don't believe these lies. You cannot have a functional democracy and Islam in the same nation. It just doesn't work.

Now, you might wonder where I am going with this. Let me explain. I was born at Ottawa's General Hospital on January 31, 1989. Six months after my parents moved to Canada as refugee claimants. It would be another five years before they accepted our claim, after thousands of dollars spent on attorney fees, appeals and things of that nature. In 1998 my mother and father finally took the Oath of Citizenship and became 'real' Canadians. Not a day goes by that we don't worry for our safety as a family.

Things aren't safe in the West, no matter what the governments of the world would have you believe. My best friend Heather Vincent and I had an argument about that just last week. We've been pals since our halcyon days at Saint Catherine Academy in Ottawa South. Heather is just under six fee t tall and willowy, with caramel-hued skin and dark hair. Born to a Haitian father and French Canadian mother, she's easy on the eyes and quite bright too. In the criminal justice program, we're among the top students.

Heather is dating a Persian guy named Rahim whom she met in her World Religions elective. Rahim seems like a charming guy, but he's a devout Muslim and Heather's a lapsed Catholic. I've seen the way he looks at the cross around my neck and I can tell he doesn't like it. I've had guys like that hit on me. I always tell them where to stuff it. Why? I know all about their tactics for wooing women of other faiths. At first, they're uber-friendly and generous. They shower the woman with attention. And they present her with a heavily filtered version of their faith, if they bring it up at all. Once they've seduced her, they try to bring her into the fold. That's when the "if you love me you'll convert to be with me" convo takes place. Lots of Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Sikh girls have been brought into Islam this way. It's called Romeo Jihad. Spreading the faith via seduction. Won't work on me because I see right through their snake charm...

Arab Christians living in Canada and America are still targeted by the Muslims, especially if we dare speak out about the persecution faced by our people in places like Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and Lebanon. Even though the Republic of Lebanon has a Christian president and Christian politicians occupy positions of power within the government structure, the Christian population of Lebanon finds itself alone, surrounded by hostile nations. Fortunately, lots of Christian refugees from Syria and Egypt have been flooding Lebanon, giving a much-needed boost to the Christian population over there.

I have been to Egypt twice. Once for the funeral of Grandpa Elias Shafik, my paternal grandfather, and once right after the Arab Spring. That's when the Islamist government of Morsi took power and anti-Christian sentiment rose to an all-time high. There have been daily attacks on churches and other Christian places of gathering since then. Many of the rebels fighting against Assad in Syria are Islamists, and they target Syrian Christian towns and villages. Of course, you won't read about that in the Boston Globe, the Ottawa Metro or watch it on CNN. Someone highly placed sees to it that Americans and Canadians don't learn Jack about the war being fought against Christianity worldwide.

As you can imagine, this irks me. I'm very active politically and socially at my school, Carleton University. I'm a criminal justice student so it kind of works. When I tried to get an invitation for a Christian preacher from Syria to speak about his experience at the hands of Western-backed Islamist rebels, it was denied to me. Landed me in the dean's office. Apparently, a lot of people at school feel that Canadian students shouldn't learn about what the friends and relatives of their Muslim classmates are doing to folks of different faiths in their ancestral homelands.

Feeling deflated after the rejection from a certain school official, I sat in the library, staring at my computer screen and blasting university bureaucracy on my Facebook page. I didn't notice when someone sat next to me, and quietly observed me for a while before saying something. Hello Miss Shafik, came a deep, masculine voice. I looked up and found myself looking at a tall, dark-skinned young African man. Hi, I said hesitantly. To be honest, the dude startled me. I was lost in thought, as it were. I am Paul Lokuron of South Sudan, the young black man said simply, extending his hand. I shook it. Good to meet you, I said, smiling faintly.

Paul and I talked a bit, and he told me some of my Facebook posts had him alarmed. I glared at him. I guess my eyes must have conveyed hostility for he smiled nervously and told me he was on my side. I looked at Paul dubiously. A lot of people are surprised at how pushy I can be. I'm five-foot-seven and weigh one hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. A short and skinny, bronze-skinned, brown-eyed and black-haired Egyptian-Canadian chick wearing a Coptic cross around her neck and Goth clothes. That's me. I'm not the most intimidating person in the world, but if you insult my Egyptian heritage or my Coptic faith, I'll GET you. Explain, I said, crossing my arms. Paul nodded, and did as I asked him.

As Paul told me about himself and his views, I found myself relaxing a bit and nodding. In the past I've been accused of lacking empathy for those with vastly different viewpoints, and it's something I'm working on. I get so passionate about the defense of the Arab Christian community worldwide that sometimes, well, I can be a bitch about it. I'm that chick with picket signs and slogans, chanting with my fellow protesters outside the Saudi Embassy. Last year, when news broke out that a Saudi woman caught reading a Bible had her hands mutilated, the international community was incensed and so was I. Nations like the U.S. and Canada consider themselves allies of the Saudi people. They don't know how much the Christian faith is hated in the Heartland of Islam. Go over there with a cross around your neck and they'll treat you worse than Nazi Germany did the Jews. And yet Muslim immigrants are always pleading for accommodation from Western governments. How about they show some real tolerance by building churches in Saudi Arabia? Ha! That would be the day!

Anyhow, where was I? Oh yeah, Paul and I were having a little chat. Dude told me about the persecution of black people, especially Christians in Sudan, which led to the split. Sudan and South Sudan were once one nation but are now separate and sovereign states. In Sudan, a lot of people of Afro-Arabian descent have built an interesting culture, and they're predominantly Muslim. In South Sudan, they're predominantly Sub-Saharan African and follow a number of faiths, from African paganism to Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and in some cases, they adhere to various forms of ancestor worship and animism.

Paul's dark, oddly handsome face took on a haunted look as he recalled the constant persecution of the darker-skinned Africans by the Arabs and Afro-Arabian peoples back when Sudan was one country. The men and women who would eventually become citizens of the fledgling nation of South Sudan were predominantly dark-skinned Africans, those with virtually no Arabian or Afro-Arabian bloodlines. Among these people, Christianity was flourishing but with the specter of civil war looming over South Sudan, Paul was worried. I fear the Arabs and the Sudanese might invade us, he said simply.

When those words left Paul's lips, I shook my head. South Sudan will survive, I said firmly. Paul looked at me and nodded. An understanding dawned between us, and that's how it all began. I never thought that there was anyone else out there as concerned for the fate of democracy and Christendom as I am...until I met Paul Lokuron of South Sudan. A six-foot-three, 210-pound, charcoal-flavored brother from northeastern Africa. A civil engineering student at Carleton University, and a damn nice guy. We exchanged numbers that day, and I added him on Facebook. That's how it all began.

As I said before, I'm quite active socially on campus. We have various Christian groups on campus and I make sure they know that they have a right to celebrate their faith. Lately, the focus has been on Muslim students, and to a lesser extent, Buddhists, New Age people and certain Pagans. Can't have one faith hog the spotlight all the time. We live in a democratic society ( for now ) and all groups should have equal rights, am I right or am I right? Paul and I helped the other Christian students organize. At times, he was my only supporter. The others just don't get it. There's an insidious force at work and it threatens all the Judeo-Christian peoples, western democracy and the world itself.

I can name ten predominantly Christian countries where Muslims enjoy equal rights. America, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, Italy, Argentina, Spain and France. Can you name ten predominantly Muslim countries where Christians aren't persecuted? Yeah, that's what I thought. You can't because those countries do not exist. At times, I found myself thinking that the biggest obstacle on my way isn't the mindset of Islamists but the willful blindness of Western society in the face of certain peril. Sadly, they don't get it. Oh, well. I try my best. Steadfast in his support of me is my new best friend Paul.

I used to consider Heather my best pal but we had an argument when I warned her that Rahim might try to subtly convince her to embrace Islam. Heather got royally pissed, accused me of being Islamophobic and then walked away from me. My calls to her have gone unanswered and she unfriended me on Facebook. Isn't that peachy keen? When I told Paul about this, as we grabbed a bite inside the university center food court, he smiled sadly. Heather is joining the religion of peace, he said sarcastically. I considered that, then took a bite out of my Panini sandwich. Her choice, I said, shrugging.

Paul looked at me and suddenly burst out laughing. Something funny? I asked. My favorite ( and only ) South Sudanese buddy and fellow non-lethal freedom fighter looked at me, shaking his head. You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, he said. I glared at Paul. Smiling, I nodded gracefully. You're right, I said, and then took my mashed potatoes and smeared them all over his face. A strangled cry of surprise escaped Paul's lips right after I pied him. You look cuter this way, I teased him, laughing.

In the crowded university food court, people stared at us. Some pointing and laughing, others just staring. Paul rose to his full height, dwarfing little old me. For a moment I felt something I hadn't felt in a while...thoroughly intimidated. I'm a short young woman with an attitude and a loud voice...Paul is a genuine giant! As I stood there, frozen in mid-smirk, as it were, Paul calmly took his bottle of Cola and poured the contents over my head, drenching my Toronto Blue Jays hat, and my fabulous hair, of course. All I could do was scream. A taste of your own medicine, Paul said. I stood there and stared at him. A tall African guy with a thick foreign accent, grasping in his hands the bottle of Cola he just emptied on my head. I should be mad but the whole thing was so damn funny, especially with Paul's accent aggravating things. I just laughed it up. Paul hesitated, then laughed too. We were laughing all the way until someone from local security told us food fights weren't allowed in the university food court. That lady got pied in the face by none other than me. That's how I ended up in the dean's office...again. This time, though, I was in cuffs!

When the security lady moved to cuff me, Paul protested and the woman got nervous. Big and tall black guys tend to have that effect on white people in positions of authority. It's okay, I told Paul. Visibly troubled, Paul nodded as I was escorted away. I'm no stranger to getting arrested for civil disobedience. Last year I went to Alberta to protest the pipelines with some Aboriginal students from schools across Canada, and got cuffed by some redneck cops in Calgary. Still, the pained look on Paul's face as I got taken away touched me deeply. After getting a stern lecture from the dean, I went over to the Athletics building to shower and clean up.

Once I finished showering, got dressed and exited the building, I checked my phone. I had seven calls and five text messages....all from Paul. I called him back, and his frantic voice answered on the first ring. Are you okay Marianne? he asked, panic in his voice. I laughed and told him that it would take a lot more than whatever campus security guards could dish out to phase a tough gal like me. I'm okay Paul, I reassured him. We talked for a few minutes, and I was both surprised and touched when Paul told me he even contacted his uncle Wiraj Lokuron, a lawyer working in Gatineau, Quebec.

Wow, Paul really went all out, eh? I reassured him that nothing of the sort was required. Says something about me, huh? I'm used to getting tackled and cuffed by men and women in uniforms, usually for mouthing off to them while engaged in peaceful protest. Today, however, proved different. I got hauled away for a food fight. Of course, I'm no stranger to the security team at school. I'm a repeat offender when it comes to certain incidents. Hey, well-behaved women don't make history, alright? Paul snapped me out of this train of thought, and told me he had something to tell me. Out with it, I chuckled softly into the phone. I want to take you out for dinner, Paul said. Hmmm. I considered this. Are you asking me out Mister Paul? I laughed. A pause, followed by a low-voiced and sweet "yes" from Paul.

I stood there, at the bus shelter near the Athletic Department, and smiled to myself. I could almost hear Paul pacing nervously in his dorm. I kept him in suspense for a minute, then licked my lips. Took you long enough, I said, laughing. Paul went silent, and for a moment I thought I'd pushed him too hard. It's not my fault, I'm pushy. Most guys I date ( and there haven't been many because most men find opinionated, feisty women scary ) find me intimidating. Paul laughed, and my heart skipped a beat. I thought the dude had hung up! Wouldn't be the first time a guy has done that to me. We'll grab a bite and catch a movie tomorrow, Paul said confidently.

We haggled over the details for a minute. Tomorrow is Tuesday, also known as cheap movie date day, and I teased Paul about that. You're one bossy woman but I like your style, Paul said. I nodded and laughed. Just making sure, I replied. And just like that, we made plans to meet Tuesday afternoon around three to grab a bite. The movie Son of God is playing at the Silver City movie theater in east Ottawa. Not the perfect date movie for some but Paul and I aren't like most people. I told Paul I looked forward to tomorrow, then clicked off.

I stood there, smiling to myself. I was not expecting such a bold move from Paul "Mister Super Polite" Lokuron of South Sudan. I guess I underestimated him. Paul is not my usual type. Actually, I don't have a type. I'm open to dating guys of any race, as long as they're not Muslim. Paul's good-looking and smart, and I shouldn't be surprised that he's feeling me. Let's face it, I may be mouthy but I'm hot. Egyptian girls are among the most beautiful women in the world, you know. And just in case you're wondering, Coptic girls do it better than other Egyptian girls because we don't feel ashamed of our beauty so we don't hide it.

Truth be told, I haven't had a date in a while. My last boyfriend, Christopher Chang, was half white and half Chinese. A nice Mormon lad I met while walking through the Atrium. He was cute but we had no chemistry. Paul and I have definite chemistry. He's as passionate about the defense of Christendom and democracy as I am, and he's also ambitious and definitely going places. Oh, and last but not least, Paul has a really cute butt. I'm a sucker for a guy with a nice ass and like a lot of African guys, Paul had a great-looking behind. I can't wait to squeeze it. What? Do my words surprise you? Guys walk around all day checking us girls out and wishing they could cop a feel. We do the same thing, just more discretely. FYI, I'm the type to help myself when opportunity knocks, and I definitely want to make up for lost time...if we get that far. Poor Paul, he won't know what hit him.

Samuelx
Samuelx
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AnonymousAnonymousabout 10 years ago
Dumb

Your writing skill is equal to the amount of brain you possess - zero.

AnonymousAnonymousabout 10 years ago
from my ass with love

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