We live in three cultures as Coptic Americans.
First, we are American: it’s the culture we were raised up in, and it’s what we interact with every day from the moment we step outside of our homes. For many of us, to “be American” is a cultural language we learned through pop culture, friends from our schools and neighborhoods, and through trial and error.
Then, we are Egyptian, which is instilled in us by our family. Our interaction with Egyptian culture occurs at home most of the time and might be limited here in the United States. Nevertheless, it has a strong hold on our imagination, our pride, and our lives.
Finally, we are Coptic. This is perhaps the most limited, since Coptic culture is no longer dominant in any country; rather, in every Sunday liturgy, every bible study, and every church retreat, our Coptic culture comes to life.
None of these cultures exist in a vacuum; rather, all three interact with each other. At times, this inevitable interaction can be harmonious; at other times, they are at odds with one another.
For example, to be Coptic living in America is to be privileged in society. After all, to be Coptic is to be Christian, and America is a dominantly Christian nation.
Being Coptic and living in Egypt, on the other hand, is the exact opposite: it means institutionalized discrimination, second class citizenship, violence, and sometimes, even death.
However, for many, being Egyptian is equated to radical Islam and is a threat to the American way of life. Many Copts have experienced some form of discrimination since 9–11, most notably Adel Karaf, a Coptic man who was killed in his convenience store as a victim of a hate crime against Muslims.
As Metropolitan Serapion of the Diocese of Southern California once said at a sermon I had attended, “culture is the vessel in which religion is understood.” Coptic Christianity has survived two millennia of different cultures, from our polytheistic Ancient Egyptian ancestors, to the Arab Conquest which resulted in a nationwide shift to Islam, and most recently, the rise of the West, where millions of Copts have taken refuge.
With the passing of each new era and introduction of another way of life, Coptic Christianity has shown resilience in its ability to interact and adapt to the dominant culture in order to survive, while still maintaining its true spirit.
Perhaps, more than anything, this interaction is best reflected in the evolution of the Coptic Cross.
In an interview with Dr. Gawdat Gabra, the world’s leading historian on Coptic Christianity, Dr. Gabra says that although the modern version of the Coptic cross “feature arms dividing into three points each,” the Coptic Cross as we know it looks nothing like the original.
Instead, the Coptic cross has its origins in the Ankh, the Ancient Egyptian symbol for the key of life:
When Christianity reached Egypt, the symbol of the cross and the pagan Ankh integrated into a “looped cross,” which can be found as far back at the 6th and 7th centuries:
Throughout the years, the Coptic Cross continued to change form. However, even in this now-ubiquitous version of the Coptic cross, remnants of the looped cross are still present, evident by the cross within a circle:
This final version of the Cross encompasses the history of Egypt.
Today, however, the West is yet another culture that has been woven into the fabric of being Coptic. The introduction of this culture is especially salient to those of us who are immersed in it, born in it, and practice it.
Perhaps it may be another hundred years until American Copts have made their mark on the Coptic Cross, and perhaps we never will. What is inevitable however, is the navigation of all of these disparate cultures, which as anecdotal history can attest, can lead to sticky situations.
This is why our logo is the looped cross; our culture is the vessel through which our religion is expressed, and being Coptic is inextricably linked with Egypt- although, it is important to note, not necessarily linked with being Egyptian.
This is also why we created the Coptic Voice: to have a place where we can come together to not only dialogue about what it means to be a Copt living in America, but to unite as one Coptic Voice as well.
Marianne M.B.
If you would like to contribute to the Coptic Voice, please send an email with your bio and topic of interest to copticvoiceUS@gmail.com.
