Armanious—One Year Later
By Sally Bishai (01/27/06)
Killing Copts in Egypt is nothing new.
Between 200 and 211 A.D., Severus routinely burned, beheaded, and tortured Christians.
A hundred years later, the emperor Diocletian—a Christian up until then—had a mysterious change of heart, and ended up killing millions of Copts in an unprecedented campaign of terror.
Around 639 A.D., Arabs (and with them, Islam) began to permeate Egypt, offering the native Christians there a choice—convert, pay up, or die.
While many Copts chose life, it was a difficult one for those who could afford to pay the jizia—a tax paid by non-Muslims to Muslims—and stay Christian.
As Egypt—and, in fact, the world—began to slide into more modern times, the persecution that Copts have almost always lived with has tapered off significantly.
Slaughtering Copts by the thousands would never be allowed in today’s global community.
This isn’t to say, however, that Copts have it easy. They don’t.
Apart from the almost-legalized discrimination that happens on several levels—from occupational to societal to Hamayouni-al—Copts in Egypt have also been susceptible to dozens of attacks in recent years.
From the February, 1997 in-church killing spree at Abu Qurqas, to the slaughter at Ezbet Dawoud only weeks later, to the three-day massacre at El-Kosheh—which culminated in the destruction of 260 homes and businesses, not to mention the injury of 33 Copts and deaths of 21 others—in 2000, it’s clear that Egypt can’t exactly be described as a haven for her native people. (Only four of the 96 killers and rioters were found guilty, and their sentences were a joke. Kinda reminds me of Milam and Bryant, the “white” killers of black Chicago boy Emmett Till in 1955.)
This is not to say that all—or, in fact, most—Muslims in Egypt approve, condone, or even contribute to “the way things are,” but no matter how they feel, a positive change in Egypt will not—and cannot—happen overnight. Especially if the average Muslim man on the street doesn’t stand up for his Coptic brothers.
This is a big reason why so many Copts have fled Egypt; sure, everyone wants to come to America for economic reasons, but a life of poverty in one’s dear and beloved homeland would be much easier to bear if said person didn’t have to constantly fear for his or her life, as villagers (and, in fact, a majority of Copts) in Egypt invariably do.
I don’t have to convince anyone that America is a great place to work, live, and exercise the freedoms that we’re fortunate to have here.
Like the freedoms of speech and religion, twin muscles that Hossam Armanious was always happy to flex, now that he didn’t have to watch his back 24/7.
But maybe he did have to. Because, a little over a year ago, the Coptic immigrant, his wife, and both daughters were butchered in their New Jersey home.
The slaughter had many wondering whether the crime was religiously motivated.
Not because they were Copts, but because Hossam was fond of getting into religious discussions on Paltalk. One of his favorite pastimes was actually trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, or at least clarify what he believed.
In fact, one passionate Muslim that Hossam apparently offended told Armanious that he was going to track him down like a chicken and kill him.
So when the family members were killed, everyone pointed a finger at “the Muslims,” as though every one of them was behind it. Although it seemed that Copts (and Egyptians here in the States) were the only ones who had even heard about the crime, and even then, it was a grassroots effort, as the media didn’t, for once, splash the tragedy all over the place.
The story did actually make the news once or twice. But, just as quickly, it was buried. The swiftly-whispered tales of Coptic persecution breaking onto America’s East Coast were silenced as “greed” became the officially-touted reason for the slayings.
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward De Fazio went on the record as saying that the motive was robbery. Several thousand dollars were, in fact, sucked out of Armanious ATM accounts, and the perpetrators were caught on tape.
Various Copts—some related to the fallen—didn’t let it drop, and went public with accusations, suggestions, little-known-facts that hinted that this was not a run-of-the-mill robbery, but perhaps an act of terror by Muslim extremists.
Like the fact that a $3500 ring wasn’t stolen by the alleged greedies. (Some debate about the alleged slashing of the cross tattooed on one of the daughter’s wrist has been going on.)
All in all, it seems as though there are two camps in this case: those who believe that the murder was totally unrelated to religion or race—and these people are wont to believe, by the way, that Copts blame every negative thing on EARTH on their race and/or religion; the other side thinks that the murder was definitely a case of Copt-killing (whether they are outspoken about this or not.)
As mentioned before, the news media (at the time) tried to—for one reason or another—cover up the murder, or, at least, not cover the story when they should maybe have dug deeper; having said that, such figures as Michelle Malkin and Daniel Pipes DID cover the case in their writings. The coolest radio-show host on earth, Rabbi Tovia Singer, has dedicated significant time on his program to discussing the case.
Are any of these Copts? No. Does it matter? No!
So, where are we, then? One year after the killings, the Armanious family is still missed. Sorely.
And, while we can never have them back again on this earth, it is a (slight) comfort to know that they are at peace now, fortunate to be with the Lord that they worshipped so fervently in life.
But... if any GOOD can come from the tragedy of their case—no matter WHAT the true motive was (and I can’t offer an opinion on it, since it’s yet another case of “God only knows”)—it is that we might now realize that we shouldn’t base our actions (aka “attempts to help” or “feelings of sadness”) on the race or religion or nationality of another.
We shouldn’t first check someone’s passport before allowing ourselves to feel empathetic sadness for them, or a passionate urge to help them out.
In other words—you don’t have to be Coptic (or Christian, for that matter) to help Copts.
You don’t have to be black to fight for the rights of “African Americans” (read my “African American Myth” if you want to know what I think about that label, by the way).
But you SHOULD always remember that we’re all humans—mega-different in prayers, looks and languages, perhaps—but that under the skin, we look the same, we hurt the same, we *breathe* the same. Not surprising, since we’re all brothers, if you think about it.
And we’d do well to remember what happened to Cain and Abel, the first brothers to roam the earth, when we don’t feel like taking care of—or “keeping”—our brothers!
(Many prayers and much love to everyone out there of every single faith, race, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, eye shape, nose shape, and hair type that God, in His infinite wisdom, painted onto the globe! :)
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