Both Egyptian and foreign historians have testified to the high status of women in all spheres of life during the ancient Egyptian period. Women were queens in their own right; once, the chief physician was a woman. In the spiritual life, there were priestesses and female musicians and dancers serving in temples. This book deals with the role of women in the Christian Coptic Orthodox Church, which was established in the first century AD. The Coptic church has been blessed with thousands of female martyrs and saints, some of whom are of worldwide fame. There are fourteen female saints after whom Coptic churches in Egypt are named. The Virgin St. Mary is the most prominent of them. The two Egyptian saints Demianah and Refqah are also popular. Sts. Verena and Regula are Egyptian saints who were martyred and buried in Switzerland. St. Verena evangelized in Switzerland and taught Swiss maidens hygiene practices. There are more than eighty monuments consecrated to St. Verena in Switzerland. The Egyptian St. Sophia has a world-famous church in her name in Istanbul, Turkey. Unfortunately, after the Arab invasion of Egypt in the seventh century, the role of women in the church diminished considerably. However, since the middle of the twentieth century, a great revival of the role of women has occurred; more women have entered religious life as nuns and deaconesses, serving as Sunday school teachers, writing books about the church, and even teaching in Coptic seminaries. My goal is for this book to reach English language readers all over the world and enlighten them about the contribution of women in the service of Christianity through the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt.

Egypt was trampled by almost every great power in the world. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Turks, French, and English. Each came with their own agenda, greed and avarice. looting and pillaging the riches of Egypt, In many instances the proud people resisted staunchly, but in many others they fell to their invaders. The Egyptians adopted Christianity early on, after the evangelist martyr Saint Mark visited the country. Christianity flowed in Egypt like the River Nile that flows through the arid dessert and rapidly transformed its people into ardent believers, saints and martyrs for the sake of their savior. This is the story of the Copt Christians of Egypt, they still inhabit the narrow Nile Valley till today, against all odds. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt still persist on this spot of land in spite of centuries of marginalizing, ostracizing and sanctioned persecutions. This book tells the story of the Copts of Egypt throughout the ages, the descendants of the great Pharaohs of Egypt.

"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'"-Mark 16:15 In the middle of the first century, God sent St. Mark the Evangelist to proclaim the Good News and teach the Egyptians about the true God. He became the first pope and patriarch of the See of St. Mark and the founder of the Coptic Orthodox Church. For centuries, the Coptic Church remained mostly within the boundaries of Egypt, and the majority of Copts, including the clergy, were against the idea of immigration. But there were exceptions: Pope Cyril VI, the late Bishop Samuel, and the blessed Fr. Mikhail Ibrahim supported and encouraged immigration. And in the middle of the twentieth century, the Coptic diaspora slowly began. Within the last five decades, St. Mark continued to carry the Good News through his disciples to the United States and around the world. The History of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States tells the story of the earliest immigrants who left their beloved homeland to start a new life and establish the roots of the Coptic Orthodox Church in America. In rich detail, it pays lasting tribute to a remarkable cast of individuals, families, and servants, including: -The first pioneers who welcomed each new immigrant as they arrived on America's shore -The early priests who traveled tirelessly throughout the United States and Canada to minister to individuals and families in rented spaces and the domestic church -The great popes-HH Cyril VI, HH Shenouda III, and HH Tawadros II-who provided loving guidance from Alexandria Through the efforts of all these servants, St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Philadelphia was established as one of the first Coptic churches in the United States, along with others in New York, New Jersey, and beyond. The History of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States recounts the celebrations, struggles, and growth of these congregations as they maintain the traditions and spirit of the Coptic Orthodox Church into the twenty-first century.

An incisive exploration of women and work, showing how globalization’s promise of liberation instead set the stage for repression—from the acclaimed author of Factory Girls “Exhaustively reported and researched, Egyptian Made takes us halfway across the world and inside the intimate lives of women caught between tradition and independence.”—Monica Potts, New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Girls What happens to the women who choose to work in a country struggling to reconcile a traditional culture with the demands of globalization? In this sharply drawn portrait of Egyptian society—deepened by two years of immersive reporting—Leslie T. Chang follows three women as they persevere in a country that throws up obstacles to their progress at every step, from dramatic swings in economic policy to conservative marriage expectations and a failing education system. Working in Egypt’s centuries-old textile industry, Riham is a shrewd businesswoman who nevertheless struggles to attract workers to her garment factory and to compete in the global marketplace. Rania, who works on a factory assembly line, attempts to climb to a management rank but is held back by conflicts with co-workers and the humiliation of an unhappy marriage. Her colleague Doaa, meanwhile, pursues an education and independence but sacrifices access to her own children in order to get a divorce. Alongside these stories, Chang shares her own experiences living and working in Egypt for five years, seeing through her own eyes the risks and prejudices that working women continue to face. She also weaves in the history of Egypt’s vaunted textile industry, its colonization and independence, a century of political upheaval, and the history of Islam in Egypt, all of which shaped the country as it is today and the choices available to Riham, Rania, and Doaa. Following each woman’s story from home and work, Chang powerfully observes the near-impossible balancing act that Egyptian women strike every day.

An introduction to the geography, history, economy, culture, and people of Egypt.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Contents: (1) Turning a Page in U.S.-Egyptian Relations?: U.S. Co. Loses Egyptian Nuclear Contract; (2) Historical Background: Egypt During the Colonial Era; The Constitutional Monarchy and the British; Nasser and Egypt During the Cold War; Egypt-Israeli Peace; The Camp David Agreement and 1979 Peace Treaty; Egypt Under Mubarak; (3) Regime Structure; (4) Political Opposition and Civil Society; (5) Current Issues in U.S.-Egyptian Relations: Egypt¿s Regional Role; Isolating Hamas; The 2008-09 Israel-Hamas War in Gaza; Smuggling Tunnels; The Release of Gilad Shalit?; Hezbollah Cell in Egypt; The Economy and U.S-Egyptian Trade; Human Rights, Religious Freedom, and Women¿s Rights; (6) U.S. Foreign Assistance. Map and table.

Now available in paperback, this Companion offers an unparalleled survey of the history, theology, doctrine, worship, art, culture and politics that make up the churches of Eastern Christianity. Covers both Byzantine traditions (such as the Greek, Russian and Georgian churches) and Oriental traditions (such as the Armenian, Coptic and Syrian churches) Brings together an international team of experts to offer the first book of its kind on the subject of Eastern Christianity Contributes to our understanding of recent political events in the Middle East and Eastern Europe by providing much needed background information May be used alongside The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity (1999) for a complete student resource

Arshad examines the phenomenon of ‘democratic backsliding’ in post-2011 Egypt. Capturing a critical juncture in Egyptian politics, this book explains the failure of Egypt’s nascent democratic experiment and its relapse into authoritarianism. Egypt is the crucial playbook to understand the reversal of a country towards an authoritarian regime and what measures state and non-state actors should employ to prevent backsliding. The book is an essential model for understanding democratic backsliding through ‘structural and agential’ factors. The former encompasses society, politics, economics, and the military, while the latter deals with the choices and attitudes of the leadership during the political transition. Providing crucial insights into what went wrong during the democratic transition process, this text acts as a guide to curbing the rise of authoritarian regimes in the face of the next potential revolution. The book is a valuable resource for scholars who are interested in democratisation, authoritarian regimes, military leadership, political protests, and political leadership.

About one-third of the world's population currently lives under pluri-legal systems where governments hold individuals subject to the purview of ethno-religious rather than national norms in respect to family law. How does the state-enforcement of these religious family laws impact fundamental rights and liberties? What resistance strategies do people employ in order to overcome the disabilities and limitations these religious laws impose upon their rights? Based on archival research, court observations and interviews with individuals from three countries, Yüksel Sezgin shows that governments have often intervened in order to impress a particular image of subjectivity upon a society, while people have constantly challenged the interpretive monopoly of courts and state-sanctioned religious institutions, re-negotiated their rights and duties under the law, and changed the system from within. He also identifies key lessons and best practices for the integration of universal human rights principles into religious legal systems.