A Sword Over the Nile: A Brief History of the Copts Under Islamic Rule
A Sword Over the Nile: A Brief History of the Copts Under Islamic Rule, by Adel Guindy (Austin Macauley, NY, June 2020).
David Alton writes: With Egypt's Copts targeted as part of a bloody and systematic campaign of genocide against the ancient churches of the Middle East, Adel Guindy has produced a timely and authoritative account of their story. It deserves to be widely read.
As the co-founder and first president of Coptic Solidarity, the leading US-based advocacy group for Copts, he has given testimony before Congressional committees and is uniquely well-placed to provide this highly accessible account.
He has entitled his brief history of the Copts under Islamic Rule, A Sword Over the Nile.
For the Christian, it is not the sword, but the cross that provides the clue to their faith. In the old Latin phrase, 'Crux Potestas Dei'- the cross is the power of God.
Today, in this 21st century, the great challenge for Islam and Christianity is whether the cross and the sword can live alongside one another in peace and mutual respect.
The harrowing story of the Copts illustrates what happens when religious and political leaders fail to embrace the fundamental importance of freedom of religion and belief. The West needs to be aware of the implications of ignoring this central challenge.
My interest in the Copts began while I was a member of the British House of Commons.
In the 1990s, during my work with the human rights organization, Jubilee Campaign, I was asked to write a report on the discrimination and persecution faced by the Coptic Church of Egypt.
This book is available at: www.amazon.com/Sword-Over-Nile-Adel-Guindy/dp/1643787608