Coptic Canadian History Project
Identify. Archive. Digitize. Preserve. Democratize Access to Knowledge.
We must confront the fact of anti-Blackness in North America. Our justified objections to the persistent harassment, discrimination, and overt violence faced by members of our community in Egypt and North America should compel us to condemn the same when it happens to Black people. This is especially our responsibility as we become an integral part of the North American fabric.
On April 29th, Mayor Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga announced on Facebook that the City Council passed a motion to “allow for the broadcasting of the evening call to prayer (azan) from local mosques and other non-residential buildings regularly used for worship during the month of Ramadan this year.” Similar motions were passed in Milton, Markam, Ottawa, and Toronto, among other cities in Canada. Within hours of Crombie’s announcement, the Mayor’s page attracted thousands of comments and hundreds of shares, a rare level of engagement.
During the Sadat era, he lost many of his friends to Salafi organizations. He recalls vividly being called “kafir” by an old friend while the friend’s mother pled with him: “Yousief, Yousief, forgive him—he makes our life miserable too.” Baba kept walking, and between that and the metal factory and no college degree, it was time to move on.
I never understood what it was exactly that made my father leave until I visited Egypt for the first time as an adult. When I met his brother (my uncle) for the first time, he told me that my dad was “too honest for Egypt, and that’s why he had to leave.”
For "Arrivals and Departures: the Journeys of the Copts and their Artifacts," attendees were invited to reflect on their journeys, write a short note, and then place it on a mirror for the next participant to reflect and add upon; like ships passing in the night. These ephemeral memories stuck to a mirror only briefly, now transformed to a digital medium and retold, carry with them the experiences of Coptic emigres who’ve come to call Canada home.
Welcome back for part 2 of Coptic Canadian Women Discuss. Join Meray Metias and her friends as they tackle how they navigate their gender within the Church; how they negotiate their multiple identities within family, community, and social circles; and, they share their thoughts on how Coptic churches can maintain a relationship with Coptic Canadian youth. At the heart of their stories of adaptation, lay a common inter-generational struggle as immigrants and their children work to strike a balance between two worlds.
Welcome to a very special episode of the Coptic Canadian History Project's Podcast. At the CCHP, we promote the history and collective memory of 'ordinary' Coptic Canadians. As such, we are delighted to bring you a conversation between five female university students about their experiences in Toronto's Coptic communities. In this two-part episode, CCHP assistant Meray Metias facilitates the conversation; as she and her friends discuss the varied experiences of navigating family, education, church, and social relations.
In the summer of 2016, I left Alexandria for Toronto. I was excited. But, it was a bitter-sweet excitement. I packed my entire room and left life-long friends for a whole new city; a whole new country on a whole new continent. I wanted to come. I had already taken that step and made my decision. My mom didn't want me to go, but I was insistent. It hurt, but I wanted to come.
On a rainy day in June 1996, my family arrived in Pearson International Airport. Both my parents are originally from the province of Sohag in Upper Egypt (Sa'eed). My father was born in the city of Tima and my mother in the city of Tahta; we are Sa'ayda.
