Coptic Canadian History Project
Identify. Archive. Digitize. Preserve. Democratize Access to Knowledge.
We’re rebranding! The Coptic Canadian History Project (CCHP) is changing its name to Egypt Migrations (EM). With the name change comes a new mission and a brand new look. The project will retain its emphasis on the Copts while expanding its lens to Egypt and its migrants, more broadly construed.
I named the podcast Copt Cast because I happen to be Coptic and episodes focus on issues important to Coptic youth. I welcome listeners of other denominations as well and feel that many of the topics are relatable to most people, Christian or otherwise. In all, I sought to be inclusive.
We, as a Church and community, lose greatly when women are valued for their virginity, motherhood, and subservience in marriage. They are told to be quiet and stripped of their inherent value as human beings and as children of God.
This compilation is an acknowledgement that oppressive histories did not wipe us out, nor have they discontinued our existence, our culture, or our lives. Here, we seek to elevate our own stories of resistance and joy.
The women in my family have always been soignée. One of my earliest memories is waking up to find my mother plopped in front of her eggshell-colored vanity, glamorously applying her face moisturizer, then her eyeliner, and finally brushing her hair ever so gently. It was a sacred time for her because, in those few … Continue reading “Remember to Send Back Some Good Moisturizer”
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.
We go to work. You stay home and stop yourself from getting sick. Stop the spread of the virus. Protect your family, friends and our healthcare system. Let's respect and love one another. Let’s come together despite the distance for all the vulnerable people in our community. Let's want only what is best for ourselves and our neighbours. By the end we will never know if we overreacted, but God knows we will find out if we under reacted.
When you heard the protest songs and saw the signs in the streets, and looked at how public space transformed, it became apparent that the archive was everywhere and its mediums were diverse. So ultimately my draw to history was living through histor(ies) in the making and thinking about what historians of the future would write about these moments. One of the most exciting things about studying modern Coptic history is that there is so much that has yet to be written about it.
Writing from a Toronto suburb, this as an account of what I have seen. I ask for critical reflection on the world we are perpetually in the process of creating and I beg contemplation as to how we wish to be remembered by future generations.
