Coptic Egypt and 1960's Birmingham... how the times don't change

Severe rioting took place Saturday at St. George's Church in the Coptic Christian districts of Alexandria. Hardline Muslims rioted outside of the church to protest the supposed release of an anti-Muslim play on DVD. 1 person died, 90 were injured, and 53 people arrested during the course of the riot. 1 car was destroyed and 8 others were damaged, not to speak of the damage to an ancient structure, a historical landmark for all Egyptians with pride in their history.

The whole incident was provoked by a play made two years ago by a smaller Coptic church in the neighborhood, titled "I Was Blind But Now I See," about a Coptic Christian who converted to Islam and became disillusioned with his choice. The main protagonist in the play had his life saved by a Muslim towards the end of the play. The incident began when a homemade copy of the play was put on DVD and distributed by unknown peoples. Extremist Muslims came out in force to protest these people's rights of self-expression.

The whole event reminds me, more than anything, of the Birmingham race riots in the 1960's. A white majority in Birmingham oppressed their black minority simply because they weren't like them. Civil libertarians staged marches down the city's center, protesting for black rights, and were driven away by a white majority who wished to maintain their privileged, bigotry-rooted status. Over time the federal government, playing good-guy for a change, stepped in and upheld the rights of the blacks.

It looks like things are playing out that way in Egypt-their national government, corrupt as it is, has stepped in and supported the Copts, stationing policemen at Coptic churches and staring down the bigoted fanatics who would seek to deny people their fundamental rights.