Targeted Yet Faithful: Egypt's Copts, Wary of Restrictions, Celebrate Virgin Mary Feast | Sojourners

Targeted Yet Faithful: Egypt's Copts, Wary of Restrictions, Celebrate Virgin Mary Feast

Coptic women during a mass in "Botrosia" church on Jan. 25, 2017, for those killed in a terror attack in the same church. Abbasya, North Cairo, Egypt. Image by Hamada Elrasam for Sojourners.

In Egypt, religious identity is stated on each resident's identification card. Egyptian names often reflect religious affiliation, and many Christians have Coptic crosses tattooed on their wrists. These cultural norms were practice before the increase in violence, but the introduction of rigorous screenings, checkpoints, and religious “profiling” has made these differences more acute.

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