Free Before the Throne by Naguib Mahfouz Page B

Each time the Egyptians rose up against oppression, their revolt was crushed and their blood flowed freely. In the epoch of the Roman ruler Nero, Christianity entered Egypt, and a part of the population changed their religion. This religion did not spring from Egypt herself, as happened in the age of Akhenaten, but was imported from abroad. Those who embraced the new faith clung to a strict asceticism, many of them dwelling in desert caves in flight from despotic rule and the corruption of the world.
    “The Roman government fought the new faith, raining spears down upon its converts until the reign of the Emperor Diocletian became known as the Era of the Martyrs. In the time of Theodosius, the emperor decreed that Christians would be under his protection. Thus the ancient religion knew its own martyrs too—though the majority adopted Christianity, forming a distinct sect within it. The spirit of religious zeal blended with patriotic fervor, together fomenting an uprising in demand of independence. In riposte, they met with torture and killing on a limitless scale.
    “The conflict turned into a sectarian battle between the Egyptian Church and that of Byzantium, and the death-struggle continued, accompanied by the most intense forms of repression.”

    A weighty silence fell as Thoth read to the court. When he had finished, Osiris motioned to Horus, who called out, “Al-Muqawqas, governor of Egypt!”
    A short, thickset man came in, covered in his shroud, walking forward until he stood before the throne.
    Thoth then read aloud, “Governor of Egypt before and after the Byzantine Conquest. The Copts considered him an Egyptian. During his time, the Arabs invaded Egypt, and he reached an agreement with them to be rid of Byzantine control. Thus Egypt entered a new era, under Arab rule.”
    Osiris invited him to speak, so al-Muqawqas began, “I held power in Egypt before the emperor did. Despite my Greek origins, the Jacobite sect of Egypt was satisfied with me, and the Copts thought of me as being one of them. I made an accord with the Arabs, throwing out the Byzantines—and the terms were most favorable.”
    “How could you have consented to a foreign invasion?” asked Abnum.
    “I say to you, they were benevolent invaders,” al-Muqawqas replied. “Their leader, Amr ibn al-As, divided Egypt into districts, and put a Coptic governor at the head of each. The people felt relieved in a way they had not been for hundreds of years. He lifted the restrictions on religious practice, and the Copts worshiped their Lord in the manner in which they believed.”
    “Then they did not take it upon themselves to resist the intruders?” gasped Ramesses II.
    “A minority cherished their country above all,” answered al-Muqawqas. “Yet the principal goal of the Arabs was to proselytize a new religion, and to use the invasion to spread Islam.”
    “And did Egypt experience a new age of martyrdom?” queried Abnum.
    “The Arabs preached their faith without compulsion,” al-Muqawqas told him. “Those who held to their old one paid the head tax to do so.”
    “What is the actual difference between this religion and ours of old?” Khufu wondered.
    “They believe in the Divinity’s uniqueness,” said al-Muqawqas.
    “That is my God, as well as my religion—I always knew I would triumph in the end,” boasted Akhenaten. “Tell me, how did the people accept this faith? In my lifetime only a handful believed in it, and they carried no weight.”
    “Let’s not quarrel over the gods,” implored Abnum. “Talk to me about how the peasants and laborers benefited instead.”
    “Amr ibn al-As annulled a great many arbitrary taxes, and conditions lifted for the poor.”
    “This man’s policies restored our children’s welfare in a way that cannot be denied,” spouted Isis.
    “We grant you a certificate of commendation,” said Osiris, “that may be of benefit in your proper religious trial.”

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    H ORUS HAILED , “Pope