Muslim and Christian Attitudes towards Water as a Natural Resource in Crisis
The Case of Egypt 2014–2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/cis.27143Keywords:
Egypt, GERD, securitization, water, al-Azhar, Coptic Orthodox ChurchAbstract
Egypt owes its very existence and its long survival to the river Nile, as a source of water and irrigation. In ancient times the Nile has been represented as the God Hapi. Since Egypt gained independence from British rule in 1953, the Nile has been represented in the national anthem, in popular songs, and in Egyptian literature. Since 2011, Egyptian Presidents have announced to their nation that the Nile waters are endangered because of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by Ethiopia. In the period 2014 to 2022 the Egyptian leadership has understood the importance in bringing in both Muslim and Christian leaders and communities together to save water and to rally them around their leadership in their battle against Ethiopia to protect every drop of Egypt’s water. Both religions praise and appreciate water as a precondition for life, and in the Holy Qur'an and the Bible there are numerous verses that discuss water. In this paper, I will discuss and critique the dominant institutional discourses and attitudes of Muslim and Christian communities in Egypt towards water as a natural resource in crisis because of the GERD, exploring their methods of mobilizing support around the Egyptian President in confronting this existential crisis. The methods employed are qualitative data analysis. Primary sources are interviews with priests and imams, and secondary sources include newspapers and social media outlets.
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