The death of Mohamed Morsi on June 17 has invited reflections about his short rule over Egypt, his complicated legacy, and the extent to which current President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has or has not been able to succeed where his predecessor failed. One core concern many observers of Morsi's rule shared was the treatment of Coptic Christians in an Egypt ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood for the first time. Sisi and his government assert that the improved treatment of Christians under his rule is a top reason why the U.S. should strengthen their investment in his vision for Egypt. However, the Egyptian government has yet to bring meaningful change to Coptic Christians and the U.S. should call on Sisi to enact reforms that match his rhetoric.
To be fair, after Morsi's failure to govern in an inclusive manner, one of Sisi's first actions in office was to stand alongside the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Pope and declare that "[w]e are Egyptians." He hosted Pope Francis in 2017 and, earlier this year, inaugurated the largest cathedral in the Middle East, the "Church of the Nativity," where he declared to Egyptians, both Christian and Muslim, that "we are one."
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