July 8, 2012
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The idea of a Christian Brotherhood group was formulated in 2005 as Islamist groups became more prominent in public life.
Political analyst Michel Fahmi and head of Al-Kalema Center for Human Rights, Mamdouh Nakhla, proposed a counterweight group in an attempt to balance the political landscape and ensure that the Copts were never without a voice.
Nakhla told Egypt Today earlier this year that he felt there had been a definite rise in ill-feeling towards the Coptic community.
However, it was not until Mohammed Morsy was elected President that Christian activists felt that it was really necessary to form a group.
“It was then important [after Morsy’s win] to establish a body that can resist the Islamic tide,” Fahmi told Al Arabiya in a recent interview.
He went on to emphasise that the purpose of the Christian Brotherhood is not to antagonise Muslims but rather to maintain a check on political Islamists.
