"The Copts of Egypt, who make up 10-15 percent of the population, have traditionally been viewed as a 'beleaguered and persecuted minority.' Using newly discovered Coptic archival sources, Vivian Ibrahim presents a fresh and vivid alternative reading of the community during the twentieth centry. Avoiding the established portrayal of a monolithic entity headed by the Coptic Pope, Ibrahim examines the multifaceted dimensions of the Coptic community, assessing Coptic-State relations on one hand and Coptic intra-communal dimensions on the other."--P. (2) of jacket.