About Us

Satire is defined as “The use of humor, irony, hyperbole, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s imprudence or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”  Satirical literature is among the oldest genres of literature in the world.

We are firm believers in the rightness and beauty of Coptic Orthodox Christianity as expressed in the creed, its rich history, the faithful martyrs of Christ, the inspiring saints who imitated Christ, the liturgical tradition that has taught us to worship, and the powerful writings of the Church Fathers and the vision they communicate make for a robust spiritual, intellectual, personal, and communal life.

But the natural problem of the Church since its founding is the encroachment of the world, or secularism, and its attempt to infiltrate our shared life in Christ.  This is extremely pronounced in modern life, and the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church is not immune to the encroachments of secularism especially in its forms of materialism, consumerism, overemphasis on professional degrees, fragmented identities, lack of communal life, and sometimes a lack of recognition of the sanctity of our church.

The articles written in The Bateekha are pure satire, and not based on any one occurrence.  They highlight and satirize general patterns that have manifested themselves in the Coptic community that we believe if left to continue and develop will hurt Coptic Orthodox Christian thinking and practice.

The Bateekha, while satire, is also social commentary based on repetitive patterns in the community.  As such, we believe one of the most effective ways to address these problems is by highlighting them in a funny way that elicits reflection, so that the larger Coptic community addresses the issues, and as such discussions naturally begin.  In discussions we will identify problems, and when we identify problems, it makes us consider solutions.

If you recognize these patterns in your own community, with your own friends, or in your own life, it will require reflection on your part, and honesty in confronting why these patterns exist in the first place.

If you decide to argue that satire is not the right way to address these problems, then you are missing the point of satire, which is to merely to bring attention to problems. Satire is the not the issue itself.  And when we attend to these problems and begin to solve them, then we may live fuller lives in our Lord Jesus Christ and in each other as we imitate Him.