Egyptian Australian
Encyclopedia
According to the Australian 2006 Census, 33,494 Australian residents declared that they were born in Egypt
and 31,786 declared that they were of Egyptian ancestry either alone or with another ancestry. Egyptian Australians might also have nominated themselves as being of Copt
ic ancestry (1,890 total responses). The majority of Egypt-born Australian residents are in Sydney (16,238) or Melbourne (11,156), with smaller communities located in Perth (1,407), Adelaide (982) and Brisbane (897).
Immigration from Egypt was significant in the late 1940s and 1950s, with minorities escaping the growing Arab nationalist movement in Egypt which saw the overthrow of the Egyptian monarchy and the subsequent Suez Crisis
. Around 2,000 Egyptian Jews left in this period.
However the majority of Egyptian-Australians are Copts, with 19,928 Australian residents declaring membership of the Coptic Orthodox Church at the 2006 Census. It was claimed in the New South Wales
Parliament in 2003 that there were 70,000 Copts in New South Wales.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and 31,786 declared that they were of Egyptian ancestry either alone or with another ancestry. Egyptian Australians might also have nominated themselves as being of Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic ancestry (1,890 total responses). The majority of Egypt-born Australian residents are in Sydney (16,238) or Melbourne (11,156), with smaller communities located in Perth (1,407), Adelaide (982) and Brisbane (897).
Immigration from Egypt was significant in the late 1940s and 1950s, with minorities escaping the growing Arab nationalist movement in Egypt which saw the overthrow of the Egyptian monarchy and the subsequent Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
. Around 2,000 Egyptian Jews left in this period.
However the majority of Egyptian-Australians are Copts, with 19,928 Australian residents declaring membership of the Coptic Orthodox Church at the 2006 Census. It was claimed in the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Parliament in 2003 that there were 70,000 Copts in New South Wales.
Notable Australians of Egyptian descent
- Mamdouh HabibMamdouh HabibMamdouh Habib is an Egyptian born Australian Muslim best known for his extrajudicial detention in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba, on suspicion of involvement in terrorism....
- Taj El-Din HilalyTaj El-Din HilalySheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly , is an Imam of the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney and an Australian Sunni Muslim leader. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils appointed him Mufti of Australia in 1988. His name is alternatively spelt Tajeddin Hilaly, Hilali, Al-Hilaly, Taj el-Din al-Hilali, Aldin...
- Robert KabbasRobert KabbasRobert Kabbas is a retired weightlifter from Australia, who won the silver medal in the Lightheavyweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics....
- Naguib KanawatiNaguib KanawatiNaguib Kanawati is an Egyptian Australian Egyptologist and Professor of Egyptology at Macquarie University in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Career:...
- Akmal SalehAkmal SalehAkmal Saleh is an Australian comedian and actor. He was born in Egypt and arrived in Sydney, Australia with his family in 1975 at the age of 11. He has been performing stand-up comedy since the early 1990s and his live shows have toured comedy festivals both within Australia and internationally...
- Sam SolimanSam SolimanSam Soliman is an Australian boxer of Coptic Egyptian descent. Soliman began his boxing career after studying multiple forms of martial arts, such as Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and Kick-Boxing.-Amateur Boxing Career:...
- Joseph TawadrosJoseph TawadrosJoseph Tawadros is an oud virtuoso from Australia.Joseph never ceases to amaze and at 28 has established himself as one the world’s leading oud performers and composers...
- Bishop AngaelosBishop AngaelosBishop Angaelos is a general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria consecrated by Pope Shenouda III on 14 November 1999...
- Waleed AlyWaleed AlyWaleed Aly is an Australian lawyer, academic and rock musician. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Islamic Council of Victoria and has served as the council's head of public affairs. He is a frequent commentator on Australian Muslim affairs. In 2008 he was selected to...
See also
- EgyptiansEgyptiansEgyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
- Coptic Orthodoxy in AustraliaCoptic Orthodox Church in AustraliaThis article is about Coptic Orthodoxy in Australia. For a list of Coptic parishes in Australia, see the List of Coptic Orthodox Churches in Australia....
- Egyptian AmericanEgyptian AmericanEgyptian Americans are Americans of Egyptian ancestry, first-generation Egyptian immigrants, or descendants of Egyptians who immigrated to the United States. In the 2007 U.S. census, the number of people with Egyptian ancestry was estimated at 195,000, although some estimates range from several...