Lilian Estafanous

Religious Minorities in Diaspora and their Mobilization Strategies Lilian Estafanous

The new millennium has witnessed an increasing recognition and interest among researchers, policymakers, and diasporans themselves of the potential role diasporas can play in contributing to the development of their countries of origin. Despite the development of diaspora research, the religious elements have not received much attention, as most of the writing in the field has regarded religion as a marginal factor and of less importance than ethnic and national components. While a fairly large body of empirical research and policy documents exists on immigrant in Canada, studies on Copts diaspora are scarce. Copts in Canada and the US as the two largest Copts communities outside Egypt are vibrant example of a "religious diaspora".