Welcome to Tamav
Tamav (“Mother” in Coptic) is a platform dedicated to uplifting the voices of marginalized Coptic women in Egypt and the Diaspora.
Tamav’s mission is to bring the individual and collective psychological and spiritual struggles of Coptic women to the forefront, by honoring freedom of expression and providing a safe space for thought and dissent.
It is our hope that by allowing Coptic women to publicly reflect and share their experiences, without fear of retaliation or shaming, other women in our community will feel less alone. Moreover, the need for women-led support networks, such as, but not limited to Women’s Fellowships, will be normalized in Coptic churches all over the world.
We firmly believe in re-focusing the Church’s teachings to promote the emotional and reproductive health and mental well-being of Coptic young girls and women, so many of whom suffer silently from feelings of shame and invisibility, as well as other manifestations of intergenerational trauma.
We welcome and encourage submissions from Coptic women from all walks of life — of all ages, marital status, educational backgrounds, and professions.
Lastly, Tamav is committed to protecting the identity and privacy of all Coptic women who choose to publish their reflections in this journal. All submissions will be published anonymously or through use of a name.
Tamav’s mission is to bring the individual and collective psychological and spiritual struggles of Coptic women to the forefront, by honoring freedom of expression and providing a safe space for thought and dissent.
It is our hope that by allowing Coptic women to publicly reflect and share their experiences, without fear of retaliation or shaming, other women in our community will feel less alone. Moreover, the need for women-led support networks, such as, but not limited to Women’s Fellowships, will be normalized in Coptic churches all over the world.
We firmly believe in re-focusing the Church’s teachings to promote the emotional and reproductive health and mental well-being of Coptic young girls and women, so many of whom suffer silently from feelings of shame and invisibility, as well as other manifestations of intergenerational trauma.
We welcome and encourage submissions from Coptic women from all walks of life — of all ages, marital status, educational backgrounds, and professions.
Lastly, Tamav is committed to protecting the identity and privacy of all Coptic women who choose to publish their reflections in this journal. All submissions will be published anonymously or through use of a name.
Why a Coptic Women's Journal?
I return to this journal after having put it aside for nearly several months. My initial draft, an introduction to this Coptic Women’s Journal felt entirely too personal, and in many respects, like a grievance letter. I admit the writing left me wondering whether my objective was to grieve the loss of a loved one or to examine the status of women in the Coptic church.
So, I now return to this effort, starting over, but this time, leading with the reason I have created this journal: my mother’s death in mid-summer of 2019 and all that I was yet to learn about the unrecognized contributions of Coptic women to our Christ-centered community.
When my mother was first hospitalized, something inside me knew she might, indeed, depart this world and leave me here alone. Needless to say, life without her was unthinkable. I was, at first, angry that she had, in my ego’s view, gotten sick again and was now about to abandon me. I remember calling my supervisor to tell her I was leaving for Dulles airport and, in that short call, choking on rage-filled tears. Something inside of me knew this was it; yet, I refused to pack funeral-appropriate clothing.
When she died, a little more than a week later, I felt the avalanche of sadness give way to blessing. At her bedside, I understood that I was, in fact, loved perfectly. My heart ruptured but my vision was restored. I could finally see what I denied before – her perfection. My vision changed: I squinted at the years of discord between us that dissipated into nothing, their impermanence something curious to behold. I could finally divest myself from the past, which for so many seasons, I sought reparations for.
I felt an impermeable undercurrent of love and a sense of calm; I felt healing spurring me on to my next life lesson. I felt her soul bless me. I realized the invaluable place my Coptic mother held and that she was a key piece to the puzzle of my life and to my purpose.
At the time, I didn’t recognize that I was actually experiencing genuine forgiveness for the first time in my life. I once read that “to forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection.”
The African missionary and intellectual James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey wrote that “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.”
Mothers shape our personalities, help our intellects grow, nurture our spirits and model self-esteem, a most precious commodity if we are to survive in this world. Who could be said to be more responsible for educating generations of Copts, both in Egypt and the Diaspora, than Coptic mothers?
Hence, I have published this journal Tamav (which again means “mother” in Coptic) to create a space for the millions of Coptic women who have so resolutely carried out their soul’s purpose. Thank you for the many emotional and spiritual labors you have undertaken, which for, so long, have gone unrecognized.
I realize that many Copts will dismiss this journal as a purely intellectual endeavor, or worse a “feminist’ epistle. Knowing all too well the pervasive culture of shame that exists in the Coptic community, I invite my Coptic sisters (and brothers) to submit articles under a pseudonym, especially if they fear judgment or retaliation.
Finally, I, along with several other women who have chosen to publish this journal, do not put forward our own experience(s) as representative of all Coptic women. Nor are these entries published as a critique of the Coptic Church. In fact, I will say that this journal has very little do with Church doctrine or theology.
Our sole purpose, here, is to provide a platform for Coptic women, where we put judgment aside, and simply say what has weighed so heavily on hearts for so long, – and finally show reverence for our minds and the spiritual legacy we, as Coptic women, leave to future generations.
Most faithfully,
Suzanne Toma
Managing Editor
So, I now return to this effort, starting over, but this time, leading with the reason I have created this journal: my mother’s death in mid-summer of 2019 and all that I was yet to learn about the unrecognized contributions of Coptic women to our Christ-centered community.
When my mother was first hospitalized, something inside me knew she might, indeed, depart this world and leave me here alone. Needless to say, life without her was unthinkable. I was, at first, angry that she had, in my ego’s view, gotten sick again and was now about to abandon me. I remember calling my supervisor to tell her I was leaving for Dulles airport and, in that short call, choking on rage-filled tears. Something inside of me knew this was it; yet, I refused to pack funeral-appropriate clothing.
When she died, a little more than a week later, I felt the avalanche of sadness give way to blessing. At her bedside, I understood that I was, in fact, loved perfectly. My heart ruptured but my vision was restored. I could finally see what I denied before – her perfection. My vision changed: I squinted at the years of discord between us that dissipated into nothing, their impermanence something curious to behold. I could finally divest myself from the past, which for so many seasons, I sought reparations for.
I felt an impermeable undercurrent of love and a sense of calm; I felt healing spurring me on to my next life lesson. I felt her soul bless me. I realized the invaluable place my Coptic mother held and that she was a key piece to the puzzle of my life and to my purpose.
At the time, I didn’t recognize that I was actually experiencing genuine forgiveness for the first time in my life. I once read that “to forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection.”
The African missionary and intellectual James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey wrote that “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.”
Mothers shape our personalities, help our intellects grow, nurture our spirits and model self-esteem, a most precious commodity if we are to survive in this world. Who could be said to be more responsible for educating generations of Copts, both in Egypt and the Diaspora, than Coptic mothers?
Hence, I have published this journal Tamav (which again means “mother” in Coptic) to create a space for the millions of Coptic women who have so resolutely carried out their soul’s purpose. Thank you for the many emotional and spiritual labors you have undertaken, which for, so long, have gone unrecognized.
I realize that many Copts will dismiss this journal as a purely intellectual endeavor, or worse a “feminist’ epistle. Knowing all too well the pervasive culture of shame that exists in the Coptic community, I invite my Coptic sisters (and brothers) to submit articles under a pseudonym, especially if they fear judgment or retaliation.
Finally, I, along with several other women who have chosen to publish this journal, do not put forward our own experience(s) as representative of all Coptic women. Nor are these entries published as a critique of the Coptic Church. In fact, I will say that this journal has very little do with Church doctrine or theology.
Our sole purpose, here, is to provide a platform for Coptic women, where we put judgment aside, and simply say what has weighed so heavily on hearts for so long, – and finally show reverence for our minds and the spiritual legacy we, as Coptic women, leave to future generations.
Most faithfully,
Suzanne Toma
Managing Editor