Abstract In modern Egypt, language is used as the linchpin for an Egyptian identity that is perceived to be a coherent and holistic one. Public discourse tackles the thorny issue of religious differences between Christians and Muslims by using two strategies: foregrounding and backgrounding. That is, in public discourse religious differences are undermined, and religion as an inclusive general belief system is highlighted. This is achieved through utilizing stance-taking processes and employing linguistic resources such as indexes of different codes/varieties, pronouns, identification categories, and metonymy. Reference to social networks, community of practice theory, and variationist approaches are also essential in helping us understand public discourse claims. Data used to verify these two claims include online articles, movies, and patriotic songs.