On the night of Tuesday 8 Wednesday, March 9, clashes erupted between members of two communities in the deprived area with high population Moqattam Coptic Cairo, officially making ten dead and 110 wounded. The clashes followed the events in recent days by the Coptic community to protest against the fire Saturday from the church in Al-Chahidaine Helwan governorate south of Cairo.
Already, during the New Year's Eve, an attack against a Coptic church had killed 23 people. Youssef Sidhom, editor of the weekly newspaper of the Coptic égyptienneWatani, discusses the circumstances of the violence and outlines the expectations of this strong community of 8 million people - representing 10% of Egypt's population - in the era post-Mubarak.
The origin of the attack against the church in southern Cairo and the violence it has caused is social and not religious. This is not the first incident of this type, there were many incidents ago in Upper Egypt. It all started with a romantic relationship between a Coptic man and a Muslim woman.
A romantic relationship between a man and woman of different religions is, in Egypt, viewed very negatively by the two communities. When this relationship was publicly known, this has created deep social malaise. Young Muslims have decided to take revenge. What has moved this case the land office at religious ground is that Muslims consider this type of case as an attack on Islam.
Some Muslims have attacked Christians in the district, regardless of whether their relationship with the young man in question. They attacked the church, were burned and destroyed. But they also expelled the Christians from their homes and prevented them still come back, against them, uttering death threats.
Christians have decided to protest in downtown Cairo, with moderate Muslims to demand that the church was rebuilt in the same place, the military ensures that all Christians can return home, whether protected and that perpetrators are arrested. No, this is not the first incident of this type and in general, under Mubarak, the Coptic community lived in a state of permanent instability, she was the victim of inequality, discrimination, and the Copts did not enjoy their full rights as citizens.
With the Egyptian revolution, when the community participated alongside Muslims, there was a sense of relief and expectations of a calving inequalities they experience. But the community is aware that expectations do not currently constitute the priority of the Egyptian revolution. She waits for the Army organizes elections to elect the new president and parliament.
Only then will the time of the expression of specific needs. Our present concern is to ensure that the Coptic community is wise enough not to make this isolated incident as a pretext to enter into open conflict with Muslims. We, Muslims and Copts, need to stand together and fight together for the success of our revolution.
The repeal of section 2 of the Egyptian Constitution is not a claim for the Coptic community, but many Egyptians Muslims and Christians. The specific demands of the Coptic community is primarily the enactment of a unified law for all communities for the construction and maintenance of places of worship.
A distinction is being made in the law to obtain a permit to build a church for example. Moreover, Copts have suffered for years of discrimination in access to positions of responsibility in all levels of government as well as access to representative bodies such as Parliament or local authorities.
Finally, the most dangerous thing and most important for us is the infiltration of the education system by a fanatic Islam, which is expressed particularly in performances that are made of Islam and other religions in textbooks. Islam is presented as the only religion worthy of the name and the only source of morality.
I do not like the Copts complain about something that has no real impact on their fate as it is specific to this committee. This committee was tasked to amend certain provisions of the Constitution purely political that have to do with the election of the President, the definition of its mandate and Parliament elections.
What is really important to the Coptic community today is that it can gain representation at the political level. This requires opening the door to more freedom in the formation of new political parties. Previously, new parties were subject to the approval of the party of Mubarak. No true liberal party has been formed.
This does not mean as far as I am sympathetic to the creation of a party or Coptic Christian but rather that Muslims and Christians can together form a liberal secular party. The second need is to change the electoral law, passing a uninominal a combined list. Only in this way can we send more women to Parliament, and the Coptic youth.
Interview by Helen Salon 
Already, during the New Year's Eve, an attack against a Coptic church had killed 23 people. Youssef Sidhom, editor of the weekly newspaper of the Coptic égyptienneWatani, discusses the circumstances of the violence and outlines the expectations of this strong community of 8 million people - representing 10% of Egypt's population - in the era post-Mubarak.
The origin of the attack against the church in southern Cairo and the violence it has caused is social and not religious. This is not the first incident of this type, there were many incidents ago in Upper Egypt. It all started with a romantic relationship between a Coptic man and a Muslim woman.
A romantic relationship between a man and woman of different religions is, in Egypt, viewed very negatively by the two communities. When this relationship was publicly known, this has created deep social malaise. Young Muslims have decided to take revenge. What has moved this case the land office at religious ground is that Muslims consider this type of case as an attack on Islam.
Some Muslims have attacked Christians in the district, regardless of whether their relationship with the young man in question. They attacked the church, were burned and destroyed. But they also expelled the Christians from their homes and prevented them still come back, against them, uttering death threats.
Christians have decided to protest in downtown Cairo, with moderate Muslims to demand that the church was rebuilt in the same place, the military ensures that all Christians can return home, whether protected and that perpetrators are arrested. No, this is not the first incident of this type and in general, under Mubarak, the Coptic community lived in a state of permanent instability, she was the victim of inequality, discrimination, and the Copts did not enjoy their full rights as citizens.
With the Egyptian revolution, when the community participated alongside Muslims, there was a sense of relief and expectations of a calving inequalities they experience. But the community is aware that expectations do not currently constitute the priority of the Egyptian revolution. She waits for the Army organizes elections to elect the new president and parliament.
Only then will the time of the expression of specific needs. Our present concern is to ensure that the Coptic community is wise enough not to make this isolated incident as a pretext to enter into open conflict with Muslims. We, Muslims and Copts, need to stand together and fight together for the success of our revolution.
The repeal of section 2 of the Egyptian Constitution is not a claim for the Coptic community, but many Egyptians Muslims and Christians. The specific demands of the Coptic community is primarily the enactment of a unified law for all communities for the construction and maintenance of places of worship.
A distinction is being made in the law to obtain a permit to build a church for example. Moreover, Copts have suffered for years of discrimination in access to positions of responsibility in all levels of government as well as access to representative bodies such as Parliament or local authorities.
Finally, the most dangerous thing and most important for us is the infiltration of the education system by a fanatic Islam, which is expressed particularly in performances that are made of Islam and other religions in textbooks. Islam is presented as the only religion worthy of the name and the only source of morality.
I do not like the Copts complain about something that has no real impact on their fate as it is specific to this committee. This committee was tasked to amend certain provisions of the Constitution purely political that have to do with the election of the President, the definition of its mandate and Parliament elections.
What is really important to the Coptic community today is that it can gain representation at the political level. This requires opening the door to more freedom in the formation of new political parties. Previously, new parties were subject to the approval of the party of Mubarak. No true liberal party has been formed.
This does not mean as far as I am sympathetic to the creation of a party or Coptic Christian but rather that Muslims and Christians can together form a liberal secular party. The second need is to change the electoral law, passing a uninominal a combined list. Only in this way can we send more women to Parliament, and the Coptic youth.
Interview by Helen Salon
- Copt-Muslim clash in Cairo renews question: Who are the Copts? (09/03/2011)
- Copt-Muslim clash in Cairo renews question: Who are the Copts? (09/03/2011)
- Rester (21/02/2011)
- Egyptian Copts hold funeral after sectarian strife - Jerusalem Post (10/03/2011)
- Christian Copts in Egypt Protest Muslim Attacks (08/03/2011)
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