Egypt: Copts fear further marginalizing and more violence

At the outset of the parliamentary elections in Egypt the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) warned on Wednesday of a further marginalizing of the Copts in Egypt’s politics and society. "In the light of the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and recent clashes between Muslims and Copts many Christians fear a new wave of violence against the Copts” warned the GfbV expert Ulrich Delius.

It is true that after the violent outbreaks of Muslims against the Copts, in which on 21st October 2005 three people were killed in Alexandria, Christian churches were placed under police protection. However the Egyptian authorities did too little to stop the latent violence. So 104 violent Muslim demonstrators, who had been involved in the outbreaks in Alexandria, were released from custody. Experience goes to show that they need fear no further investigations. It appears that 17 others are to be interrogated for their involvement in the violence, but that once again those responsible for violent attacks on Christians will be allowed to go free. Copts have complained in the past that politically motivated murders of Christians are seldom brought to justice.

"With the simple slogan ‘Islam is the solution’ the Muslim Brotherhood has in the election campaign aimed at bringing about a religious division in Egyptian society”, criticised Delius. The authorities did not step in although the government had previously forbidden religious election slogans which would endanger national unity. "Many Copts are now very afraid, for in Alexandria one Coptic politician has withdrawn his candidature for a seat in Parliament following the riots”.

The Copts make up about ten percent of the 74 million citizens of Egypt. It was only last Tuesday that the US Foreign Ministry in its annually published report on the state of religious freedom in the world recorded that Copts in Egypt are prevented from practising their religion because national authorities constantly stand in the way of the construction of new churches or the restoration of churches in need of repair.