Human rights activists alarmed about attacks on Christians

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns about restriction of women's rights in Egypt. "Radical Islamic Salafists are demanding a further Islamization of the Egyptian society", said Ulrich Delius on behalf of the STP in Göttingen on Monday. "They are creating a climate of hostility towards women, especially if they are Coptic." In the last few days, there were several attacks on unveiled Christian women in Cairo. On Sunday, two veiled women forcibly cut off a 28-year-old Coptic woman's long hair in the subway. Last Wednesday, a veiled woman had forcibly cut off a 13-year-old Coptic girl's hair, also in the subway. The week before, a female Coptic pupil at the fifth grade of Saray El Koba High School in Cairo had become victim of a similar assault.

"We are very concerned about the increasing number of attacks on Christians. These are not only serious cases of violations of personal rights and personal injury, but also alarming violations of the religious freedom of religious minorities," said Delius. In October, a teacher in Luxor (Upper Egypt) was sentenced to six months on probation for forcibly cutting off the hair of two twelve-year-old girls who refused to cover their heads. But it is not sufficient to punish hate crimes with fairly mild sentences. "Egypt's Christians are waiting for a clear signal from President Mohamed Morsi to limit the growing influence of radical Islamist Salafists on public life. Assaults on unveiled schoolgirls and young women must be punished as harsh as existing laws allow, so that members of religious minorities will no longer have to live in fear for their safety." Morsi should issue a public statement in favor of a multi-religious state and protect the members of the religious minorities.

Unfortunately, the President had given in to the growing pressure of the Salafists more and more during the last few months. Before his election as a president in June 2012, he planned to appoint a Coptic woman as vice president – but then did not keep his promise. Last Friday, tens of thousands of Salafists demonstrated at the Tahrir Square in Cairo, demanding the Sharia-laws to become the basis of legislation in the new constitution. Liberal Muslims and Copts are warning about introducing the Sharia principles because this would lead to an exodus of Christians and moderate Muslims from Egypt.