The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has called on President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt to work towards ending discrimination against Copts in public life. This would be a way for Mubarak to take an important stand against the growing violence to which this religious minority is subjected. "The Copts will not be put off by empty words of sympathy," stated the head of the Africa section at the STP, Ulrich Delius, on Monday in Göttingen. "After years of harassment at the hands of officials and silent tolerance of attacks, these Christians want at last to see concrete action taken to improve their difficult lot in Egypt." Copts must be permitted to build and renovate churches, and religious affiliation should not be included in identification papers or other official documents. Moreover, anti-Christian campaigns in schools and the media must be prohibited, and Copts must be adequately represented in parliament.

At present, the representatives for the Christian minority are hand-picked by the government. After the elections in fall of 2010, President Mubarak selected seven Copts as members of parliament. Their appointment was criticized by Copt leaders, however, because they made no efforts to promote the rights of the minority.

Cops are constantly subjected to hostility in the Egyptian media and in schools. Defamations are widespread, not only in the newspapers and Internet portals of radical Islamic groups but also in the state-run media. For example, the semi-official daily paper Al Ahram published an article on 8 December 2010 claiming that the Coptic pope, Shenouda III, has been fueling tensions between Christians and Muslims for 40 years. The Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations (EUHRO) filed a complaint, and the newspaper eventually issued an apology for the article.

The STP further calls for an end to discrimination against Copts in public sector employment. Candidates for employment positions should be hired solely on the basis of their qualifications and not under consideration of religious denomination. Listing religious affiliations in identification papers facilitates discrimination against Copts in hiring practices.

For further information pleace contact Ulrich Delius: 0049-(0)551-49906-27

Translated by Elizabeth Crawford