From Catholic News Service

Question of Egyptian Christians' rights raised

By Doreen Abi Raad, Catholic News Service

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNS) -- Recent stabbings and violence in Egypt's Christian community raise questions about their rights as a minority, said a Coptic Orthodox journalist.

Youssef Sidhom, editor in chief of Watani, a Coptic weekly newspaper in Alexandria, Egypt, said the nation's Christians suffer from marginalization and are denied their right to occupy chief posts in the public sector and in the government. He spoke in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service.

The recent violence began April 14, when Coptic Orthodox churches were full of worshippers celebrating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, normally celebrated on Palm Sunday. This year, Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter April 23; in Egypt, however, Coptic Christians generally attend church on Fridays because weekends are observed Friday and Saturday.

An attacker broke into St. George Church and stabbed people in the back row. About forty-five minutes later, another church was attacked.

''Everyone was shocked, and everyone thought that it was an Islamic attack on churches," Sidhom explained. Then news came of an attack on a third church, but apparently the attacker fled before stabbing anyone.

Egypt's Interior Ministry announced that a mentally ill man who acted alone was responsible for the rampage and was being held. Sidhom said witnesses reported that the attacker was not alone and was surrounded by five or six young men who were covering him.

"Also, he was shouting Islamic slogans. So this puts the incident more in the frame of an Islamic attack," said Sidhom.

"Even if they prove that the attacker is out of his mind, he is still the fruit of a sick, Islamic fanatic environment that prevails in Alexandria," Sidhom said.

On the afternoon of the attacks, worshippers gathered in Saints' Church, where the second incident occurred and an elderly man was killed. They held banners, some of which read, "Stop the Persecution Against Copts."

According to Sidhom, thousands of angry Copts took to the streets in protest. They said this was just one episode in a series of violent incidents against Christians. Protesters also demanded more rights and equality for Christians and called for the authorities to address the problem of fanatic Islamic groups in Alexandria.

During the April 15 funeral procession for the 78-year-old victim, a Christian-Muslim riot erupted. Security forces used tear gas to dispel the crowds. The Associated Press reported 200 Christian protesters took refuge April 16 in Alexandria's St. Maximus Church after clashing with 2,000 police officers. About 100 people were arrested.

Sporadic scuffles were reported after nightfall April 16.

Despite things "coming back to normal, there is a huge problem which is still lying beneath the surface," Sidhom said. "Alexandria suffers from the presence of many Islamic groups, and some of them are preaching hatred and preaching violence and calling for establishing an Islamic state."

Coptic Christians comprise approximately 6 percent to 10 percent of Egypt's predominantly Muslim population. However, Copts "can count no mayors, no public university presidents or deans, and there are few Christians in the upper ranks of the security services and armed forces," wrote Mona Eltahawy, a columnist for the Pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. "There are only two or three Christian ministers at any given time (in Egypt), and Christians are underrepresented in Parliament."

In addition, a sizeable portion of Coptic history has been edited out of schoolbooks, said Sidhom.

How long "will Copts be readily sacrificed to the whim of every fanatic?" Sidhom wrote in the latest issue of Watani. "And in whose interest are the facts being falsified and embellished by officials?"

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