A Christian attorney has appealed to the Egyptian Ministers of Interior and Endowments, to put an end to anti-Coptic demonstrations that have targeted Egypt’s most senior Christian cleric, Pope Shenouda III.
 
Attorney Nagib Gibra’il, head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations and an advisor to the Coptic Church, called the demonstrations “irresponsible,” adding that he has received hundreds of protest letters from Copts all over the world, the Egyptian daily Al-Youm A-Sabi’ reported.
 
Anti-Christian demonstrations erupted throughout Egypt following the disappearance of Kamilia Shehata, the wife of a Coptic preacher, who Copts presume was forcefully converted to Islam. Shehata was subsequently found and handed over to church authorities who kept her from public view. Egyptian Muslims were enraged by the Church’s secrecy, arguing that it has become a powerful “state within a state.”
 
“In recent times demonstrations have erupted in various sites in Cairo and Alexandria,” Gibra’il told The Media Line. “In these demonstrations, terrible insults were directed at Pope Shenouda. He was called ‘scum’ and ‘filth’ and Copts were described as clients of Muslims in Egypt.”
 
“These insults inflame Christian emotions not only in Egypt, but everywhere,” he said. “If Muslim clerics were insulted in such a manner, they would have immediately been brought to justice.”
 
Gibra’il said he believed extremist Islamist groups in Egypt had orchestrated the demonstrations.
 
“These were not spontaneous demonstrations,” he said. “They were coordinated; they all took place simultaneously in large mosques in cities like Tanta, Alexandria and Cairo.”
 
Ishaq Ibrahim, a researcher for the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights, a Cairo-based organization, corroborated that the demonstrations were arranged by Islamic fundamentalists who used Facebook to rally demonstrators.
 
“There is a new Egyptian law prohibiting demonstrations in religious sanctuaries,” Ibrahim told The Media Line. “However, our organization supports demonstrations anywhere, as long as they do not incite or offend citizens.”
 
Ibrahim said that the recent demonstrations exposed the high level of sectarian tensions permeating Egypt.
 
“Copts are not physically scared of these demonstrations, and there have been no physical attacks. The demonstrations are usually tied to specific events, like the Kamilia Shehata affair.”
 
Copts are said to comprise some nine percent of Egypt’s 80 million strong population.
   
According to Gibra’il,the Coptic lawyer, anti-Christian demonstrations could be prevented if the Ministries of Interior and Endowments would take certain measures.
 
“The Ministry of Interior can arrest people who curse religious figureheads. It is against the law to curse and belittle religions. The Ministry of Endowments can punish Imams who allowed demonstrators into the mosques. These are large government mosques that belong to the Ministry of Endowments.”
 
Gibra’il said that despite his appeal, no change has been felt on the ground.

The Media Line