Church authorities: Discrimination against Copts on the rise
Al-Masry Al-Youm Mon, 29/10/2012 - 19:43
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/church-authorities-discrimination-against-copts-rise

Sectarian violence and discrimination against Copts in education and the
media has increased since the 25 January revolution, said Millet Council
Secretary Kamil Seddiq on Monday.

“The Bible was burned and the officials did not move … It is time President
Morsy proved that he is president of all Egyptians through his deeds, not
his words,” Seddiq said.

He called on the new pope, to be elected on Tuesday, to lead the Church
through the political changes facing the nation.

“We were faced with intransigence every time we wanted to build a church,”
Seddiq said. “The new pope should establish good relations with the state.”

Since the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011,
several sectarian acts of violence have targeted Coptic churches in
different parts of the country.

Tensions grew during the transitional period as Islamist parties criticized
the church for allegedly mobilizing the Copts to elect Ahmed Shafiq in the
presidential election run-off. The Church has also expressed reservations
about the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly that is tasked with
drafting the new constitution.

Comprising six to 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 83 million, Copts
allege they face discrimination at all levels of social and political life,
including being restricted from building churches, being passed over for
senior positions and being subject to repeated attacks from Islamist
militants.

In October 2011, military police suppressed a march outside the state
television building in Maspero to condemn an attack on Al-Marinab Church in
Aswan. Video clips showed armored army vehicles running over the Coptic
demonstrators.

Egypt has seen sporadic bouts of sectarian violence in Alexandria, Dahshur
and Rafah earlier this month, where Coptic families were threatened by
Islamist militants and forced to leave.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm