WATANI International
30 October 2011
Echoes of the bloody Sunday of 9 October continue to reverberate on the domestic and global levels, despite a temporary lull awaiting the outcome of fact-finding committee’s work. Meanwhile, we wait to see whether the government will fulfil its promise and introduce legislative reforms regarding the building of churches. Waves of condemnation over the appalling incident still flow in. Yet a deep look into the crisis is bound to reveal that it does not merely stand at the burning of the church in Merinab, Aswan; or the failure of the authorities to deal with the incident on the political and security levels. Neither is it even about the angry Coptic demonstrations which went out to protest all that and which were met with unprecedented violence on the part of the military in Maspero on that fateful Sunday. The tragedy goes much deeper, its roots in the irresponsible religious discourse that has slipped into sectarian agitation.
I cannot imagine that the fact-finding committee will overlook the testimonies of those who witnessed the events in Merinab first hand, particularly those who arranged for the disgraceful ‘reconciliation meeting’ between the village Muslims and Copts, and the security and military officials who managed it. This session acted to spark the wave of agitation and sedition which followed. During the meeting, Muslim extremists demanded that the new building should have no tower or bells, and carry no crosses, because they “provoke Muslim sensitivities”. This attitude should never have gone unchecked. When the village sheikh went further to say that: “Muslims are not used to see churches with domes; domes are needless and affront Muslims”, none of the attending military or security officials raised a finger to disapprove the fanatic rhetoric. And as if their passivity in the face of the fanatics were not enough, the officials stepped up the pressure by confirming that no crosses or bells should be installed, and that prayers may not even be held in the building for the time being. The representatives of the State and the rule of law allowed both to fall to the worst level of decline, a matter which should never pass without accountability.
Neither do I imagine that the fact-finding committee would disregard the aforementioned officials’ responsibility in fomenting sectarian strife a few days later through their inaction as extremists besieged the church, asking to demolish the domes that “affronted their sensitivities”. Why did these officials leave the church with no security protection despite the Muslim fanatics’ threats? By their leniency and indifference, the military and security commanders practically encouraged the extremists to attack, demolish, and burn the church, and then assault the neighbouring homes of the Copts. Nor should we by any means ignore to hold Aswan governor Mustafa al-Sayed accountable for mishandling the crisis through his statements which falsified the truth and misled public opinion.
If we do not stand up to these failures and hold accountable those who stoked the fire, it would be impossible to properly contain the crisis and guarantee no similar recurrence in the future. I can see that official and media circles are now engulfed in guilt feelings on account of their biased coverage of the Maspero events. But any apology should go beyond words of sympathy and a pat on the shoulder; these are insufficient to correct mistakes. Allowing those who engaged in fomenting sectarian sedition to get away with their crime conveys the alarming message that they could easily redo such devilish acts in the future.
A couple of weeks ago I underwent a personal experience which illustrates just how reluctant our formal media is to face the disturbing reality, how content it is with hollow rhetoric instead. A few days following the Maspero incident I was asked to participate by phone in the talk show Beit al-Aiela (Family Home) broadcast by al-Qahira TV. A sheikh and a priest were commenting on the role of the religious discourse in mending fences between Egypt’s Muslims and Copts. Both focused on positive religious discourse and absolutely ignored the type of inflammatory religious address we hear day in day out on the ground. Convinced that what they say does not serve the purpose of ever attempting to remedy the existing discourse, I explained, after uttering the traditional statement about the role of religious discourse in spreading sympathy and tolerance, that there is a wide gap between religious discourse and religious agitation. I elaborated on the events that led to the terror in Merinab and the consequences which followed. Then I noticed a change in the vocals, and realised that they had disconnected the call. It was obvious they would not tolerate candour. They had wished me to reiterate the sweet rhetoric of the two other guests, and could not stand being confronted with the disturbing reality.
As we plan for our future and re-establish rights through law, equality and justice; escaping reality can never help, no matter how comforting and sweet the rhetoric we use.
Watani opens donations for Maspero victims
The Maspero attack left behind dozens of innocent victims that could very well be ranked as martyrs. They left our profane world and ascended to heaven. But behind each of these martyrs lies a tragedy. They left bruised families that in addition to losing their beloved ones suffer from hardships in different realms of life along with the humiliation associated with the process of seeking government compensation.
For the families of these martyrs, the future is cloudy. When we investigated ways of compensating them through State apparatuses, we discovered what lay before them was a long, thorny way, with countless obstacles ahead. Similar to previous occasions and in response to the flow of messages and calls we received, Watani has decided to open the door to receive donations for the victims’ families. Watani will publicly announce all the sums it receives on their behalf, as well as the donations specified for each family.