WATANI International
6 June 2010
The village of Mit Nama in Qalyub, north of Cairo, was the scene of an attack waged by the village Muslims on Friday 28 May during which they demolished the foundations of a building that was to be erected by Shubral-Kheima bishopric to house health and social services. The building was to be built on a 1351-square metre plot of land owned by the bishopric, and was to serve some 2000 families in five neighbouring villages. The attack was conducted as the security officials looked on, claiming there was nothing they could do.
“For security purposes”
The story of the building goes back to January 2002 when Anba Morqos, Bishop of Shubral-Kheima, purchased the land with the purpose of constructing a church and a services building to offer health and social services to some 400 families—the population needing the services has today swelled to 2000. The land ownership was officially registered in April 2002, and—since the land lies within an agricultural area, building upon which is absolutely prohibited by law—full clearance for building was obtained from Qalyub Court in May 2003, and the clearance was ratified by the military ruler in December 2003. The bishopric applied to the State Security Apparatus for approval to erect the building, a church and a fencing wall, and attached to its applications all the possible approvals required, approvals from the housing, health, agriculture, irrigation, sanitary drainage, veterinary authorities and Qalyubiya governorate.
Despite the Church’s incessant efforts—it had to re-apply for the approval in 2004 and again in 2007—it was only in May 2010 that an approval was granted, and then it was only to build a fencing wall to protect the land against infringements. In November 2008, a Muslim man called Sobhy Sweilam attempted to seize the land, an action which prompted Coptic demonstrations at the time, and the land was returned to the Church. As for the services building and the church, the applications to build them were rejected “for security purposes”.
Security looks on
Father Pimen, priest of Mar Girgis and Anba Abra’am Church in the neighbouring village of Mantai, told Watani that, on Monday 24 May the Church began laying the foundation of the fencing wall, under the watchful eye of the security forces. Three days later, a rumour circulated in Mit-Nama that an attack was being planned by the Muslim villagers on Friday, following noon prayers. “We, in turn,” Fr Pimen said, reported this to the security authorities who simply replied that everything was under control, and that they were aware of the rumours. But they asked us to have no construction work on the land on Friday.
“Following Friday prayer, groups of Muslim men marched towards the land, shouting jihadi slogans, and began demolishing the foundation, filling them with earth using their bare hands. The security forces merely looked on.
“More people joined in until there were some 500 men, women, and even children taking part. They raised two banners on the land, one carried the Islamic testimony of ‘There is no God but Allah, and Mohamed is His Prophet’, while the other declared in bold letters ‘By hook or by crook, this building will be pulled down to the ground’. MPs Ahmed al-Banna and Eid Salem, arrived at the scene but could not stop the violence.”
Meanwhile, Fr Pimen said, the villagers got in a bulldozer to help demolish the foundations. They ruined all the work we had done. Since the land lies on the border of the ring road and the railway track, the security forces refused to take any action, claiming that an infuriated mob may block the highway or the railway.
When they were through with their work, the mobsters held afternoon prayers on the land.
“Before they hold the evening prayer,” Fr Pimen said, “we asked the security officials to put an end to the farce. By 7:00pm, the situation was finally under control.”
Wait and see
Anba Morqos said that the church of Mar-Girgis and Anba Abra’am in the village of Mantai, which already serves some 1200 families of the village congregation, also serves the 2000-families strong village of Mit Nama. Hence the dire need for a new church. As for the services building, it should be of benefit to all the population of Mit-Nama since its healthcare, education, and social services will be offered to Muslims and Christians alike.
The security authorities asked Anba Morqos to halt all construction till the Shura Council elections, which took place last Tuesday, were over. “The resolution of the problem is now in the hands of the security authorities,” he said. “We will wait and see.”