WATANI International

14 December 2008

This is one particular incident where I would hate the real issue to be lost while we drown in the details. The nine-hour long rioting which took place in the eastern Cairo district of Ain-Shams on 23 November to protest the holding of prayers in a Church-owned building cannot go unnoticed, neither should the incident be reduced to some petty analyses.

Taking the law in their own hands

Some claim that the reason behind the riots was that the building was not licensed for prayers, while others say that it definitely was. But all this is beside the point. If the building carried no licence for conducting religious rituals then it is the local government that should have been concerned with the problem. How did the mob, which was mobilised by extremist incendiary calls emanating from mosque microphones to ‘defend’ Islam against the holding of Christian prayers, know whether or not the building was licensed? And even assuming that they did, what right had they to take the law in their own hands? Egyptians, who are notorious for breaking the law, suddenly appeared deadly bent on respecting a law which prohibits non-Muslims from holding prayers in non-licensed places. That is, assuming the building was not licensed to hold religious rituals.

But if the building were licensed for prayers, it would mean that fanatics were able to halt the implementation of a decision issued by the State. At this point the matter becomes one which concerns the prominence of the State and its ability to govern.

No vision

Apart from the details, the inevitable issue is that fanatic movements have gained ground with the Egyptian public and there is no national plan to confront the fanaticism.

What reason is there that until today the bill for the unified law for building places of worship has not been placed on Parliament’s agenda, despite the fact that it was submitted to the Proposals Committee in Parliament and approved more than two years ago? And despite the fact that innumerable sectarian incidents have flared up in the meantime owing to the lack of such legislation.

It appears that that the political ruling group’s comprehension of the sectarian question is rather limited, the outcome being a lack of political will and vision to tackle the problem.

The question is not about Copts or their unquestioned right to build a church, but about how strong a government Egypt has and how capable it is of upholding the law.