In last week’ editorial I referred to Watani’s three-months-old campaign to rally support behind the longed-for unified law for building places of worship which, for four consecutive parliamentary rounds, has been inexplicably shelved. I presented a collection of opinions of a group of MPs and Shura Council members who back the law. And today I present a new set of opinions collected by Watani. Although the majority expressed overwhelming support of the law, a minority voiced opposition. I will nevertheless cite all the opinions regardless, since I believe all have a right to be heard.
Amin Radi, MP and secretary of Defence and National Security Committee said: “The unified law for building places of worship is of utmost importance and its passage in the upcoming round which starts in November would work to emphasise citizenship principles. It would place all Egyptians, regardless of religion, on equal footing before the law and remove the obstacles complicating the process of building places of worship. I think that the bill was not passed in the last parliamentary round, although it was approved by the PA’s Complaints and Proposals Committee, because the round was loaded with a host of draft laws proposed by the government. The Committee of Defence and National Security recommended the passage of the law following the Abu-Fana sectarian attack. I will give my full support to placing the bill on the agenda of the upcoming parliamentary round, and I intend to raise the issue among the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) officials”.
Dr Louis Bishara of the Shura Council said the law was now urgently needed to put an end to the suffering of those seeking licenses to erect churches. It would secure people’s rights to perform their prayers and restore and maintain their places of worship. “When I discussed the issue lately,” he said, “with Moufid Shehab, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, he confirmed that Parliament will discuss the bill—proposed by the National Council for Human Rights—in the coming parliamentary round.”
Maher al-Darbi who heads the parliamentary Local Administration committee is of the opinion that the agenda of the upcoming parliamentary round includes more significant bills than the one concerning building places of worship. Moreover, the issue—if raised—would cause an uproar, so Mr Darbi said he would oppose the law, or will at least ask to include current provisions in the executive regulation of the new law. “According to the Constitution, Islam is the formal religion of the Egyptian State and Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation,” he stressed. “Feelings of the Muslim majority should be respected. Mosques and Churches are built without any problems. When I built a mosque, I did not have to get any licences. Authorities could prevent the erection of a church due to national security considerations. The current rules organising building of churches and mosques are more positive than those applied at any time in the past”. I intend to discuss the argument proposed by Darbi in a separate article, and I hope to persuade him to reconsider.
Sherif Omar, head of the Education Committee said that all Egyptians should equally enjoy citizenship rights. Muslims and Christians alike sacrificed their lives in wars defending their homeland. There should be no discrimination whatsoever in terms of performing religious rites. “I support the law in principle,” he said, “and believe that churches should be built according to the needs of the people in a proportionate manner. If the bill is put up for discussion, I intend to vote for it.”
Dr Hamdi al-Sayed, NDP MP and head of Heath Committee believes the law is important to end the tension which occasionally erupts when a church is built near a mosque. “I believe that mosques and churches alike should not be built at random,” he maintained. “Places of worship should be included when planning any residential area; the number of residents and their religious affiliations should be taken into consideration”.
Mohammed Helmy Amer, NDP MP and the secretary of the Human Rights Committee said he had no objection to unifying the regulations governing the building of places of worship and facilitating licences for churches and mosques alike. The law, if passed, would put an end to a plethora of tensions, he said. “The NDP, to which I belong,” he affirmed, “strongly upholds citizenship rights.”
